Concept Note:

Salaam Bombay Foundation proudly presents the first edition of our initiative Voices. Voices is an inter- school peer learning platform via the performing and visual arts. For the children, by the children, to the children, it provides them with an opportunity for creative self-expression through original performances in the form of one act plays, songs and posters. Voices also seek to engage tomorrow’s generation in discussions through the arts on socially relevant issues and to sow the seeds of social responsibility early on in life. Topics are relevant to their lives today: the challenges they face, the stress or joy of being a child in the present times, amongst others.

In creative expression, through the mediums of theatre, music and art, Voices will attempt to explore the following subjects

1. Life in a Metro - What is life for an average child in a city like ? Working parents, pollution, disappearing play areas, potential career opportunities, study pressure, infrastructure, sanitation. For better or for worse, it’s Aamchi Mumbai. The children will tell us how we can make our city better 2. Mujhse Dosti Karoge - Friends are made early. Friends are made easily. Friends influence us - good and bad. Where do we draw the line? What is peer pressure? Is it all bad? 3. No cigarette, no gutkha - Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar - Substance abuse plagues our youth. has the largest amount of tobacco users in the world and 70% start before their teens. Every 3 seconds, an Indian child tries tobacco for the first time. What causes this? How can we prevent it? How can we make our children strong to deal with this?

Schools from all across Mumbai will participate in this inter-school, performing arts competition. Voices will invite participation from Std. VII students in English, Hindi & Marathi. Spanning several zones across the city, the program will follow a pyramid structure of elimination. At the Semi-final level, each winning team will be trained and mentored by professionals through a 1 day workshop. Each performance will be improved by working on acting techniques, script writing, voice quality, life skills, etc. Teachers are encouraged to accompany the children for this workshop to build on their training. The initiative then culminates into a performing arts festival where 3 winning plays, 3 winning songs and 3 winning posters will be on display. Schools, parents, families and other students will be invited to attend. All participants will receive a certificate and winning teams will be recognised by trophies and individual prizes. We also invite the VI Standard students to attend Voices, as this would motivate them to participate in next year’s Voices 2013. Salaam Bombay Foundation will also attempt to provide the winning entries an opportunity to perform in front of a large audience on larger platforms such as the Arts Festival, Prithvi Children’s Festival amongst others.

Voices will help children develop the confidence to articulate and express their ideas and opinions in a meaningful manner. At an early and impressionable age, the children will develop life skills, including team work and time management. Further, they will be sensitized to social issues early on in life.

Number of Schools that participated: 53

Number of Participants: Over 450 Participants

Semi-Finals Event

Zone 1

Date: 6 th Spetember, 2012

Venue: G.D. Somani Memorial School

No. of Schools: 26

Zone 2

Date : 7 th September, 2012

Venue: Kamla High School

No. of Schools: 27

Judges (For both Zones 1 and 2)

• Rachita Dalal, Proprietor, Studio 577

• Rishi Dalal, Founder & Partner, Me Gusta

• Nikhil Mirchandani, Founder & CEO; HOOP Entertainment

• Megha Joshi, Actress

• Nivedita Tiwari, Actress

• Mridulla Sathe, Vocalist

• Jayee Deshmukh, Vocalist

Workshop Event

Date : 9 th September, 2013

Venue: SRCC

Speakers

Life in a Metro:

• Pankaj Joshi , Executive Director at UDRI

Tobacco in Hindi/ Marathi:

• SBF Facilitators

Tobacco in English:

• Shraddha Sidhwani, Clinical Psychologist at Mindtemple

Peer Pressure in Hindi/Marathi:

• Shraddha Sidhwani, Clinical Psychologist at Mindtemple

Peer Pressure in English:

• Dr. Zirak Marker, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist

Trainers

Poster: • Rachita Dalal, Proprietor, Studio 577 Drama: • Jaimini Pathak, Director, Working Title Song: • Mrudulla Sathe, Vocalist

Finals Event

Date: 14 th September, 2012

Venue: Y.B. Chavan Centre

No. of Schools: 24

Finals Judges:

• Prof. Manjiri Thakoor, Head of Department : Academy of Fine Art & Craft at Rachana Sansad Institute

• Brinda Chudasama Miller, Renowned Artist and Festival Director - Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

• Ajit Rao, Animator, Cartoonist and Artist

• Rekha Nigam, Writer & Lyricist

• Meena Naik, Puppeteer and Salaam Bombay Theatre Academy Trainer

• Aditya Kalyanpur, Musician

Finals Winners

Drama Category:

1st Tata Compound – Life in a Metro

2nd Children’s Academy- Asha Nagar- Life in a Metro

3rd Greenlawns High School – Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar

Song Category:

1st Sandesh Vidyalay Parksite - Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar

2nd Bombay Cambridge School - Life in a Metro

3rd St. Mary’s High School (SSC) – Peer Pressure

Poster Making Category:

1st Activity High School - Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar

2nd Universal School, Tardeo - Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar 3rd Rizvi Springfield High School – Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar

Best School: Childrens’ Academy (Asha Nagar)

Best Costume Design: Greenlawns High School

Best Actor: Dikshant Jadhav – (Usha Devi Pandurang Whaghe High School)

Prizes sponsored by Innovations and Croma