Workshop held to encourage Manipuri art forms

School children from many government schools belonging to different communities of Manipur participated in a workshop to learn many forms of music.

The workshop was held at the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen, Palace compound in Imphal.

Under the project, 'Support of Musical Instruments and Teaching of Music to School Children,' which was a part of the state government's 100-day programme, students had an opportunity to explore, share and learn various communities' art forms through dance, songs and music.

The cultural programme that was funded by the North Eastern Council aimed to support school children by imparting knowledge of music to them and making them aware about the role and importance of music in life.

L Kishworjit Singh, Joint Director of Arts and Culture Department, Manipur said, "The name of the project itself indicates about not only providing musical instruments to the school children but to teach them music. And moreover, to make them understand about our own culture by learning our traditional music, that's why we put some traditional musical instruments in this project."

The first of its kind workshop was curated under the Kala Akademi awardee and a noted music artist, N Tiken Singh, and other resource persons from the music fraternity.

The workshop throws light on the importance of preserving and reserving the indigenous art of each community.

Singh said, "In this project, every community of the state could learn directly others art forms. It becomes practically cultural exchange and it also developed such kind of national integration. In future, this could be a model of cultural exchange as well as we had not conducted such programme for the grassroots students for a long time."

The students were taught to play various musical instruments, including drums, piano, guitar and saxophone as well as indigenous instruments like Pena, Tingteila and among others.

Naoba, a camper at the workshop, said, "I joined this camp because I want to learn various musical instruments and others' culture."

The school children underwent training for about a month under various noted music artistes of the state.