DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
JAMMU, June 11
Natrang the premier professional cultural institution of Jammu & Kashmir is empowering children through highly innovative devices of creativity and innovation. Jammu’s most sought after Summer destination- Natrang’s Children Theatre Camp is a witness to sheer mind blowing creative activities these days. Natrang’s Theatre Camp-2024 is setting new benchmarks by exploring endless possibilities of creativity and innovation amongst children. The most noteworthy feature of this year’s camp is that it is being monitored by Padamshree Balwant Thakur himself and is being conducted by Sumeet Sharma who is a National Awardee and a top expert of Children Theatre. New horizons of creativity are being turned inside out by experimenting alternative ways of self-exploration through the vibrant devices of theatre. Natrang organises a children theatre camp every year for forty-five days since the year 1990. This is the only professional platform for children in Jammu where children get an out of world exposure of creativity, art, aesthetics, innovation and local culture. They are provided immense opportunities to explore their hidden abilities in abundance. While discussing details of this initiative of Natrang, its director Balwant Thakur informed that everywhere the work of creativity with children is being done as a fashion. Everywhere one can find some activity being organised in the name of art and theatre but in Natrang, highly experienced and professionally trained people work in a highly methodical manner in infusing creativity amongst participating children. He acquired the latest techniques of children theatre training from various countries abroad during his recent foreign postings. The same is now being implemented in the Theatre camps of Natrang. Balwant Thakur further said that while other children during summer vacations remain attracted to the idiot box (Television)/smart phones or may be sleeping at home, the Natrang Theatre camp children have found an amazing space where they are equipping themselves with multiple abilities and qualities. Theatre is not only making them confident but is also enriching them with intellect and infusing in them the art of self-expression by shaping their public speaking skills.
Natrang is the only theatre organisation in the country which has been running a weekend club for children. This club works on Saturdays and Sundays and children get diverse kinds of training in personality development, public speaking, organizing the self and self-exploration through theatre.
Natrang is all set to devise a yearlong theatre training programme to make children aware of their own self-actualization with the help of experts training them. The curriculum of this year-long theatre programme is conceptualized and designed by Padamshree Balwant Thakur who has provided a new dimension to the Children Theatre of the Country with his highly innovative Children Plays like ‘Rang Badalti Duniya’ ‘Bhag Beta Bhaag’, Hum Hain Naa’ Udaan’ ‘Mere Hisse Ki Dhoop Kahan Hai’ and ‘Aap hamare Hain Kaun’. In the past the experts to work with children have been coming from National and International institutions like, National School of Drama New Delhi and London International School of Performing Arts. The regular faculty include, Sumeet Sharma a National Awardee and also Masters in Dramatics, Neeraj Kant- a veteran theatre artist who has an experience of 35 years of working with children. Other than this many other experts of different art-fields like Music, Dance, Painting etc come as visiting faculty to impart a vast knowledge and exposure to the participants.
Theatre not only trains actors or directors, but it teaches many skills which help its trainees to excel and lead in any field they opt as a career. As Natrang is doing regular Children Theatre in J&K for the last 34 years. In these years Natrang has trained, inspired and motivated thousands of children till now and most of them have excelled brilliantly in various fields be it acting, management, civil services, medicine, engineering, Judiciary, social work etc.
It clearly establishes that no matter, what you aspire to become in life, the confidence, spontaneity, self-exploration, creativity, reasoning and discipline you imbibe while experiencing theatre, acts as your ultimate strength and the motivational force for you to succeed and excel in every sphere of life. Natrang takes pride in not only giving a new cultural and intellectual identity to this region but also have produced the best of the human resource through these kinds of creative initiatives. Natrang’s Children Theatre Camp-2024 is being assisted by Kananpreet Kaur, Palshin Dutta, Mihir Gujral and is coordinated by Mohd. Yaseen.
The children who are participating the Children Theatre Camp-2024 include Saisha Malhotra, Adira Gupta, Priyal Gupta, Viraaj Singh, Viraaj Gupta, Kamakhya Bali, Raaga Sharma, Shravya Sharma, Mehak Chib, Ruhaan Chandan, Dhanak Chandan, Amayra Mahajan, Vidhanshi Jamwal, Nirvana Sah, Jazz Sah, Aradhya Sharma, Aarvya Jain , Nabhanya Chauhan, Daivik Gupta, Anaadi Abrol, Vannya Modi, Avni Roy, Rishik, Sharanya Mahajan, Sharvil Mahajan, Adeesha Singh, Ayaan Dutt, Ryan Gupta, Vaibhav Mahajan, Anmol Sharma, Jayaditya Singh and Aarav Gupta.
