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Street Plays – A Means of Spreading Awareness

By Youth Ki Awaaz in Culture-Vulture
11th August, 2011

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By Tushar Malica:

Theatre and India share a long relation dating back to about 5000 years. The earliest form of theatre being the Sanskrit theatre. Bharata’s ‘Natya Shastra’ was the one of the earliest play enacted in India. With subsequent conquests by Moghuls , the British and the likes,  theatre also transformed. It was influenced  as deeply as our food, art and language. From being a combined form of narrating a story with the help of acting , dancing and reciting ; it has branched out from expansive and costly stage theatres to bare minimum street play. Street theatre involves presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific and paying audience but a fairly large group. These spaces can be anywhere, including malls, car parks, street corners et al. These plays may address serious issues like HIV/AIDS, family planning, corruption, saving the girl child etc. The actors who perform the street theatre maybe people lacking means for a big hall and proper audience, organized theatre companies or groups that want to send across a social message or to advertise their mainstream work. We all love to be entertained. What could be more intelligent than mixing entertainment with an attempt to change the society?

In recent years street theatre has picked up pace and has acquired an image of a more moral nature with just the right kind of fun. Better known as ‘nukad natak’ today, is perhaps the best way to connect with the common man and the youth. These are much intimate, brief, direct and address the social/political message head-on with the help of drama. The catchy phrases and songs, crisp script, humor and loudness help in making a long lasting and powerful effect on viewers. These plays if targeted towards youth can really stir up emotions, create awareness and lead the way towards positive change. Nukad nataks are an important tool in creating awareness, empowering the youth and utilizing our right to freedom of speech and expression positively. This colloquial form of drama connects with the youth instantly. The lack of properness and formal atmosphere adds to its appeal and gives it a real lifelike look.  It not only enlightens people but gives us, the citizens to voice our opinion too. These plays have similar impact like Mark Antony’s speech on Julius Caesar’s death. The stirred up crowd and their displayed and fuelled up emotions may be considered parallel, plays having to do more with our mind.  Similar to the results of Mark Antony’s funeral speech, these plays have the strength to start a social revolution. This enthusiasm if used in the correct manner can lead to drastic changes in our society. Changes we wish for. Changes that make us blame the government for mishandling the affairs concerning our nation. It’s all up in our head-right in our brain- the change. Changes in society does not mean only having enough capital for putting up street lights for women’s safety but it is about thinking or better, having the attitude of not adding to the problem and helping people mitigating the situation. Change in society comes with the change in the mindset of the people and street plays can rightly achieve that goal.

As youth is a country’s tomorrow, making them the target audience is a great idea for bringing about a change. Hence, issues that parents miss out on discussing with their children or topics that haunt our youth in general can be tackled through these street plays and change the society slowly into a better place to live in.

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You must be to comment.

  1. Meena

    we want to awareness programme for quarry workers through street play can you help us.

    1. Mayank Oza

      Dear Meenaji,
      I am a freelance writer and director. I have written and directed
      many plays on different issue for awareness programs.Please let me know your requirement…I am staying near Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

      Regards,
      Mayank Oza

    2. Upasana

      Dear Mayankji,
      I am interested in a street play for farmers regarding the benefits of crop insurance for Agriculture Insurance Company of India, which a govt. company. We will pay you accordingly for your script and direction. Moreover, not only street plays, but also others means of communication like: Puppet Show (Kathputli), Magic Show (Jaadoo Ka Khel), Pantomime (Mukabhinay), Folklore (Lok-katha) etc, if any.
      U can mail me at upasanahd@aicofindia.com or nasikrocker@gmail.com. There is no barrier of language. You can even present your script in English, Hindi or Gujarati.

  2. Chaitra.M

    Hi,

    I would like to do a skit/drama/streetplay on theme Safety. Request you to help me this regard.I have participated in dramas (hobby)but long back.presently i m working as safety health & environment Executive in bangalore. pls help me in this regard such that the script should have all three aspects(safety,health & environment).

    Thanking You,

    Chaitra.M

  3. Tanika K.

    Hi,
    m a cllg student n we hav to perform street play on social issues of awareness involving only galsss… plss help me out n let me knw wht we can do ….

  4. Bhargav Vyas

    Hi!!!
    I am a post graduate student n we have to perform a street play on business communication or on issues related with it.Play should be in english language. plz let me kw if any one can help us out.
    Thank you.

    regards,
    Bhargav

  5. sonal

    hey if u have any topics that kids (age 5 to 12 yrs) can perform.
    Drop m mail sonal17dhoot@yahoo.co.in

  6. antony

    hi.. if you have any scripts on organ donation please drop it to my email ..it will be very helpful

  7. Mohan

    Sir
    we want to perform a stage drama in colleges on aids awareness and want a strong script through which we can convey the audiance that no illicet sex and it distorys family and the one who does it ..
    Thank you.

    1. Mohan

      Plse mail me the script as early as possible thank u.

  8. Leela Imam

    I work with Smile Train and we provide free sleft surgeries to children cleft lip and palate. Can we plan a street play to raise awareness about cleft condition and showcase the plight of children born with cleft lip and palate. would you be able to help us.

  9. Sara D’Souza

    Hello, I'm studying to be a Special Educator and my class needs to put up a play for the annual day of our department and its school.
    Looking for a funny Hindi play of about 25 minutes in length, which also has a message.
    Can anyone help?

    1. srinath

      really

    2. srinath

      ho,really

  10. Moupiya Banerjee

    Hi, We are Urotaar, a Socio-Cultural Organization based in Kolkata, working solely with Street Theatre for the past 5 years. If anyone wishes to get in touch with us, then this is our Page Link:
    https://www.facebook.com/Urotaar/

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An ambassador and trained facilitator under Eco Femme (a social enterprise working towards menstrual health in south India), Sanjina is also an active member of the MHM Collective- India and Menstrual Health Alliance- India. She has conducted Menstrual Health sessions in multiple government schools adopted by Rotary District 3240 as part of their WinS project in rural Bengal. She has also delivered training of trainers on SRHR, gender, sexuality and Menstruation for Tomorrow’s Foundation, Vikramshila Education Resource Society, Nirdhan trust and Micro Finance, Tollygunj Women In Need, Paint It Red in Kolkata.

Now as an MH Fellow with YKA, she’s expanding her impressive scope of work further by launching a campaign to facilitate the process of ensuring better menstrual health and SRH services for women residing in correctional homes in West Bengal. The campaign will entail an independent study to take stalk of the present conditions of MHM in correctional homes across the state and use its findings to build public support and political will to take the necessary action.

Saurabh has been associated with YKA as a user and has consistently been writing on the issue MHM and its intersectionality with other issues in the society. Now as an MHM Fellow with YKA, he’s launched the Right to Period campaign, which aims to ensure proper execution of MHM guidelines in Delhi’s schools.

The long-term aim of the campaign is to develop an open culture where menstruation is not treated as a taboo. The campaign also seeks to hold the schools accountable for their responsibilities as an important component in the implementation of MHM policies by making adequate sanitation infrastructure and knowledge of MHM available in school premises.

Read more about his campaign.

Harshita is a psychologist and works to support people with mental health issues, particularly adolescents who are survivors of violence. Associated with the Azadi Foundation in UP, Harshita became an MHM Fellow with YKA, with the aim of promoting better menstrual health.

Her campaign #MeriMarzi aims to promote menstrual health and wellness, hygiene and facilities for female sex workers in UP. She says, “Knowledge about natural body processes is a very basic human right. And for individuals whose occupation is providing sexual services, it becomes even more important.”

Meri Marzi aims to ensure sensitised, non-discriminatory health workers for the needs of female sex workers in the Suraksha Clinics under the UPSACS (Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society) program by creating more dialogues and garnering public support for the cause of sex workers’ menstrual rights. The campaign will also ensure interventions with sex workers to clear misconceptions around overall hygiene management to ensure that results flow both ways.

Read more about her campaign.

MH Fellow Sabna comes with significant experience working with a range of development issues. A co-founder of Project Sakhi Saheli, which aims to combat period poverty and break menstrual taboos, Sabna has, in the past, worked on the issue of menstruation in urban slums of Delhi with women and adolescent girls. She and her team also released MenstraBook, with menstrastories and organised Menstra Tlk in the Delhi School of Social Work to create more conversations on menstruation.

With YKA MHM Fellow Vineet, Sabna launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society. As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

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A student from Delhi School of Social work, Vineet is a part of Project Sakhi Saheli, an initiative by the students of Delhi school of Social Work to create awareness on Menstrual Health and combat Period Poverty. Along with MHM Action Fellow Sabna, Vineet launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society.

As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

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She says, “Bihar is ranked the lowest in India’s SDG Index 2019 for India. Hygienic and comfortable menstruation is a basic human right and sustainable development cannot be ensured if menstruators are deprived of their basic rights.” Project अल्हड़ (Alharh) aims to create a robust sensitised community in Bhagalpur to collectively spread awareness, break the taboo, debunk myths and initiate fearless conversations around menstruation. The campaign aims to reach at least 6000 adolescent girls from government and private schools in Baghalpur district in 2020.

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A psychologist and co-founder of a mental health NGO called Customize Cognition, Ritika forayed into the space of menstrual health and hygiene, sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights and gender equality as an MHM Fellow with YKA. She says, “The experience of working on MHM/SRHR and gender equality has been an enriching and eye-opening experience. I have learned what’s beneath the surface of the issue, be it awareness, lack of resources or disregard for trans men, who also menstruate.”

The Transmen-ses campaign aims to tackle the issue of silence and disregard for trans men’s menstruation needs, by mobilising gender sensitive health professionals and gender neutral restrooms in Lucknow.

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A Computer Science engineer by education, Nitisha started her career in the corporate sector, before realising she wanted to work in the development and social justice space. Since then, she has worked with Teach For India and Care India and is from the founding batch of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), a one of its kind organisation creating leaders for the development sector through its experiential learning post graduate program.

As a Youth Ki Awaaz Menstrual Health Fellow, Nitisha has started Let’s Talk Period, a campaign to mobilise young people to switch to sustainable period products. She says, “80 lakh women in Delhi use non-biodegradable sanitary products, generate 3000 tonnes of menstrual waste, that takes 500-800 years to decompose; which in turn contributes to the health issues of all menstruators, increased burden of waste management on the city and harmful living environment for all citizens.

Let’s Talk Period aims to change this by

Find out more about her campaign here.

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A former Assistant Secretary with the Ministry of Women and Child Development in West Bengal for three months, Lakshmi Bhavya has been championing the cause of menstrual hygiene in her district. By associating herself with the Lalana Campaign, a holistic menstrual hygiene awareness campaign which is conducted by the Anahat NGO, Lakshmi has been slowly breaking taboos when it comes to periods and menstrual hygiene.

A Gender Rights Activist working with the tribal and marginalized communities in india, Srilekha is a PhD scholar working on understanding body and sexuality among tribal girls, to fill the gaps in research around indigenous women and their stories. Srilekha has worked extensively at the grassroots level with community based organisations, through several advocacy initiatives around Gender, Mental Health, Menstrual Hygiene and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for the indigenous in Jharkhand, over the last 6 years.

Srilekha has also contributed to sustainable livelihood projects and legal aid programs for survivors of sex trafficking. She has been conducting research based programs on maternal health, mental health, gender based violence, sex and sexuality. Her interest lies in conducting workshops for young people on life skills, feminism, gender and sexuality, trauma, resilience and interpersonal relationships.

A Guwahati-based college student pursuing her Masters in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bidisha started the #BleedwithDignity campaign on the technology platform Change.org, demanding that the Government of Assam install
biodegradable sanitary pad vending machines in all government schools across the state. Her petition on Change.org has already gathered support from over 90000 people and continues to grow.

Bidisha was selected in Change.org’s flagship program ‘She Creates Change’ having run successful online advocacy
campaigns, which were widely recognised. Through the #BleedwithDignity campaign; she organised and celebrated World Menstrual Hygiene Day, 2019 in Guwahati, Assam by hosting a wall mural by collaborating with local organisations. The initiative was widely covered by national and local media, and the mural was later inaugurated by the event’s chief guest Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Debeswar Malakar, IAS.

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