A Drop in the Ocean New Theatre Works in Sri Lanka.
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A Drop in the Ocean New Theatre Works in Sri Lanka
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Transcript of A Drop in the Ocean New Theatre Works in Sri Lanka.
A Drop in the Ocean
New Theatre Works in Sri Lanka
In January 2009 the New Theatre Works team travelled to Trincomalee, a once prosperous tourist destination
with a thriving fishing industry
now a Tsunami-damaged coastal sprawl
with an all pervasive military presence.
*note military boats in the water
Endless checkpoints
Photographs were not permitted
In 2009 in partnership with funforlife, NTW assembled a team for its third project in Sri Lanka.
Our aim is to bring creative fun into the lives of young people who are affected by crises, whatever their ethnicity or religion.
Kate E. Deeming, Glasgow based/USA born performing artist
Owen Hutchins, arts worker in
Liverpool
Petia Tzanova, Bulgarian drama worker brought up in Sri Lanka
Zoilo Lobero-Paya, Spanish puppeteer
The Team
Dr. Ellie Parker, producer and founder of New Theatre Works
Janine Sharp, workshop director
Both Hereford based.
Our local supportFrom the Centre for Performing Arts (CPA)
Latish Las (translator), a Roman Catholic Tamil fluent in Tamil, Sinhala and English (on right)
Darshi Puvirajasingham (translator), a HinduTamil
Thevy Arunasalam (coordinator) Hindu Tamil
Jeeva Mary, Mary-Joseph, (teacher) from Primary English Language Project (PELP), Christian Tamil
Our first task was to find a workshop space…
We finally established a working relationship with Sarvodaya, a well regarded Sri Lankan NGO.
We had several meetings to organize all aspects of the project including working space, participants, transport, audience, translators…
Initial introduction to our working space – a small conference room.
During the first few days we devised the young people’s workshops which would lead to public showings.
Our work needed to be primarily physical in order to overcome the challenges of three languages and a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Day One.
Day 2&3
Theatre Games
Making paper puppets
Bollywood Dancing
We needed more space for the growing number of enthusiastic participants….
Day 4. Waiting. Young people are two hours late having been stopped at nine security checkpoints.
Dress Rehearsal
Performance Day
Comic Improvisation-”Stealing Rice”
Umbrella Dance
Soundscape-Monsoon
Cast and Team (and their families) after first show
The group worked with over 100 children directly, trained a dozen Sri Lankan teachers in new drama methods and gave public showings of the young
people’s work to over 300 family and friends.
A Drop in the Ocean indeed, but a powerful drop towards what we can only hope will be a sea of
change…
For more information
www.newtheatre.co.uk
+44 (0) 1981 550 245
Donations towards our next project can be directed to funforlife
www.funforlife.org.uk
Registered charity number 1121143
A special thanks to all those who contributed to the success
of A Drop in the Ocean 2009.
Images property of Kate E. Deeming-www.deeming.org
