Five-day NSD's 'Bal Sangam' concludes in Agartala

A five-day programme 'Bal Sangam' concluded here Sunday with the note that more such programmes should be held on a regular basis to encourage children to continue traditional performances so as to preserve our cultural heritage in this rapidly changing world.

After New Delhi, the cultural fiesta for the first time organised here at the Nazrul Kala Setra by the National School of Drama's Sanskaar Rang Toli , Theatre-in-Education Company, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Some nine groups from across the country, with special focus on the northeast and folk theatre performed folk dance, martial arts, acrobatics, street-play performances.

The main objective of Bal Sangam is presenting a spectacular and unique confluence of performances by children of various folk and performing traditions. The festival also includes art and craft workshops of activities like origami, pottery, paper puppet-making, and various tribal arts.

In the festival, different regional folk performances, apart from Tripura, like Manipur Tribal Dance, pung cholam, Maibi jagoi, Manipur performing organization's Thang chungoi chainaba, Maibi Laiching Jagoi, Mizoram's sarlamkai, srkthithiang Lam, Chai, Assam' s Bihu, Lailung Khan, Jeng Bihu, Rajasthan's folk song - Sufinna Kalam, West Bengal's patta nach, Ranpa Raibens , Kashmir's Dhamaali, Bhand tchook, Bacha Nagma dance, Bhavesh chhau Nritya Kala Kendra, Jharkhand's Ganesh Vandana, sindu uo sindhu, chalo dilli, Arunachal Pradesh's Monpa dance were performed which is essentially a cultural mela with an education objective.

The festival is an ensemble of various performing traditional art forms that are presented by children belonging to traditional performing families, guru-paramparas and institutions.

According to the organisers, 'Bal Sangam' is about sharing, learning, teaching, enriching and gaining confidence for showing our indigenous cultural identity and is a unique effort to expose the children and young citizens to real strength of Indian folk and traditional performing arts to understand the roots of Indian heritage and cultural treasure.

Meantime, the participants expressed that such programme is a great learning medium for children to explore and be sensitive toward Indian folk and traditional performing arts and moreover, a wonderful platform to not just perform, but learn, travel and share.

The 'Bal Sangam' festival was first started in 2001 with performance of Indian folk and traditional arts by children from different regions of the country. Nearly 85 groups have participated and showcased around 672 performances till date.