Children’s theatre workshops build confidence on stage and off
The stage buzzes with activity the day before opening night of a children’s play at a youth centre in Dohuk. Workers set up lighting while children jump out from behind a thick velvet curtain to practice their lines on stage with an instructor.
Tomorrow the hundreds of red auditorium chairs will be filled with family and friends, but Fares, 10, is not nervous. “We’ve practiced a lot,” he says, “and I learned to overcome being shy in front of people.”
Fares plays a key role in the drama about a village confronted with a dilemma when a boulder falls on the only water source. When at first the villagers cannot remove the boulder, some leave to live in a better place. Those who decide to stay seek the council of a wise man, who advises them to put their strength together to solve the problem. In the end, they take his advice and work as a team to push the rock away and are able to return to their happy lives.
The simple story about unity and determination teaches an important lesson to children growing up during a difficult time in Iraq.
Organized by UNICEF with generous funding from Germany’s GIZ, the theatre workshop is facilitated with the help of Dohuk’s Directorate of Culture and Arts. Similar workshops take place in seven other locations — three other youth centres in the city and four displacement and refugee camps around Dohuk. In total, 474 children are taking part in the theater programme. An additional 438 students in camps and in the community are taking part in journalism workshops funded by GIZ. These workshops are the second set to take place in Dohuk, building on the success of a series of similar workshops last summer.
Dilovan, a theatre instructor, says that he’s seen children gain confidence and build friendships through taking part in the workshops. “They overcome their shyness, get to know each other, strengthen their personalities and have an opportunity to be creative,” he says. “Especially girls — they are not normally used to being on stage, but here they are, and they are asking for important roles.”
He points to one of his students, Rohai, 8, and says that she’s more confident as a result of the workshop, and better at expressing herself.
“I learned many things about being on stage,” Rohai chimes in. “When I grow up I want to be an actress.”
As the rehearsal comes to an end and the children practice their bows, Dilovan says he hopes he can continue the workshop series in the future.
“To improve society, we have to start with the children and we have to invest in culture,” he reflects.
“Investing in culture is as important as investing in infrastructure. We can build buildings, but if we don’t have creative mentalities, what will we fill the buildings with?”
Lindsay Mackenzie is a Communications Specialist with UNICEF Iraq.
For direct donations to UNICEF in Iraq: http://support.unicef.org/campaign/donate-children-iraq
