In a bid to tap creative talent from kids in both mainstream and NGO schools, the Pearl Padamsee Trophy For Excellence in Speech and Drama will be held in the city soon. In its seventh year now, various children from 14 schools will participate on the theme ‘Be a Part of the Change’. Children are encouraged and adjudged for expressing their views on the theme. This year, to make things a little more challenging, the kids have been asked to perform an original piece using props, costumes et al.
The CREATE Foundation (founded in memory of theatre actor-director Pearl Padamsee) that stands for Children’s Research in Education, Arts and Theatre Endowment was registered as a charitable trust in 2002. Its approach has been holistic, with an aim to take learning out of the textbook and into the imagination.
Pearl’s daughter, theatre director Raell Padamsee, who’s carrying the tradition forward, says, “We want to make learning come alive.
One of the ways we do this is through this trophy — an inter-school elocution competition.” Three winners from the NGOS have already been selected who will perform together with kids from mainstream schools at the event this Saturday. The three NGOs include Muktangan, Seva Sadan and The Vatsalya Foundation. “The whole focus is on integration, so that each kid is able to see the other’s work. The NGO kids did the plays entirely on their own, as they created their own pieces. The final judging will be on the basis of originality and creative content,” informs Raell.
The winning NGOs got Rs 20,000 each, and the kids received a voucher of Rs 1,000 each. At the final event, the winning school will get a trophy and the winning child a plaque with a cash prize of Rs 5,000, the first runner-up wins a cash prize of Rs 3,000 and second runner-up Rs 2,000. Apart from this, all the finalist will get vouchers of Rs 500 each. The judges include theatre personality Lillete Dubey, playwright and director Anuvab Pal and the Public Affairs Office
