Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Sanskaar Rang Toli begins with Bal Sangam

The sweet melody of flute, dug dug dug sound of the dugdugi, the distinct music of Dotara, nothing compares to the sweet memories of the childhood mela. A flexible girl, a juggler, some clowns in myriad colours are nowhere to be found in today’s time, more so in an urban setting. These week-long mela-like treat for children will be brought by Sanskaar Rang Toli (T.I.E Co.) of National School of Drama during the BalSangam 2013, starting from 14th November. It will bring the unique and traditional performing arts to the capital as a treat to the urban children.

This year, NSD’s Sanskar Rang Toli – Theatre in Education Co. which was established in 1989 celebrates its Silver Jubilee year and Bal Sangam 2013 marks the beginning of the year-long celebration. Commencing on the Children’s Day,the weeklong festivalat the New Delhi NSD Campus, promises to be a traditional, cultural, and mela like delight for its attendees. From folk dance, martial arts, acrobats, street performances like juggling, magic shows, puppet shows and many more experiences, BalSangam will present 10 group’s vivid, distinct and on the verge of extinction performing arts.

 Ratan Thiyam, NSD Chairperson shares on the occasion, “North East Region has very rich traditional and cultural heritage. Various art forms are so rare and exquisite it has become the need of the hour that they be brought back into the limelight and be given due attention they so right fully deserve.”

 With special focus on North East Region, Bal Sangam 2013 brings 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. In this category of folk and performing arts Groups which would participate are, Abhiyan from Tinsukia, Assam; A’chick Theatre from Tura, Meghalaya; Bashel Brothers Creations, from West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh; Kohinoor Langa from Rajasthan; Blooming Cultural Akademy, Irilbung Imphal West, Manipur; Dapon The Mirror, Tangla, Udalpuri BTAD- Assam; Gugura Bodol, NazirPukur Par, Krishnanagar, Agartala, Tripura; KadamtaliOjapali Dal from Darrang Assam, Neuh of Cultural Club, Aizawl, Mizoram; Padma Adzer Choeling from East Sikkim and TiwaBhasha- Sanskriti Charcha Somittee from Nagaon, Assam.

WamanKendre, Director, National School of Drama, “BalSangam is a mela from Sanskar Rang Tolievery alternate year which is a grand treat for children. We want as many as children to come and experience the mela so that they are enriched with our traditional and cultural heritage. Parents are also requested not to miss Bal Sangam with their children as this is the one and only, unique and complete folk performing arts and folk theatre festival by children in the entire country.”

 Also taking a step forward towards educating the children, Sanskaar Rang Toli (T.I.E Co) this time will be holding special performances in the morning session with various schools who has tied up with NSD. The students will also have discussion sessions with artists who are experts of the art form presented and attend various workshops organized during the day.

Introducing a special segment for the Silver Jubilee Celebration, out of the 21 groups that will be performing during the Festival, a street performance and9Traditional Folk Theatre Performance groups will also bring their best performances to the centre-stage. These will include theatres like Bali Wadh & Dwapar Lila by Bhavesh Chhou Nritya Kala, Jharkhand; Raas Leela by Face, Manipur; Yakshagana Dance Drama by Yakshagana Kendra Udipi, Karnataka; Gosian Pather by National Bhand Theatre Budgam, J&K;Darz-E-Patherby Kashmir Performers Collective, Srinagar; Lava Kush by Mudalapaya Yakshagana Kendra, Karnataka;MaachbyAnkur Rang Munch, MP; PurliaChhou, Royal Chhou Academy, West Bengal and Ankiya Bhaona from Prayaas, Nagaon, Assam.The idea is to provide a platform to the original theatres without the touch of modernism.

 Abdul LatifKhatana, Founder Member and present Chief of T.I.E Co. says, “The Mela is an effort to provide a platform at the National level to folk and traditional artists to keep them in practice with their rich cultural tradition. The festival also aims to spread awareness among urban children about the rich cultural heritage of the country. The special focus of the Mela 2013 is the performances of folk and traditional performing Arts from the North East states and only folk/traditional theatre performances from different region of India. Besides various performances, Art and Craft workshops are also part of the Mela.”

The fanfare and hubbub of Bal Sangam 2013 starts from 14th November and goes on till 20th November, 2013 at the New Delhi Campus of NSD at Bhagwan Dass Road. Timing 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM from 14th to 17th November and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM from 18th to 20th November.

Barry John, Founder-Director of the TIE Company on the occasion of Sanskar Rang Tolientering its 25th Year said, "The TIE Company has done a lot to be proud of, but there are massive tasks still waiting to be done. I wish there was a quick and easy way to prove to those who are ignorant or prejudiced about the benefits to be derived from Theatre activities, but of course, there is not. Meanwhile, Theatre’s potential to humanize people, to have them working creatively together, to resolve conflicts and violence, to empower people positively, lies languishing."