Street theatre festival focuses on child rights

Kolkata -  Children's theatre groups from many states are raising their voice against child rights violations in the five-day National Street Theatre Festival "Bol Jamoore" that began in Kolkata.

Organised by the non-governmental organisation CRY (Child Right and You) in association with Theatre Forum for Child Rights (TFCR), the fourth “Bol Jamoore” festival at the Lady Ranu Chhaya Manch is focusing on child rights and education. The festival began Friday.

Thirteen children’s theatre groups from West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are taking part in the festival under the guidance of experts in various aspects of street threatre, including scripting, directing and acting.

Talking about the initiative, CRY senior media advocacy manager (East) Abhik Bhattacharya said: "The participants are members of our children’s collective who meet authorities and school managements by themselves and raise questions related to enrolment and better school infrastructure. They are very active in all the 24 states where we are present”.

Bhattacharya said: "It is a shame that after more than 60 years of independence, children have to raise their voice for their basic rights.”

Talking about the response of the audience to the festival, Bhattacharya urged the civil society to join hands and become more active for child rights.

The participants are from both privileged and under-privileged sections of the society.

Jujhar Soren, team leader of the group Sarjom from Jharkhand's East Singbhum district, told IANS: "The main problem in Jharkhand is not child labour but the violation of the education system and improper infrastructure provided at the school level."

Soren said his group was organising various shows, and events at the grass roots level to address the issue.

Khathah Performing Repertoire (KPR) from West Bengal’s Howrah district performed at the inaugural show where little children conducted a talk show “Crisis”, focusing on various problems related to child labour and inequality among various sections of children.