Internship with Kolkata Sanved ~ 2

At the end of my last post I mentioned my plans to introduce Image Theatre in my sessions with Apne Aap. However, after one class we began preparing for something that turned out to be much more exciting than anything I could have done using Image Theatre techniques: a skit on the occasion of Independence Day. Every year, Apne Aap puts up a small, in-house programme on 15th August (I hadn't been aware of this when I wrote my last post). This year was no different, and our classes for the rest of July and the beginning of August were geared towards getting a couple of performances ready. Khateja (a dance movement therapist from Sanved with whom I conduct these classes) and I decided to do two pieces -- one would be a dance performance, the other a short play. Right at the outset, I asked the girls to devise three skits (they were divided into three groups) that would convey what independence/freedom meant to them. They came up with wonderfully imaginative performances that dealt with street sexual harassment and the abuse of power (both of which denied them their right to freedom). Additionally, they put up a skit which revolved around a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and three individuals who pass it at different times and steal signature objects that we associate with Gandhi, which are adorning it (spectacles, a walking stick etc). I decided to weave these narratives together and develop a skit that would basically juxtapose the lack of respect accorded to a monument of Gandhi with the abuse of the ideals he stood for in present-day India (daily acts of exploitation). The girls were as cooperative as always and came up with dialogues like, "Desh azad hua, lekin hum kab azadi hogi?" (Our country has gained independence but when will we become independent?) All in all, I think the skit turned out to be as enjoyable as it was thought-provoking. The girls seemed to enjoy themselves a lot while they worked, enacting their roles with elan. The script was completely their own creation; Khateja and I only helped to give it a coherent shape and direction.

Looking back, if I could develop this piece further, I would like to examine how we could bring in Gandhian means of protest/resistance in the sequences where the girls decide to fight against the harassment they are facing. We could, then, extend the Gandhian metaphor further. Perhaps additional layers can be added to the performance if Apne Aap or Sanved wish to use the piece for a future programme.

Outside of Apne Aap, my other update is that I began conducting classes with 8-10 year olds at Patha Bhavan. Our activities with them are somewhat different, directed at providing enjoyment and not necessarily therapy (since it is a mainstream school, the needs of the children are different from children living in slums or shelter homes).

Next week, I'll be traveling to Murshidabad to conduct a day-long workshop along with another trainer from Sanved at a government shelter home. I expect that will throw up a completely new experience for me to muse over!