We have been conducting a multi-faceted series of artistic-humanitarian projects in India and Afghanistan!

More about India!
More about Afghanistan!
Great photos from India and Afghanistan on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/8531076@N05/sets/

On our latest trip to India, between January and June 2008, Bond Street Theatre worked with underserved communities in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow), Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajashthan (Jaipur). Our confidence-building workshops and uplifting performances are greatly needed in these communities, which rarely receive attention, services or education.

In New Delhi, we worked with young girls in the Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin area, a poor Muslim area, with congested streets, little sanitation, poor water supply, and lack of health facilities. We offered the girls enjoyable theatre-based activities to build self-esteem, stimulate creative thinking, concentration and problem-solving skills, and provide a safe environment for self-expression.

We also conducted theatre-based skills workshops for college students at Janki Devi Memorial College and Jamia Millia Islamia University.

In the politically volatile, conservative Muslim area of Anantnag, Kashmir, we worked with The Froebel School to encourage self expression and creative thinking for the students.

We also performed our production A Kite’s Tale in many of these areas, providing entertainment and laughter to deeply poor and neglected communities.

Overall, in Spring 2008:
· We conducted over 100 hours of workshops with 350 children, adults, artists and teachers.
· We collaborated with actors and directors from 7 theatre companies and 2 film companies.
· Feature articles appeared in at least 6 newspapers, plus 2 magazines and 2 radio interviews.
· Our programs directly reached at least 6,000 people plus the wide reaches of the media.

In India, Bond Street organized a three-country collaboration between Bond Street Theatre (with guest puppeteer Jenny Romaine of Great Small Works), Exile Theatre of Afghanistan, and Purvabhyas and Mandella Theatres of Delhi. The 10-person, 3-country team enjoyed creative exchanges with Banglanatak in Kolkata, Gandhi Smriti in Delhi, UNICEF-India, Gatividhi Theatre in Bihar, Koshish Theatre in Hyderabad, Spandan Theatre in Bandel, Nandikar Theatre of Kolkata, and many other Indian artists and organizations that use theatre to serve the public good.

Between Feb-May 2007, we reached over 6,000 people with our uplifting workshops and shows for street children, slum dwellers, educators, social workers, refugee children, and other artists. We returned in November to evaluate the impact of our work and found our techniques still thriving! We return again in February-March 2008 to continue our rewarding work in both the small rural villages and the crowded urban centers.

In Afghanistan, thanks to the Riverside Church Sharing Fund and a grant from TCG New Generations, we met with our long-time collaborators, Exile Theatre of Kabul, and artists from the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society. We also offered our services to the Aschiana Center for Street-Working Children in Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, a wonderful organization that gives working children a hot meal and basic education for one hour daily. In November 2007, we conducted two weeks of intensive theatre training for Mediothek Theatre, a courageous group of girls, ages 12-18, who create original theatre in the conservative city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan.

For an account of these journeys including personal stories from the road, read our Bond Street Blog! www.bondstreetblog.blogspot.com

Here is the link to some great photos from India and Afghanistan on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/8531076@N05/sets/

We hope you enjoy them!

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