Kahaani Festival

Kahaani, a story, a daastan, a tale, a narrative, are all synonymous with one word- entertainment. Since times immemorial stories have been an integral part of one’s growing up years.

Inauguration Ceremony of the Kahaani Festival                                      Are you Icky, Yucky or Mucky, story by Anita Roy

 

 Every child deserves the joy of telling tales and listening to them. Every child has a story where each day adds new twists and turns and the plot only gets better when there are others to share it with!

A Midsummer Nights Dream Theatre performance by Wide Aisle Productions

The Kahaani festival sponsored by Pathways School, Noida gave just the right opportunity not only to every child but also to the child within an adult. The festival brought children and storytellers together to weave a magical world with the wonder of stories. The festival enchanted and empowered audiences as they explored a multitude of narratives from India and around the world!

                                                                                                        Nagada Workshop

Stories were told through puppetry, poetry, music, written and oral traditions of all kinds. Audiences had the opportunity to create and share their stories and explore the various tools of story-telling; narration, writing, animation and traditional forms of illustration. Personal stories were explored and shared through festival workshops.                                            Bandar Bhalu ki Kahaani by Anupa Lal

Some of the storytellers and illustrators at Kahaani 2012 included famous personalities like Anita Mani, Prayag Shukla, Anupa Lal, Manisha Chaudhry, Smita Vats, Dr. Varsha Das, Atanu Roy, Subhadra Sen Gupta, Bulbul Sharma and Sachin George Sebastian. Performances by the Ishara Puppet Theatre - Dadi Pudumjee (Puppet), Katkatha– Anurupa Roy( Puppet), Akaar- Puran Bhatt( Traditional Puppets), Rene Singh (Music), SALTBUSH (Australia), A Midsummer Night’s Dream by WIDE AISLE PRODUCTIONS(Theatre) enthralled the audiences.

The festival rendered an opportunity for children to express, find their voice, explore, play and dance with performers providing a unique immersive experience, where the audience too became part of this visually beautiful journey.

Aarti Khurana

English Faculty
                                                                                        Theatre Performance - Mid Summer Night's Dream

What is a kahaani after all? My Hindi-English dictionary says “story,” - but this word just doesn’t seem to be enough. Kahaani has a sense of mischief, mystery, and mistiness to it. It is a journey into another land, it should

seem.           

             Music Performane by Rene Singh
 

So it was with the Kahaani Festival 2012 at Pathways School Noida, which was hosted on the 17th and 18th of November. This weekend-long storytelling festival saw

 us descend into unknown worlds. I myself witnessed, for the first time, a puppet show with audience interaction (think of enthusiastic kids pulling the screen on the puppeteers, who magnificently keep the show going!). Many of us participated in live workshops on the nagara, or historical discussions of the newspaper as a literary form. For the younger ones, a little dance floor was set up in our Primary Block. The highlight for many, of course, was a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, executed by a small but masterful cast that took the audience in its sway. These entertainments and learning experiences continued throughout the weekend, attracting visitors from both our school community and afar. It was, in the truest sense, a memorable time for all of us. Events like these offer an insight into new art forms, reminding us of all that we have left to learn. For the Pathwayzian community, having events like this right at our doorstep is an invaluable opportunity.

Partha Sharma

Magazine Editor