Rangayana is abuzz with summer camp activities

Dharwad: Rangayana campus in Dharwad is buzzing with activities as over a hundred children are engaged in learning dance, music, craft, drama, drawing and painting among others at the summer camp organised by Dharwad Rangayana.
The focus of this camp, which commenced on April 10, is on teaching the basics of India's Constitution to the children through cultural activities and bringing out each child's talent through various creative activities, showcasing and nurturing it. Parents are spending the summer happily watching their children play games and learn new things.
Usually, the Rangayana here organises a children's camp every summer. However, this time, especially with the desire that children should be aware of the Constitution and that their love and respect for it should increase even more, Rangayana has focused on the Constitution at the theatre-centred children's summer camp, which will continue until May 5.
Theatre director Lakshman Peeragar is helming the camp. "Children who are busy with academic activities throughout the year have a desire to learn something new at the summer camp. To facilitate this, children are being taught through demonstration and visual arts instead of a lesson format. Along with drama, song, dance, comedy, painting and cinema, they are also being taught folk arts such as dollu kunita, mallakambha, jaggalagi, hejje kunitha, dalapatti and sudugada siddhara kale," Peeragar said.
Children are also learning paper craft, clay modelling, colouring activities, storytelling and folk songs. They are being educated on the basics of the Constitution, children's rights, relationships, home remedies, stress management, the evils of overuse of mobile phones and the environment.
There are 140 children in the camp and they have been divided into five groups, which have been named Equality, Freedom, Brotherhood, Democracy and Integrity. Children are rehearsing five plays - Samvidhana Sharanam Gachhami, Reality, Belaku Hanchida Baalaka, Adal Badal and Makkala Rajya- which will be staged on May 3, 4 and 5. They will also perform folk dances.
The camp is being run under the guidance of Rangayana director Raju Talikoti and the parents are providing great cooperation, Peeragar said.
Theatre artists Ganga Kalennavar, Sharanu Shettar, Pooja, Harikumar, Shruti, and singer Raghav Kammar are managing the camp. Organisers have plans to take the children to indegenous food fair (desi aahara mela), weekly fair (santhe), a temple fair (jathre) and chariot festival (rathotsava), fire brigade station and other places. They will also be shown how fake miracles can be exposed, Peeragar explained.