Bal Jagat Program

IGNCA in its mandate has ‘Bal Jagat’ as one of the significant programmes of the institution. Activities like puppet shows, art workshops, music workshops, film festivals, cultural performances and story-telling sessions are organised at IGNCA or in schools (including those for less privileged) and other venues regularly since 2013.

IGNCA has been hosting different kinds of workshops/events for young learners. Workshops have been held on music, folk painting, photography, Kathak dance, shadow puppetry, arts and crafts. A camp was organised on puppetry making and performance from Nagaland; similarly, folk art workshop was arranged for school children on Madhubani painting. IGNCA has also organised workshops for school children during summer holidays.

One of the most significant activities in Bal Jagat programme has been the puppet show on the ‘Life of Swami Vivekananda’. The show was hosted in collaboration with Ramakrishna Mission and Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal of Udaipur and was presented in several schools in and around Delhi and also abroad. It carried the message of Swami Vivekanada to the young.

A mega event on ‘Kathakar-International Storytellers Festival’ is being held for the last five years in collaboration with Nivesh, an NGO. The festival aims to entice the younger generation with classic tales from all around the world. The event attracts 2000 school children from various schools in Delhi & NCR and another 3000 adults for its evening sessions. The festival now also travels to other cities of India.

Under Bal Jagat, IGNCA has been conducting workshops, ‘Sunenge tabhi to Seekhenge’ for school children with Raaggiri Trust since last year. The workshop focuses on teaching children about Indian traditional heritage. The emphasis is also being laid on the mission of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ to teach younger population, the significance of cleanliness and a clean nation by Government of India. Nukkad Natak presentation on ‘India ka tashan: Swachh Bharat Mission’ and lectures on Swachh Bharat Mission have been included as part of the workshops.

Students from schools and colleges from rural / urban regions are invited to attend various ongoing programmes of IGNCA. The institution plays a perfect host and provides transport, tool kit, refreshments to its participants so as to give them a congenial environment for learning. Indeed, such efforts not only add to their education but also act as an inspiration to preserve many dying forms of Indian art and culture. 500 students from schools of Delhi visited the exhibition on ‘Glorious Ajanta’ which was a photographic exhibition based on the research and restoration work conducted by Prasad Pawar Foundation. A guided tour was conducted by Shri Prasad Pawar and his team for students.

IGNCA also invites students from differently-able schools for its programmes. A special storytelling session was especially hosted for students from Aanchal Special School.

IGNCA through such endeavors is aiming to preserve rich Indian cultural heritage and keep it alive for generations to come.