Awake the artist in you

Ever thought of joining that dance academy near your house? Or wished you too could have been on stage while watching a play with your friends? Don't we all want to pursue our hobbies despite being stuck in our day-to-day routine? Well, here's a chance for all those who love stage. Curated by Divya Palat, YouTheatre will not only celebrate the performing arts but will also train those interested in learning theatre, dance and music. Palat has chalked out the whole schedule of the festival meticulously keeping our busy lives in mind.

Vent it out
"Art is one of the best ways to vent out our frustration. Our lives are driven by routine and boredom of same insipid things. We need to take out time for ourselves," she says. Creativity needs no language and can be experienced by any one of any age no matter who they are or what they do. From Master Classes with Shiamak Davar's Institute of Performing Arts, Divya Palat and the True School of Music and workshops YouTheatre will celebrate art in its varied forms. There will be three-day intensive workshops with Shiamak, a short play and film competition and hourly free workshops for all visitors to the festival which will end with a stage performance by all the participants. There will also be workshops ranging from heritage walks to napkin art to zumba and photography.

With a cause
Palat says that the idea of giving your while life to art is not correct. "We can learn and practice what we like while performing our daily duties, doing our normal jobs. These workshops will help people do that," she adds. But the highlight of festival are the four NGOs that are being showcased at YouTheatre. Via her three plays – Round and About, Letters To My Mother and My Story – Palat brings forth the social cause she is working for. The opening day of YouTheatre will highlight causes of these four NGOs -Adhar, Kranti, AngelXpress an Welfare of Stray Dogs - and showcase films her company made about their work and institutions. Each of these organisations will also be putting up their own creative pieces in the fest.

Get aware
The actress says that this is her way of giving back to society. "These NGOs really need funds. But more then money, they need people to know about them. Awareness is must to get help. These workshops which right now cost you jusr Rs,1000 will actually be much more expensive if done independently. But we dont want money, we want people to feel for the causes," she says adding that though this is the maiden year of the fest, she wants to stick to this commitment of creating awareness about the social causes via her art.

When and Where: From September 10-14 at NCPA