BHUBANESWAR: Children from across the country will come together at the sprawling Adivasi Exhibition grounds and the Rabindra Mandap here on November 9, to experience the joy of learning at the five-day Anjali National Children’s Festival. Organised every year with the aim of recreating childhood, ‘Tales & Themes’ is the theme of the 10th edition of the festival this year. The festival is also aimed at bridging the gap between children from all walks of life, rural and urban, disabled and mainstream, to create an inclusive world. The festival will provide an opportunity for children to indulge in various merry-making activities like gaming, joyrides, kite flying, magic shows and a tour to various historic places in the city. There will also be workshops on folk dance, music, puppetry, terracotta, theatre, jewellery making, papier-mache, modern dance, Warli painting, creative writing and magic. “To mark the 10th edition of the festival, this year several new components have been added. With support from the Children’s Film Society, Mumbai, State Culture and Tourism Department and School & Mass Education Department, a film festival will be held during the five days for children at the Rabindra Mandap,” said Sruti Mohapatra, chief coordinator of Anjali.This apart, cultural troupes comprising blind artistes from Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata will perform at Rabindra Mandap. “Mahabharat, Ramayan and Sufi dance will be performed by disabled children on wheelchairs. A rock band show is also in store for the kids,” she added. The festival, started as Project Anjali in 2001 by the State Level Disability Information and Resource Centre, is a platform to display the creative aspects of differently-abled children. Following an enthusiastic response from students of mainstream schools in the first year, the workshop gradually took shape of an inclusive learning programme. In 2004, it became a full-fledged children’s festival.On the inaugural day, a carnival on the lines of Goa will be taken out by the participating children in the city which will culminate at the Adivasi Ground. “This carnival stands for merrymaking. With various costumes, make up and masks, one would not be able to distinguish between a disabled and normal person. It is a message to the world not to create barriers,” said Mohapatra. Over 5,000 children from across the country will participate. A preparatory meeting in this regard was held on Sunday.
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