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Fun and frolic

With the arrival of Fall, comes the time to soak in the warmth of the ongoing events in the national Capital and every year the National School of Drama campus turns into a mela ground, which attracts children of all ages to participate in the yearly children’s festival ‘Bal Sangam’.

This year too, vibrant colours, myriad clothes, different languages, soulful music, ethnic dances and other activities from 13 Indian states will come together this year. Folk performances and folk theatre by 18 groups will be presented during the 9th edition of ‘Bal Sangam’, which begins from November 21 to 25. The five day festival, with free entry, will present performances at the National School of Drama campus at Mandi House.

To add to the festivities, longmans, clowns, dhol drummers, tight rope walker, jugaad band performers, acrobats, jugglers, behrupiyas, magicians, kacchi-ghodi performers, kathputli exponents, and many more will converge on the campus of National School of Drama to present to the young minds the cultural heritage of the country which is fast depleting and need to be showcased to the young urban Indians. 

A highlight of this year’s ‘Bal Sangam’ will be the regional folk performances such as Chhou from West Bengal, Yakshagana from Karanataka, Bhand Pather from Jammu & Kashmir and Raas Leela from Manipur. This, together with five workshops on Paper Puppet making, Origami, Madhubani paintings, Mask Making, Potter Craft, will prove to be very educating and enriching experience for the young children of national Capital.

Talking more about this year’s edition of ‘Bal Sangam’, Abdul Latif Khatana, Chief, TIE Co. said, “Bal Sangam is an effort to bring folk and urban face to face. Where there are children today lost in the internet and technology, TIE festival brings the open and varied folk to the kids of today, amalgamating the past and the future in the present.”

Many schoolboys and schoolgirls of Delhi, including those from Mayoor Public School, Jamia Middle School, Red Rosses Public School, Bengali Boys Sr. Secondary, Hingli Foundation, Andhra Society, will be bringing different components of folk culture to stage to this year’s festival.

Waman Kendre, Director, National School of Drama said, “This ‘Bal Sangam’ is an unique effort to expose the children and young citizens to real strength of Indian folk and traditional performing arts. It is also an effort to understand the roots of our heritage and cultural treasure. Understanding of Indian value system and way of leading life only will help us mark our presence on the global platform. ‘Bal Sangam’ is about sharing, learning, teaching, enriching and gaining confidence for showing our indigenous cultural identity while facing the globe.”  

Also during this year’s ‘Bal Sangam’, the NSD authorities will be making special arrangements through various NGO working with underprivileged children and social organisations to reach out and invite children from the not so privileged class so as to give them the due privilege to experience and be enriched by this long awaited festival of National School of Drama for children.

When: November 21 to 25
Where: National School of Drama campus, Mandi House
Timings: 4pm to 8pm
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