It was 16 years ago that playwright and actress Jalabala Vaidya, also the owner of the Akshara Theatre, felt it was the right time for her first grandchild, Nisa, seven years old then, to be introduced to the world of music and acting the institute had always encouraged. Since Nisa didn’t want to be the only one in the activity class, several of her friends from Junior Modern School joined her too. That was the beginning of Akshara’s summer workshops that would go on to train young students in theatre, music, dance, yoga, zumba, art and crafts, football, healthy eating and much more.
Now, once again, it’s that time of the year when veterans from different fields—Gopal Sharman (music and Sanskrit chanting), Anasuya Vaidya (theatre), Parul Mishra (kathak), Sandhya Kargeti (yoga), Ghulam Mohammed (music), Benny Thomas (football), Payal Grover (zumba) and others will dedicate their summers to help your child hone his or her desired skill.
With that intention, Jalabala introduced the classes and today, participates in their development painstakingly. ‘‘It was when we taught our first bunch of kinds that we realised how much Indian classical thoughts in the form of music, plays and theatre convey. To not understand them would be to deprive children of their artistic heritage. But these thoughts grew slowly, also organically, in a way. We did not start with a blueprint in mind. Of course now we’re more structured,’’ she says.
The workshops will also see master classes in stand-up comedy with Maheep Singh, clowning and creative movement with Ashwath Bhatt, Mukhabhinaya with Renuka Iyer, and Delhi’s Sufi culture with Yusuf Khan Nizami.
Date On till June 21
Time 9.30 am to 1.30 pm
Venue Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Ram Manohar
Lohia Hospital, Type 3, President's Estate
Enquire 011-23361075, 011-23742083.