Monday, December 4, 2017

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