8th Edition of Biennial Children’s Festival Bal Sangam concludes at Delhi

This year despite the ongoing yearly IITF and the preparations for the Delhi Assembly Elections, the 8th edition of the biennial Children’s Festival Bal Sangam has seen huge success both in form of participation and audience. It has had probably the highest participation by actors and audience who have showered their charm and enthusiasm at the 8th Bal Sangam.

A huge number of children along with their parents from all walks of life have been flocking the NSD Campus at Mandi House in the Capital which has been transformed into a very rural mela-like ambience. This is reminiscent of other engagements by the NSD, like the Bharat Rang Mahotsav in the recent years. What has been really heartwarming is to note the fact that this year not only children from the well-heeled are enjoying the flavor of the festival but also lesser privileged and specially-abled children getting special attention by Theatre in Education Co and NSD.

On the concluding day of Bal Sangam, NSD has scheduled a Concluding Ceremony at the NSD Campus at 6:00 PM where Shri Pramod Kumar Jain, Joint secretary, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India; Prof. Waman Kendre, Director, NSD and TIE Co Chief, Shri Abdul Latif Khatana; and over 400 under privilege children will witness a Theater Performance by Children of Ankiya Bhaona, Prayas, Nagaon, Assam.

The underprivileged children who were part of the audience were from  Nai Disha, Bal Sahyog, Manzil, Kalyaan Ashram, Jamghat, Srishity, Sakshi, Butterflyes, Addhyan, Mobile Crouch, World Vision India, Blind School, Institute of Rehabilitation, Institute of Mentally Handicapped and Tenderfeet Nursery School.

This year as a special initiative by the T.I.E Co, NSD, Bal Sangam- 2013 reached out to these specially-abled and under privileged children. For this NSD received active participation from various schools and NGO’s.  With this initiative the NSD intended to inspire and include these specially-abled children and create a mass movement by encouraging their participation for the next year’s event.

Focusing education of children, Sanskaar Rang Toli (T.I.E Co) this time held special performances in the morning session with various schools who had tied up with NSD. The students also had discussion sessions with artists who are experts of the art form presented and attend various workshops organized during the day.

With special focus on North East Region, Bal Sangam 2013 brought the unexplored talents and for many un-witnessed traditional performing arts by children from this region. It took six months of hardwork in finding these 11 traditional folk performers (child artist groups) from all over the North East by T.I.E. Co. The artists are not trained or taught; rather they have inherited from their families who still practice these performing arts which are now on the verge of extinction.