Street Drama ToT Workshop

I walked into SIDA Center in Hatton on Thursday, March 9^th clueless to the magic I was about to witness. The many faces I had encountered before – field assistants, local partner staff, and field mobilizes – were gathered together but wearing different masks. They were there to participant in a three-day Street Drama Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop.

As an ice-breaker, the participants were asked to introduce themselves along with their talents. Singers, dancers, actors, poets, and yogis were disguised as ordinary youth. In the beginning some of them, especially the girls, were shy but as the training progressed, they shed their shells and their fears and allowed the energy to engulf them. Through team building, team spirit, communication, and leadership exercises - such as “Tsunami,” “Rocket,” “Telephone,” and “Animal”- they explored their creative potential and transformed into performers. As the final act of the workshop, the participants were split into two groups and given the task of conceiving and performing a drama. One group set their drama in a funeral home and conveyed the ill-effects of alcohol abuse; while, the second group used the “day-in-a-life” approach and captured the plight of a woman plucker. With enough time to polish their skills, the groups are expected to perform at the Career and Trade Fair scheduled for March 27^th, 2011. They will perform three dramas highlighting the key messages from all PCP II components.        

After their inaugural performance at the Career and Trade Fair, these trainees are expected to become trainers and to form street drama groups within their respective estates. Having earned poetic license, they are expected to be the platform for discussing taboo social issues and their implications within the estate communities, such as gender-based violence, substance abuse, and money mismanagement.   

The participants’ enthusiasm served as evidence for their positive feedback. They expressed satisfaction regarding the venue, the food, and the facilitator; however, they requested that more time be allocated for the training in the future.

Our special thanks to resource person Prem Kanth for his expert advice, creative training techniques, and for the motivation he provided for all participants. The success of the resulting street dramas will be a reflection of his, Kumarkoddi, and Irfan’s efforts.