The colour of childhood

In the past couple of years, theatre in Delhi has been losing its audience to multimedia entertainment, often being consigned to the lofty realm of 'high art'. This tag tends to alienate the audience rather than welcoming it. Now, an innovative festival, curated keeping children in mind, seeks to democratise theatre across ages. The Theatre for Young Audiences festival (TYA) brings its first edition to Delhi. Titled "Tifli", the festival is an attempt to further education through alternative modes, enabling children to understand the world they live in through vivid experiences.

Organised by the Indian chapter of the Association Internationale du Theatre pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse, or ASSITEJ, the festival will feature 14 performances, of which four have been put together by international theatre companies. For festival director and curator at ASSITEJ, Imran Khan, TYA is about channeling thoughts through the prism with which a child sees her world. He cites the example of Rang Rangeela Gittu Girgit, about a chameleon who struggles to survive in a world which is fast losing its colour because of global warming. "Plays like these seek to relate to a child's imagination and how larger world issues affect their immediate world," he adds. Besides, a theatre performance does not come saddled with a screen barrier like multimedia entertainment does, allowing a give-and-take relationship between the performers and their audience.

Shaili Sathyu from the Gillo Theatre Repertory believes that unlike multimedia entertainment, theatre performances allow children and adults to "develop their sensibilities together". As this is a theatre for young audiences, the plays will feature adults performing on stage, an experience which both children and adults will be able to enjoy. "The idea is to encourage adults in the audience to be present not just as babysitters," Sathyu adds. Gillo's own play, Kyun Kyun Ladki, an adaptation of Mahashweta Devi's Why Why Girl, seeks to capture elements of childhood through the question 'why', something that a child often finds unanswered. Bringing the issues of the world to a child and a child's own issues for the adults to feel and experience, TYA is an innovative effort to bring the family together.

The TYA festival will be held from February 18 to February 22 at National Bal Bhawan, Delhi. For tickets, visit www.bookmyshow.in