Power of Play Summer Theatre Camp 2012

Power of Play (Pvt.) Ltd. is a vibrant company that capitalises on performing arts for purposes of communication and development. Established in November 2011, Power of Play is the result of an year long exploration of using theatre, puppets and performance for education, communication and development in Sri Lanka.

Drawing inspiration from developed and developing countries who utilise art as a medium of connecting people, Power of Play promotes the idea of ‘playing’ as the key mode of reaching an audience. The term ‘play’ is used in its broadest context, where it refers to anything and everything that fascinates audiences and capitalises on the happiness that is created through that fascination to instill the desired messages.

Power of play conducts workshops for adults and children on communication, performance and puppetry and conducts these at schools (student and teacher trainings) as well as governmental, non-governmental and corporate organisations and institutions.

Schedule

27th Monday: Acting and storytelling (improvisation, voice and movement)

Weave an instant story and enrapture your audience with clever story telling techniques that transport them in to the magical world you create with your team. Learn to use your body and voice to bring to life a variety of dynamic characters and environments. Attire – comfortable/sporty, materials required – a writing/drawing book, pencil, box of crayons/markers. (Ideal for ages 6 years and above.)

28th Tuesday: Nonverbal theatre

Learn how to tell a story that can be appreciated by an audience anywhere in the world. Transcend language barriers by utilising the universal language of body movement, eye contact, sounds and visuals. Learn to convey complex messages in simple yet visually-striking performances. Attire – comfortable/sporty, materials required – a writing/drawing book, pencil, box of crayons/markers, one favourite object (toy or household item) that can be used as a prop. (Ideal for ages 8 years and above.)

29th Wednesday: Puppetry

Waltz in to the magical world of puppetry – ranging from the size of your thumb to the size of three storey buildings, puppets exist in all sizes imaginable. Learn how to use these magical creatures to enhance your story. Basic manipulation techniques will be taught to bring your puppet to life to narrate an original story. Attire – comfortable/sporty. Puppets will be provided. You are welcome to bring favourite puppets/toys from personal collections. (Ideal for ages 6 years and above.)

30th Thursday: Creative writing

Take a look inside the brain of a writer and discover how to transform your dreams, inspirations and story seeds in to complete stories and scripts. Explore the magic of collective writing and how to improve your story/script with ideas from others. Selected stories and scripts will be performed (time permitting) and individual feedback will be given to all writers to continue their writing projects. Attire – comfortable/sporty, materials required – a writing/drawing book, pencil, box of crayons/markers. (Ideal for ages 8 years and above.

Artistic director

Sulochana Dissanayake is a freelance artist engaged in theatre-creation, HR training and education, based in Sri Lanka. A graduate of Bates College, USA with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Theatre, her formal training in acting, directing and play writing led to internships in leading American theatres and programmes.

In 2007, she traveled to Hungary, Czech Republic and Austria to study ‘Central European Theatre and Film’ and was also selected as an Apprentice for the Williamstown Theatre Festival 2007, one of the leading American summer stock theatres. In summer 2008, she was awarded a Directing Internship at The Guthrie Theatre, one of the top ten regional theatres of USA.

In fall 2008, she directed one of the two main stage productions of Bates College – becoming one of the rare students to be awarded a position usually reserved for faculty. Keen on discovering the uses of performing arts in addressing socially and economically relevant issues – both in and out of the work place – she traveled to South Africa and Indonesia on a Watson Fellowship 2009/10 (granted by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation.)

Back in Sri Lanka for the foreseeable future, her goal is to advance performing arts (theatre and puppetry) as a dynamic mode of communication, training and development.

Additional information

Workshops will begin at 9.00 a.m. sharp. Please register participants between 8.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. at 66/9D, Green Path/Ananda Koomaraswamy Mw., Colombo 3. Attire for workshops are comfortable/sporty clothing suited for physical activity. Required materials include a writing/drawing book, pencil, box of crayons/markers. Please send a small snack and water bottle.

A special discounted rate of Rs. 2750 will be offered to participants attending all four workshops. Workshops are priced at Rs. 750 each. Fees are payable at registration between 8.30 a.m. and 9.00 a.m. before each workshop.

For more information and directions to the workshops, please contact the facilitator Sulochana Dissanayake (0777396389) or email [email protected]