NCPA celebrates the Joy of Giving Week from 4th October – 8th October with specially curated workshops for children from Teach for India and Muktangan
New Delhi: The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), India’s premier cultural institution, returns with the ‘Joy of Giving Week’. This year, the edition will be held from 4th to 8th October 2021 with children from Teach for India and Muktangan from ages 9 to 14.
Every year, the NCPA plays a pivotal role in spreading the Joy of Giving in the week of Gandhi Jayanti by organizing special events for the less privileged sections of our society. In the past, the NCPA has visited old age homes, orphanages and NGOs to help spread the Joy of Giving through music and dance. This year, the NCPA will be organising virtual sessions led by experts from the cultural world to facilitate wholesome learning for young minds through inclusive workshops.
For the 2021 edition, hundreds of children (ages 9 -14) from Teach for India and Muktangan across India will be given a chance to explore the world of the performing arts through exclusively designed sessions. Through the week of 4th to 8th October, the NCPA will conduct a series of workshops and screenings spanning music, dance, photography and theatre in an attempt to brighten the world of the young and curious who otherwise have limited access or exposure to these art forms.
| Date | Genre | Time | Description of the workshop |
| 4th October, Monday | Music | 10 AM – 11:00 AM | Musicians of the Symphony Orchestra of India will take the children on a journey of Western classical music. They will be introduced to a symphony orchestra and its instruments. The kids will watch some exciting recordings and understand the similarities between Western classical music and other styles like Bollywood |
| 5th October, Tuesday | Music | 10 AM – 11:00 AM | Through the medium of select Hindi songs with easy lyrics, a simple tune and a dramatic/storytelling element, children will be encouraged to engage with language, music and also, some action |
| 6th October, Wednesday | Dance | 10 AM – 11:00 AM | With Navratri around the corner, children will first watch a short number on ‘Devi’, followed by a session of stories about the shapeshifter demon Mahishasura, Maricha, the golden deer, and Hanuman, the monkey God, from the Ramayana. They will then participate in a short performance on the popular song, ‘Yashomati maiya se bole Nandalala’, and learn about the raas tradition during Navratri in Western India. |
| 7th October, Thursday | Photography | 10 AM – 11:00 AM | A renowned bird photographer will share important information about birds and photographing them in their natural habitat with children. |
| 7th October, Thursday | Music | 12 NOON – 1 PM | This will be an interactive songwriting workshop with Komal Kuwadekar (singer-songwriter) and Niranjan Joshi (pianist and composer). It will introduce children to the joys of making their own song as a group with the use of Western musical techniques. The session will cover the basics of songwriting and song-building exercises such as lyrics, free word association, improvisation and basic rhythm and will end with the participants creating a unique song. There will also be a short performance by the musicians conducting the workshop. |
| 8th October, Friday | Theatre | 10 AM – 11:00 AM | Person-to-person communication is a skill we all need, and in this workshop, the participants will be taken through a practical warm-up technique for their bodies, minds and mouths. They will learn stretching and breathing techniques, face muscle workout and tongue workout. With these simple techniques, one can improve clarity of thought, diction, and audibility in a very short period. |