Art, Arattai, Aarpattam at French Loaf - The Nalanda Way!

Hey, i was just kidding. What i meant to say was, few enthusiastic bloggers met Mr.Sriram, Nalandaway founder, to know about their cultural festival for children -Art, Arattai, Aarpattam. The event is usually held in November, but thanks to rain playing spoilsport, the event is being held in July this year.

The Art, Arattai, Aarpattam festival is an opportunity for socially and emotionally challenged kids to express themselves through dance, drama, music, and paintings. The festival is conducted every year in partnership with UNICEF. The children are engaged in participatory drama that is therapeutic.

The community events will happen between July 16th to August 5th. Story telling, story writing, and painting competitions will be conducted in 32 districts and over 4000 cities, towns, and villages across Tamilnadu. Around 1,00,000 kids and their families will participate in this jubilant event.

The T-shirt (a souvenir for us) logo was designed based on paintings by Nalandaway kids! The colorful mural that you see outside the walls of the US consulate is also the handiwork of these kids with the help of art director Thotta Tharani!

Click here http://www.nalandaway.org/ to visit Nalandaway's website!

A list of the festival events in Chennai city:

Event: Arts Carnival
Date: July 16, 17, 18
Venue: Dakshin Chitra
This will be a three-day carnival which will be held at Dakshin Chitra, a cultural heritage centre in Chennai. Workshops on storytelling, book-reading, pottery, clay modeling, Kalamkari etc., will be conducted by professionals, for children between 6-16. The workshop will encourage children to creatively express, experience, and entertain using various art forms.


Event: Childrens Film Festival
Date: July 19th to 23rd and July 26th – 30th
Venue: Film Chamber, Near Gemini
A film festival of children’s films from USA, UK, India, France, Germany, Iran, Egypt and Korea would be screened during the festival.


Event: Sing Along by Krishna Iyer and Jeeva
Date: July 24th
Venue: Museum Theatre, Egmore
Krishna Iyer and Jeeva will present stories and songs for children. Jeeva will entertain with her stories and her mime; and Krishna and her lively team will present some foot-tapping numbers.


Event: Tale of Haruk - A Korean Musical
Date: July 24th
Venue: Sri Muthu Venkatasubba Rao Auditorium
For the first time in India, TUIDA, a performance group from South Korea will be performing “The Tale of Haruk”. This play has won the Best Play, Acting, Playwright, Art Directing Prize at 2002 Seoul Children's Theatre Award, and received rave reviews for its experimental spirit, elaborate and creative set-designs.


Event: Light Music Performance by Super Singer Juniors
Date: July 25
 Venue: Sri Muthu Venkatasubba Rao Auditorium
Vijay TV’s super singer juniors will be performing popular numbers from Tamil Cinema.


Event: Adventures of the Green Ogre - English Musical -Shrek
Date: July 30
Venue: Sri Muthu Venkatasubba Rao Auditorium
This is an English musical based on the movie Shrek. The play is directed by popular theatre personality Michael Muthu. He founded BoardWalkers in 1991 which consistently picks and promotes young talent from the city colleges. His famous productions include Biloxi Blues, God, Sleuth, The Hairy Ape, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Pied Piper of Hamlin.


Event: Kuravanji Kattai Koothu
Date: July 31
Venue: Alliance Francais
This will be a street-theatre type performance in Tamil by Kattai Koothu a troupe in Kancheepuram.


Event: Alibaba and Forty Police - Tamil Play
Date: August 1
Venue: Sri Muthu Venkatasubba Rao Auditorium
Ali Baba and the Forty Police is an adaptation of the age old Arabian tales “Ali baba and the forty thieves”. This will be performed by children various from government homes across Tamil Nadu.