Making a Difference

At the age of 14,Barkha Bali had decided she wanted to preserve Indias art and culture.

Three artists come together to educate underprivileged children in various art and cultural forms

At the age of 14,Barkha Bali had decided she wanted to preserve Indias art and culture. My father Bhag Singh,an eminent theatre person worked with traditional art forms and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,in my own way, says Bali,42,who now conducts Kathak workshops for underprivileged children. Once she picked up the nuances of kathak,she began freelancing in various city schools. But,felt the need to do something more and reach out to all sections of society. Bali is currently involved with conducting workshops for children from Mauli Jagran and colonies near Mani Majra at Kalagram,till June 30.

About 200 students in total are enrolled in three different workshops at Kalagram. And 65 of them are part of Asif Alis theatre workshop. His play titled,Khilney Do Hazo Phul,is about the alternative education system. Through theatre I want students to acquire a set of skills that will help them face life, says the 38-year-old,who has directed about 40 plays and acted in 80.

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Also neck-deep in training is Baldeep Chand,who is working with 100 boys and girls,teaching them bhangra and jindua. While we are acquainting these students with folk dances of Punjab,they are teaching us a thing or two about life, smiles Chand. While majority of summer workshops are for the ones who can afford it,we wanted to host a programme for the underprivileged, says Yashwinder Sharma Jassi,program officer at Kalagram,adding that a special bus service has been arranged to ferry students and the final show will not just see the children performing their respective roles,but also managing the stage,controlling music and hosting the event.

The final show will be held on July 1 and 2 at Kalagram from 7:30 to 9:00 pm

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