Two theatre programmes for children from Somalatha Subasinhge Play House

Sri Lanka premier children theatre institution, Lanka Children’s and Youth Theatre Foundation (LCYTF) or popularly known as Somalatha Subasinhge Play House presents two theatre training programmes catering for children.

The newest session of “Creative Activities for Children” for children from ages 4 to 11 will be started on May 7 and it will be held on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 11.00 p.m. at Battramulla Lion’s Club Activity Centre situated in Battaramulla, Jayanthipura main road.

The prime objective of the programme is to develop child’s mental and physical aspects and to enhance artistic taste, cheerfulness and playful sense of the child through aesthetic experiences. The programme gives the child the opportunity to learn the basics of enjoying and appreciating music, free movement, dance and rhythmic movement, acting and language, art, singing, puppetry and handwork.

Conducted by Kaushalya Fernando and Prof Chandana Aluthge with the assistance of a group of trained artistes, the details of the programme and online application are available on www.playhousekotte.org, and FB/playhousekotte.org.

“Drama beyond the classroom” the newest programme specially designed for grade seven to G.C.E. O/L children who offer drama and theatre as a subject at school will be conducted from Thursdays, May 5 from 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. at Battramulla Lion’s Club Activity Centre situated in Jayanthipura main road, Battaramulla.

Conducted a group of well experienced in children’s theatre practitioners in Sri Lanka including Prof. Chandana Aluthge, Mayura Perera and Nilanka Dahanayake, the duration of the programme is twelve weeks and is offered twice a year in May and September.

The prime objective of the programme is to make drama and theatre learning an enjoyable experience for the participating children. All aspects of drama and theatre are presented to the child in an easy-tounderstand way so that the artistic taste, cheerfulness and playful sense of the child is enhanced. The programme is based on meticulously crafted activities and they give the child the opportunity to experience the most important learning outcomes of drama and theatre such as sense of caring, world awareness, experience in human relationships and socio-cultural values, a sense of basic art forms and more importantly confidence and dignity. School going students who have the knack to be creative and adventurous too can join the programme.