Contact Aarohan Theatre Group
Gurukul, Baneshwor
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel. 977-1-4466956,
2101332
Fax. 977-1-4477709
Partnership & Alliance
We
work in partnership with local theatre groups.
The local theatre groups are:
Equal Development Centre, Doti and
the Kachahari Theatre Group, Sindhuli - are from Dalit,
so-called "untouchable" communities. They perform especially
on issues of caste discrimination
Kachahari Theatre Group, Bardiya - from the
indigenous Tharu community. They perform on issues of landlessless,
tenant rights, domestic violence, child labor, among others
Mithila Theatre Group, Janakpur - from the
Mithala community, a language group spreading across the border
into. They perform on issues such as dowry, child marriage, among
others
Taranga Group, Hetauda, and Sristhi
Group, Dharan are both amateur theatre and arts group,
they perform on a wide variety of issues, including sexual abuse,
poverty, alcoholism and sanitation
Shakti Group, Kathmandu
This group was established in Kathmandu 7 years ago and works
with trafficking issues. They do the many kinds of activities
for awareness and training in income generating skills. They want
to do theatre on trafficking issues. So Aarohan gave them 10 days
Kachahari training and Shakti are now starting theatre work in
this area.
Pragatisheel Kala Group, Suntakhan, Kathmandu
This group was established some years ago. They do various kinds
of cultural and social activities. This group is also impressed
by the Aarohan's Kachahari. Now, Aarohan is doing some Kachahari
performances in Suntakhan with this group.
Jagritinagar Bal Group, Jagritinagar, Baneshwor
This group is from one of the many landless communities in Kathmandu.
In the beginning Aarohan performed a Kachahari theatre based on
drug issues. Many young people in this community used drugs. Aarohan
made a children group including drugs users. Aarohan's friends
started to make a good relationship with the group. One artist
started to give the group martial art exercise training and slowly
they left the drugs. Now they are more interested to work in the
group. So these children are working with many different issues
in the community.
Sunakothi Bal Group, Sunakothi, Patan
This is a community group. When Aarohan performed a Kachahari
theatre there about the sanitation and garbage problem, the audience
gave many solutions. One of the solutions was to make a group
in the community. Some of the young people in the community who
had seen this Kachahari performance, made a group to clean the
village. Now they are working hard to clean the community. They
are making different kinds of programme. Aarohan performs Kachahari
Drama on their request. 20 to 25 members are in this group and
they are all studying in school.
What does Aarohan provide the local theatre groups with:
training in Kachahari techniques, acting methods, and some
basic conflict resolution ideas
follow up in the field
a network and bulletin for exchange of experiences
help in documenting their work
Our work with village groups has been supported by UNDP's Peace
Fund and MS-Nepal.
Our partners in the west
In
Aarohan we try to visit all our partners / partner organisations
/ partner NGOs at least once every year. We want to see the groups
and give support and training to the different theatre groups’
very important work. The friendship between Aarohan and the partners
should sustain (?) / will hopefully exist for a long time, and for
this reason the visits are very important. As a way for Aarohan
to be currently updated on the various kinds of projects going on.
In the month of Bhadou members of Aarohan went to visit three of
our partners in the western part of Nepal.
Originally we were supposed to go to our partner in EDC but due
to the very bad condition of the roads we became so delayed that
it was not possible for us to go there. On this trip we were however
able to visit Kalika, DWO. We also went to Guleria to visit JACS’
theatre group, and finally we made a brief stop-over at Dang Deukuri.
Two of the partners we visited are very new: Kalika’s theatre
group and DWO’s theatre group.
They received training at Aarohan in the month of Saoun. Another
new group is Kumlari which we also trained in Saoun.
First we went to Tawlihawa in Kapilvastu, where Kalika’s
theatre group is working. We watched an energetic kachahari performance
about a young woman who wanted to be educated, her wish being denied
by her father. The audience in Tawlihawa is not used to kachahari
theatre, and at the time of our visit the group had only performed
four times previously. But in spite of this, the audience was soon
engaged and involved in the performance thanks to the energy of
the group; they came up with many suggestions and comments such
as: “Why does she need an education when she works at home?”
“Tell your father that if he doesn’t give permission
you will refuse to go to your husband’s house”
“Collect a group of other girls who go to school and
convince your father”
As the play evolved the audience began to talk more, amongst themselves
and to the Joker.
The day after the performances we evaluate them with the groups
– and one of the things we touch upon which seems to be a
problem for all the groups is the use of voice. It is a challenge
to everyone to speak loud enough so that people in the often big
circles can hear what is going on in the Kachahari. Next year we
will focus more on the use of voice – but for this purpose
we need to spend more time with the partners and give more training.
Another issue we talked about was how to invite the audience to
take part in the performance. We must always remember to encourage
the audience to come and try out the different conflicts in our
kachaharis – this is also a challenge because people are often
too shy or suspicious.
Kalika Theatre Group meets every Friday for rehearsal and performs
on Saturdays. As is the case with all the groups it is a challenge
for them to make a stable group since everybody is dependent on
other economic incomes. But it seems that the theatre group is getting
good support because starting next year they will receive some support
from Kalika.
Our next visit went to the JASC group in Guleria. Unfortunately,
due to local government restrictions of any work in the villages
they were not able to perform. Only a few of the groups have this
problem but in Guleria the situation is different. Instead we spent
our time together doing exercises, also because several of the group’s
members are newcomers. Together we focused on voice and methods
of acting different feelings / sentiments. We also got the chance
to hear them speak of some of the changes which Kachahari has brought
about in this area. Contrary to other groups the JASC does not only
perform but participates actively in the (public) process following
a kachahari.
They told us about child labour, which seems to be decreasing
as a result of a kachahari performance. An industrial company arranged
a conference on child labour in which several children talked about
their experiences. A girl used to work for the former mayor. During
the conference, in which the former mayor was present, he promised
to send this child to school instead. An organisation has now been
established to eradicate child labour.
But the artists also shared some of their own personal changes,
as for example one woman who said that: “My talking power
has increasing, before I was afraid of talking; now it is easy to
talk. Now I know how to fight with words”. By acting we also
gain confidence in ourselves and our ability to express ourselves.
Our third stop was with the DWO – and here, too, we watched
a play about the issue of education of women.
The place chosen for the performance was very nice; in the shadow
under a big papal tree.
During this performance many women expressed their opinions and
came with suggestions. It was indeed encouraging to experience how
many women spoke up. The men were more quiet, but halfway through
the performance a man interrupted it, obviously very disappointed
with the central male character of the play. He stood up saying
“This man can never be convinced!”, and then
he took of, apparently very upset. This shows the power of Kachahari;
how it affects people. How emotionally people become involved in
the play, because they identify themselves with the characters.
In kachahari it is easy to feel connected because the issues chosen
are close to our daily life. And although we all wish for happy
endings, which kachahari seldom provides, we become involved and
are forced to make up our minds about what we think and what we
are going to do about the problems we face. And through the work
we all do in the different theatre groups we want to make people
feel that, although we do not have all the answers to the conflicts
/ questions presented, they are often able to find some solutions
themselves.
Kachahari tries to give a voice to the (local) communities in order
for these solutions to be found.
We
work in partnership with local theatre groups.
In
Aarohan we try to visit all our partners / partner organisations
/ partner NGOs at least once every year. We want to see the groups
and give support and training to the different theatre groups’
very important work. The friendship between Aarohan and the partners
should sustain (?) / will hopefully exist for a long time, and for
this reason the visits are very important. As a way for Aarohan
to be currently updated on the various kinds of projects going on.
