New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) After six weeks of forum theatre in south India to promote public health dialogue, a group of 21 participants from 14 countries is all set to make a new beginning with what they have learnt.
‘Unlike educational theatre, forum theatre uses the power of music, dance and body language. This, despite all cultural and language differences, instantly connected us with the communities as we performed,’ said Felimon Blanco, a theatre practitioner from the Philippines and one of the 21 volunteers.
‘After this experience in India, I will be giving free arts training to young people in six villages in Bagadian in the Philippines as part of community arts training programme,’ said Blanco.
‘Health on Stage’, an initiative involving the Asia-Europe Foundation and the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service hosted by the Field Services and Inter-Cultural Learning, commenced Aug 20 and would conclude Saturday.
The project equipped the volunteers with the knowledge to use forum theatre as a creative medium to promote public health dialogue.
Public health, particularly water-related diseases, is one of the main concerns in the underprivileged urban, sub-urban and rural pockets of south India.
‘Lack of adequate hygiene and sanitation facilities, open defecation and unclean environment have been some of the root causes behind such diseases,’ said Rubini Raghunathan, a volunteer and local self-help group from Chennai, who plans to use the theatre knowledge to fight the problems.
