'Jana Karaliya' as an educational tool

"JANA KARALIYA" drama and theatre programme led by Parakrama Niriella and H.A. Perera began on July 18 at Polonnaruwa and is conducting various types of drama and theatre programmes in that district.

The programme consists of applied theatre workshops for primary teachers at Zonal and Divisional levels in the school system and educates the primary teachers on using drama and theatre in teaching the curricular subjects and improving the skills of the primary students.

This can be called theatre in education or theatre for education. The second type of workshops is for drama and theatre subject teachers and students. This gives more understanding on the drama and theatre subject matter for the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level teachers and students.

The third type is for the teachers and students who produce dramas for National, Zonal, Divisional and District level competitions or for any other reasons, to give them practical knowledge on drama productions.

Jana Karaliya conducts these programmes in collaboration with the Additional Provincial Educational Directors office.

It further conducts drama and theatre appreciation programmes and workshops for youth in Welikanda, Hingurakgoda and Thamankaduwa Divisional Secretariat regions, in collaboration with Mahaweli community organisations and other independent art centres.

Jana Karaliya is conducting an appreciation programmes in Tamil Language for Tamil speaking students at Manampitiya Tamil Maha Vidyalaya.

Another main feature of this programme is the "Jana Karaliya Drama Festival". It will be held on 28th and 29th August and 6th to 17th September, at the Jana Karaliya Mobile Theatre installed in the Thopawewa Maha Vidyalaya ground. The play "Charandas" will be performed on 28th, 29th August and 06 September.

"Seethamabarapataya" and "Andaramal" on 7th, "Makaraksha" on 8th, "Erukakalam Poo" and "Mayapattadai" on 9th, "Charandas" on 10th, "Nonimi" on 11th, "Seethamabarapataya" and "Andaramal" on 12th, "Makaraksha" on 13th, the children's play "Chokolat Yodaya and Kasimalla" of Suranjith Sameera Ranasinghe on 14th, Children's play "Soru Evilla" of Sumith Samarasinghe on 15th, the regional play "Rajek Lebuna" by D.K. Attygalle on 16th will be performed respectively.

The "Jana Karaliya Drama Festival" will be concluded on 17th September with an Evaluation Seminar at 3.00 p.m. and the "Charandas" performance at 6.30 p.m.

The performances of plays will be at 10.00 a.m. as school shows and at 6.30 p.m. as public shows. "Jana Karaliya Drama Festival" will be started on 28th at 6.00 p.m. with the participation of the Minister of Mahaweli, Rajarata Development and Irrigation Maithripala Sirisena and the Chief Minister of the North-Central Province Berty Premalal Dissanayaka.

After the Polonnaruwa programme "Jana Karaliya" will shift to Trincomalee District and its main task will be producing the play "Charandas" in Tamil while conducting a drama workshop for Tamil youth in that area.

- Jana Karaliya