Gillo On The Go - traveling with theatre for children - a short report

Gillo On The Go is an initiative of the Gillo Repertory Theatre, to travel with 

theatre for children. In November 2017 a team of 10 artists travelled across 

eleven places in Karnataka. The 15 day journey covered 2878 kilometres and 

reached 3082 children and adults. Plays, workshops and a mobile library were a part of the project.

Performance of 'Catch That Crocodile!' at Viveka Tribal School, Hosahalli, Saragur

This initiative was supported by 'Friends of Gillo' and undertaken in partnership 

with Dr. Gubbi Veeranna Trust (Gubbi), Untitled Arts Foundation (Bengaluru), 

Avalahalli Residents Group (Avalahalli), Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement 

(Sargur, H D Kote), Shantala Kalavidaru (Chamrajnagar) and Ninasam (Heggodu).

THE ARTISTIC PROGRAMME

Component	For	Description	Details
Play: Catch That Crocodile!	children 4 to 10 years (aanganwadi and primary school)	English | 45 min	10 performances with post show interaction
Play: Hanuman Ki Ramayan	children 8 to 16 years (primary and high school)	Hindi | 45 min	6 performances with post show interaction
Play: One To Ten (premiere)	children 8 to 12 years (primary school)	Gibberish | 45 min	3 performances with post show interaction
Creative drama workshops	children 6 to 16 years	storytelling, ensemble work, physical theatre	8 workshops
Teachers’ workshop	school teachers	focus on art in education, performing arts for children	1 workshop
Artists in dialogue	local artists, educators and drama students	sharing work practice, models of TYA in use, challenges, collaboration opportunities	4 sessions
Mobile library	children 6 to 16 years	100 books in Kannada, Hindi and English	8 sessions

 

Workshop after a show at Govt Lower Primary School, Avalahalli

Library session at Chamrajnagar

OBJECTIVE

To take the magic of live performances to children across the length and breadth of India, through plays and workshops specially created for them.

BENEFITS

Benefits for Children

- enabled children in 11 cities/towns/villages to have access to theatre, in their schools and communities

- introduced children to storytelling, ensemble work and physical theatre through creative drama 

Benefits for the Community 

- provided opportunities for 16 schools to either host a performance/workshop or bring students to the theatre.

- enabled venues to host exclusive arts programming for children.

- helped local partners develop and deepen their ties with schools in their vicinity.

- enabled local partners to start their own theatre-based programming for children.

Benefits for Artists

- led to the professional development of the team of ten artists from Gillo.

- enabled artists to understand the impact of their work outside the metro cities.

- provided artists the opportunity to interact with local theatre practitioners and 

educators to share ways of working, contexts and ideas

Workshop at Viveka School of Excellence, Sargur

IMPACT

- introduced TYA to new audiences (many seeing a play for children for the first time)

- planted the seed of building a theatre-watching habit for 3000 children and their 

parents and teachers

- developed a circuit of organisations interested in hosting TYA performances thus creating opportunities for other TYA practitioners

- introduced and demonstrated ideas and modules of ‘Arts in education’ for local schools 

and educators to take up

- demonstrated the feasibility of travelling with theatre for children outside cities and into towns and villages

- reduced the environmental impact of such a project by adopting a Green Charter

Gillo team learning a local dance from senior students at the Viveka Tribal School, Hosahalli, Sargur

Gillo On The Go team

Adhrit Singh, repertory artist

Atul Somkuwar, repertory artist

Barkha Fatnani, repertory artist 

Dhanesh Gopalakrishnan, repertory artist

Janit Temkar, repertory artist

Nishna Mehta, repertory artist

Sriparna Chatterjee, repertory artist

Swati Singh, repertory artist

Shaili Sathyu, Artistic Director 

Tanya Mahajan, Trustee, Gillo Foundation

Gillo team that travelled across Karnataka
(Front: Sriparna, Tanya, Barkha, Adhrit | Back: Shaili, Janit, Dhanesh, Nishna, Atul, Swati)

PROJECT PARTNERS

Dr. Gubbi Veeranna Trust, Gubbi

Avalahalli Residents Group, Avalahalli

Shantala Kalavidaru, Chamrajnagar

Untitled Arts Foundation, Bengaluru

Swami Vivekanand Youth Movement, Sargur, HD Kote

Ninasam, Heggodu

SUPPORTED BY FRIENDS OF GILLO

A project by GILLO FOUNDATION’s ‘Gillo Repertory Theatre’

Contact: gillo.gilehri@gmail.com