At a time when gadgets have replaced books, the Readers’ Week organised by Lulu mall aims at reintroducing to children the joys of reading. Lulu Mall has collaborated with Crossword to create this platform for children where they could meet and interact with authors, storytellers and artists.
The highlights of the week are the storytelling workshops by various artists from across the country. Through stories, Nature walks, music, theatre, comics, puppetry, balloon art and toy making from leaves and trash, the week is aimed at creating a holistic experience for the children.
Priya Muthukumar, founder of the storytelling initiative, Storipur, Bengaluru, who conducted a workshop, believes that if one needs to know about the culture of one’s land, one needs to listen to the stories that come from it! And if one needs to change the culture, the stories told need to change too. She stresses on the bond between culture and Nature through stories.
Nowshid Parammal’s unique toy-making workshop involves making sustainable toys using coconut leaves and trash. He teaches children to appreciate the beauty of handmade products and develop a love for Nature through recycling.
Deepa Kiran brought a world of stories through music. The children saw the characters come alive in her gestures, sound modulations and songs. A story-teller, academician, and writer, she uses musical instruments, which she collected from across India and around the world, to enable her audience to experience the story in a sensory level. The children joined her in the songs and many of them displayed an interest in the musical instruments. “Love for stories is never restricted to age. Folk tales are from the folk and for the folk,” says Kiran.
Prashant Nori, the co-founder of Dramebaaz, kindled the imagination in children through his vibrant session, where they learnt to write scripts, make props, act and most importantly, work as a team. “Keeping children in front of textbooks can only take them so far, but beyond that to work as a team and to be creative comes from other mediums outside traditional schooling,” Nori says. Thus he chose to work with children whose creativity and energy can be channelised fruitfully through theatre.
“The world is moving towards content-based growth. It’s our job to ensure that children have a wide exposure to all possibilities, only then will they realise their skills,” says start-up specialist Pravin Shekar. He brings out budding authors in children through his illustrative workshops.
Usha Venkatraman, in her session today, will entertain children through her puppeteering. A professional story-teller, she encourages children to develop listening and concentration skills using different techniques. She would make them solve puzzle stories and teach them to make props. “I keep the oral tradition alive with contemporary ideals. I help children to think out of the box, to make them think differently,” she says.
Harish Bhuvan, in his unique storytelling session on May 26, would provide a different perspective through clowning and address important issues like child sexual abuse. His balloon art is a major attraction.
The fun and happiness of the children were reflected in the parents and the organisers. “These events find hidden talents in our children. It’s good that such arenas are being provided for them,” says a parent who enrolled her child in the fest.
Once our grandparents and their parents opened to us unknown lands of stories, but that was the tradition. Now, families and lifestyles changed. And there in lies the charm of an event that brings back the lost joys of storytelling.
