The third series of Tierra, an eco-theatre and performance workshop for children on climate change, organised jointly by Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology (HCEWB) and Inside Out Performance Collective, an organisation promoting new approaches in theatre art, concluded here on Wednesday.
The four-day programme aimed at encouraging children to learn how to propagate, share ideas and concepts about climate change, instilling a sense of environmental responsibility in the youth who will grow up to become future volunteers for climate action, C.K. Vishnudas, Director, HCEWB, told The Hindu.
The workshop also touched upon the loss of cultural identity of indigenous people of the forest and how their day-to-day life was affected by the invasion of new cultures, Mr. Vishnudas said.
It brought together a diverse group of 64 students and volunteers from various social, cultural, language and economic backgrounds, hailing from different regions of the hill district. It also aimed to mould a theatre group of children who are well-equipped to advocate their ideas and views on climate change on any socially relevant platform, whether at the State, national or international level, he said .
The programme was designed to use theatre as a tool to raise awareness about climate change and its impact on the environment.
The first day’s activities began with a recollection of the previous two series of Tierra, the Earth in Spanish, by children. The major themes that were repeatedly pointed out by a majority of children included singing folk songs, exploring forests, learning tribal languages, collaborating with others, making new friends, and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds.
The focus of the next session was mainly on the importance of habitats/ ecosystems and their relevance in the present times for all living organisms. The students themselves came up with major issues related to invading the space of the ‘owners of forests’ by ‘development’.
This was followed by a ‘river walk’, in which the students were taken to the Kalindhi river to encourage them to observe nature.
R. Sunilkumar, Assistant Wildlife Warden, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, inaugurated the programme.
Devendranath Sankaranarayanan, course director and renowned theatre artiste, O. Peter, theatre artist, and A. Pramod, a visual artist, handled various sessions.
