A six-day vacation camp for schoolchildren — Kaliyattam — touted to be one of the largest vacation camps for students in the State, got off to a brilliant start at the Pookkad Kalalayam, near Koyilandy here, on Thursday with veteran playwright and professor of drama S. Ramanujam inaugurating it.
Over 350 students from different parts of the district are attending the camp, comprising theatre workshop, interaction with high-achieving artistes, excursions, films-screenings, and theatre productions.
Prof. Ramanujam, who has contributed immensely to children’s theatre, said that children were the powerhouses of love, innocence, and creativity. “We should make sure that our education system does not tear down these qualities,” he said. He also underlined the importance of touch, body movement, and laughter in the emotional and intellectual growth of a human being.
Theatre artiste Chemancheri Narayanan Nair, who passed away recently, was remembered during the function. The children’s camp started with noted Kathakali artiste Guru Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair interacting with the participants.
The morning session was handled by award-winning theatre director Manoj Narayanan, theatre artiste and camp coordinator A. Aboobacker, and Prof. Ramanujam. Pookkad Kalalayam chairman Kavil P. Madhavan presided over the function.
Two plays, Thunnal by Sacred Heart Girls HSS, Thrissur, and Pon-nanayam by Rangaprabhat, Thiruvananthapuram, were staged as part of the camp in the evening. Thunnal had won the first prize in the State School Arts Festival in the high school category earlier this year. Manthikakkannadi by Rangachethana, Thrissur, and Claver Rani by Little Theatre, Malappuram will be staged on Friday evening. Details of the camp can be had from the organisers on Ph: 9446068788 and 9446018788.
350 children are taking part in the camp comprising theatre workshop, excursions, films-screenings, and theatre productions.
