The National Children’s Theatre Festival got off to a start in Mysuru on Tuesday.
The six-day festival has been organised by the Indian Institute of Educational Theatre, which was launched recently. The festival concludes on September 24.
Theatre personality and veteran actor Mohan Agashe inaugurated the festival at Kiru Rangamandira here in the presence of theatre personality Prasanna, who is instrumental in launching the theatre and organising the children’s theatre festival.
Speaking after inaugurating the festival, Mr. Agashe said he was happy to be in Mysuru and inaugurate the festival. “I am glad to see so many people gathered here to be part of this occasion. I am coming to Mysuru after a long time,” he said.
In his address, Mr. Prasanna requested the audience to visit the Dasaprakash Paradise Hotel on Wednesday to witness the remarkable works of Mr. Agashe for children.
Plays performed by adults for children, plays performed by children for children, book fair, educational theatre conference, exchange of ideas on children’s literature and mural exhibitions will be held as part of the festival. The festival will be held simultaneously in theatres of Kirurangmandira, Rangayana’s Bhoomigeeta and at Natana. Theatre troupes, theatre experts and special representatives from different parts of the country have been invited to the festival.
The aim of this movement is to protect the child’s sensitivity and joy of learning which is right now marred by the extreme book load, test load, and over-intellectual pressure that have plagued the education sector, a note issued by the organisers said here.
A ‘National Colloquium’ on Children’s Theatre will be held at Dasaprakash Paradise Hotel on Wednesday and Thursday. Swedish educational theatre experts Lena Fredel, Lise Helstrom Signingson, Zach Oyan will mainly participate in the programme. Renowned actors and teachers of the country will participate in this exchange of ideas as representatives.
Former Minister Rani Satish inaugurated the drama festival at Bhoomigeetha in Rangayana here where plays performed by children for children will be staged during the festival. At Kiru Rangamandira, plays performed by adults for children will be staged.
