Bandra with a Heart
The Celebrate Bandra Festival, in keeping with its spirit of 'by the community, for the community' would like to create opportunities for Bandraites to get involved in social action. The hope is that this would lead to a deeper and more sustained engagement within the community.
To that end we've put together a couple of initiatives.
1. The Bandra Citizens' Action Directory - a user-friendly informative booklet on community related information covering all bonafide citizens' initiatives, NGOs, activists, help-lines, social services etc, both Bandra specific and for Mumbai in general, allowing people to choose how they want to get involved in a local citizens' initiative or reach out easily for a service they require. Spaces within/around the performing areas will be created for Bandra's Citizen Action groups to share their work.
2. Celebrate Bandra With A Heart Committee organized an Art Workshop conducted by The Pomegranate Workshop with English, Marathi & Gujarati medium students from Petit Municipal School, (Opp. Bhabha Hospital) with an aim to introduce students to art & creativity. Students were identified and would meet at 10:00 a.m. i.e. before school so as not to interfere with their normal schedule. The students were explained about the environment & subsequently guided into a creative thought process wherein they were encouraged to think about what the environment meant to each of them, so that they could express it through water colours on paper. After each workshop, Bandra With A Heart volunteers would interact with the children checking on their progress, their understanding on what they were involved with and would distribute snacks and soft drinks greatly appreciated by all.
Art Work done by Children on display at event venues through the festival.
A) Art Poster 15 ft x 5 ft– 2 pieces: The children worked with a range of material (paints / brushes / sponge / cloth / textured surfaces to name a few and were asked to express their view on nature on a specific designated square panel.
B) Art Work A4 size hardboard– approx 20 pieces: Children were asked to express themselves on kite paper with brushes & paint & subsequently asked to illustrate a scene from their favourite animal story, shred the kite paper and create a collage.
C) Lanterns with cutwork art – approx 40 pieces: Children were explained about nature and then toured around the school compound to gather textured surfaces such as leaves (only fallen leaves – no plucking), stones and other inspirational matter which helped them form block panels to imprint on paper which was subsequently converted into lanterns.
For more information on The Pomegranate Workshop, log on to
www.tpw.i
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Dance Program by Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation (VAF) & the street children : {Carter Road Promenade, Monday, 16th November 2009} VAF is a not-for-profit organization committed to making dance a meaningful experience for all with greater focus on the under privileged & specially challenged – truly living their mission statement – Have Feet Will Dance.
- Dance Program by Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation (VAF) & The National Resource Centre for Inclusion – Spastics Society of India - ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together) : {Amphitheatre, Thursday, 19th November 2009} VAF a not-for-profit organization committed to making dance a meaningful experience for all especially the mentally & physically challenged has been conducting dance workshops with the institute. Celebrate Bandra With a Heart has offered showcase space for this dance program so as to truly create a spirit of inclusion during the festival.
For more information on The National Resource Centre for Inclusion – Spastics Society of India, log on to www.nrcissi.org
- Atmavishwas – The Vocational Center : {Carter rd promenade, Saturday, 21st November 2009} The Center which provides skill training for young adults with development & functional disabilities has put together an instrumental musical performance and in keeping with the theme of the festival, musical instruments have been created from recycled & natural material. They have been ably assisted in dance for this performance by dance movement therapist Dilshad Patel.
- Welfare Society For Destitute Children (St. Catherine of Siena Orphanage & School) & The Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company India: {Bandstand Promenade, Sunday, 22nd November 2009 ; Carter Road Promenade, Saturday, 28th November 2009} Welfare Society for Destitute Children popularly known as St. Catherine’s orphanage has partnered with the Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company to engage children in dance workshops and channelize their energy in a productive manner. Celebrate Bandra With a Heart has offered showcase space so as to ensure that every Bandraite including marginalized children are aware that this is a festival of the people & for the people.
- Ashray & Expressions Modern Dance Company (EMDC): {Bandstand promenade, Sunday, 22nd November 2009} Ashray – a home for orphans and vulnerable children, a project by Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) has partnered with Expressions Modern Dance Company under project ‘Ahsas’ to engage the children in dance workshops with a view not to discriminate but to use dance as the binder so as to bring people together on one platform. Celebrate Bandra With a Heart has offered showcase space for their dance program so as to ensure that every Bandraite including children are aware that they are a part of Bandra & this is their festival.
For more information on Ashray & the Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT), log on to www.ccdtrust.org ; For more information on Expressions Modern Dance Company, log on to www.dancewithemdc.com
- Aseema Charitable Trust & The Pali – Chimbai Municipal School : {Reclamation promenade, Friday, 27th November 2009}Aseema Charitable Trust has adopted & re-vamped the Pali – Municipal School as well as revived the educational program and introduced the students to extra-curricular activities. The students will perform a dance signifying environment as the energy provider.
For more information on Aseema Charitable Trust, log on to www.aseema.org
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Navjot Foundation & Prabha Pandey: { yet to be announced } The foundation works with street children from Carter road & Khar Danda, providing extra coaching classes, nutritional requirements, health & hygiene. The children of the Navjot Foundation will perform a short skit titled ‘Rahul Nagar mein bhi slum-dog’ based on water scarcity in their ‘basti’ & the ways in which they deal with it. Celebrate Bandra With A Heart volunteers have attended every practice session and provided the children with snacks & mid-day meals and have had the privilege to witness Prabha Pandey develop the play and see how each child has put their best foot forward.
We do hope you will join us in celebrating and supporting the performances of the marginalized, under-privileged & the not so fortunate - Show us that you really care – Come let's truly Celebrate Bandra with a Heart.
For any information on Celebrate Bandra With A Heart, please contact Parul Menezes: 98206 57647
Celebrate Bandra With A Heart - Theatre Workshop conducted by Prabha Pandey with Navjot Foundation's street children from Carter Road & Khar-Danda
The Bandra with a Heart Committee has tied up with Navjot Foundation an organization working with underpriviledged street children & Prabha Pandey to conduct an environment based theatre workshop hopefully culminating in a theatre performance at the festival to be held 14th – 29th November 2009.
The group of about 20 children gather every morning at a government school in Bandra and are kept actively engaged in the theatre workshop, rehearsing lines with takes & re-takes of the enactment. Children are also educated about the importance of the environment and how they should look after & appreciate the available natural resources. The children are trained in theatre and encouraged to bring their own creativity to the fore. After each workshop, Bandra With A Heart volunteers interact with the children checking on their progress, their understanding on what they are involved with and finally snacks & softdrinks are distributed which are greatly appreciated by all. The play titled 'Rahul Nagar Mein Bhi Slumdog' is a play based around the local 'basti' where the children live & the difficulties that they face in their daily life to get water which is so easily accessible to most of us.
Celebrate Bandra with a Heart aims to create & boost the confidence of these children & seeks to create an equal platform at the festival wherein these marginalized and generally overlooked section of children could showcase their talent. The play is being developed for Celebrate Bandra & will culminate in a performance at the festival.
For more information & if you would like to assist in the Bandra With a Heart workshops for Celebrate Bandra, contact
Parul : 98206 57647