Sing your story

A workshop starting this weekend aims to introduce kids to storytelling through music and movement

There's a story in everything - each song, piece of music or movement. Anything that has a beginning, a middle and end, tension and release, will tell a beautiful story,” believes New Delhi-based music educator Subhadra Kamath from the arts collective Aagaaz Theatre.

Working with an organisation that also teaches kids from the Capital’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, and aims to create safe, inclusive learning spaces nurturing critical thought and dialogue, Kamath shares that weaving stories collectively is an exercise in self-expression and strengthens “the spirit of community”. And along with performing artiste Urvi Vora, she aims to bring these worlds of storytelling, music and movement together for young minds aged between nine and 13 through the workshop, Stories in Song.

Urvi Vora

Starting this weekend, the Zoom workshop will be spread over six sessions. Kamath explains that the idea was to combine music and movement to create interesting narratives for the Zoom stage. “Since music is a big part of our fields, and essentially, we’re looking at telling stories through both, we thought it would be wonderful to work with young people,” Kamath tells us.

Subhadra Kamath

During the workshop, participants will play with different principles of composition, explore rhythm and tempo, and learn to create short narratives for the screen. “Students will learn to write and compose songs to tell stories, use movement and theatre to embody and express them, and finally, scale these to the stage that is the Zoom screen,” Kamath elaborates, adding that this will be done through games and exercises. “For example, rhythm and tempo in music can be explored beautifully with body percussion and movement, and the same translates into metre for songwriting,” she illustrates.

Considering the fact that children have been cooped up at home for nearly a year, the workshop can also be a channel to express themselves, Kamath suggests. “Stories are a meaningful way to share our experiences and externalise our feelings in a productive way. Children have so much to share; especially after these past few months, we look forward to understanding their ideas of the world, our current state, as well as our hopes for the future,” she notes, adding, “All the while singing, dancing and expressing ourselves in a safe space.”

On: February 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28, 4.30 pm
Log on to: @aagaaztheatretrust on Instagram to register
Cost: Rs 3,000

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