Since 2008, the Pune-based Swatantra Theater collective has been conducting drama programmes for children to not just teach them the tricks of the trade, but also introduce them to the various literary traditions in India. From works by Rabindranath Tagore, Premchand and Mullah Nasruddin, to the Panchatantra and Jataka Tales, the group has based several of their children’s productions on stories from Indian literature. Now, in sync with the new normal, the group’s programmes have transitioned online, and they’re set to stage a theatre festival put together by children, for children, based on Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha’s works this weekend.

Dhanashree Heblikar