Syed Sadiq S (Riyaz Sihimoge)

Syed Sadiq S is a trained graduate from Ninasam and an active theatre practitioner from Mysuru. Syed has another Diploma in Theatre from Rangayana as well. He has served as an artist and light designer with theatre groups at Shivamogga and Mysore. He has also worked as a drama teacher in Kautilya Vidyalaya in Mysore. For many years Syed has been conducting theatre workshops for children.

In this project, Syed wants the eighth grade students of the Government Higher Primary School, Kuvempunagar, Mysore, to explore the western theatre form, playback theatre. Playback theatre is an interactive form of improvisational theatre in which audience members narrate stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot. Playback theatre comprises of a conductor, musicians and actors. It is an immediate theatre form that enables dialogues with the audience. Syed believes, this form provides a platform for students to express their emotions and builds confidence in them. He has planned to develop this form in four phases by involving students, teachers, parents and community members in this exercise. In this process, text from the school syllabus will also be explored and interpreted by students. He has planned to invite resource persons to conduct series of workshop on playback theatre.

The outcome of this grant will be a series of performances by students in the nearby government schools in Padavarahalli village. The deliverables of the grant would include photographs and a video documentation.

This grant is made possible with support from Citi India.