14th edition of JashneBachpan children's theatre festival to begin Nov 17

The 14th edition of JashneBachpan, a theatre festival for children, will see performances from Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Indonesia along with their Indian counterparts here.

Organised by National School of Drama's (NSD) Theatre in Education (TIE) Company, the theatrical extravaganza will kick start from November 17 at the Sammukh, Abhimanch, Abhikalp and Little Theatre Group (LTG) auditorium.

The nine-day theatre festival for children will see 21 productions from India and three foreign groups including Sri Lanka (non-verbal), Switzerland (English) and Indonesia (Javanese).

"The main aim of conducting Jashnebachpan is to bring theatre into prominence. It has lost its sheen in the modern era because of the digital medium. Children aren't aware of theatre these days as none of the schools has theatre as a subject.

"Like music and art, theatre should also be taught in schools as it not only one of the easiest ways to bring out one's emotions but also it enables us to develop our personality," Suresh Sharma, Director, NSD, said.

From India, a total of 24 groups have been selected out of 221 entries from various states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, and West Bengal among others.

The plays will be performed in vernacular languages like Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, and Malayalam besides non-verbal, English, Hindi and other foreign languages.

The inaugural ceremony will witness four cultural performances by groups such as Thangata Pung Cholam (Manipur), Kalbeliya (Rajasthan), Gotipua (Odisha) and Bhangra/folksong (Punjab).

Folk dances from Assam (Bihu), Sikkim (Lion Dance), Nagaland (Kabul Naga Dance) and Manipur (Stick Balance) will also be the main attractions of the opening event.

The plays during the festival have been divided into four categories - by children, by children and adults, by adults for children and puppetry performances.

The organisers said that the festival has also invited underprivileged kids from various NGOs across Delhi and NCR.

"The idea behind this initiative is to bring those children to the mainstream and inculcate enthusiasm for art and culture along with entertainment at a global platform like Jashnebachpan," the organisers said.

The theatrical event will come to a close on November 25.