Theatre for change
A Personal Journey: From Slums to Theatre
His love for theatre led him back to the slums of Delhi where his family lived in a tiny 8×10 square-foot room and all members regardless of age contributed to their survival. Anand juggled jobs as a scavenger, security guard, data entry operator, Uber rider, and hotel worker. Knowing first-hand the struggles of slum children, he uses theatre to help them identify their goals beyond the slum and pursue them. His Theatre initiative Anurvana (A new beginning), is more than just providing fun. It shall open a door to full life opportunities.
The Transformative Power of Theatre
In 2016 while working with The Kutumbh Foundation, I was very excited to be conducting theatre workshops with slum children of Delhi. I started with 30 children who displayed inherent talents. This number, however, became highly inconsistent. On some days just one child would show up. Although this was a great opportunity for them to get an education through theatre; why would they not value it? We visited their parents to get an understanding.
Overcoming Challenges: Pursuing Theatre Against All Odds
“What will they do after getting this knowledge? We don’t even have food to eat. First, they have to eat, then only they can study.”
This response took me back to my past, growing up in a slum area with my parents and four siblings, in an 8*10 feet room. The water was scarce, and the electricity was illegally tapped. My father worked in a copper wire factory for a meagre salary. My mother worked as a maid, sometimes accompanied by my elder sister. While my brother left school at the age of 11 and worked in many odd jobs, my sister and I would scavenge for recyclable items before and after school. On some occasions, we would also be forced to find discarded food. At times, we would even resort to mixing salt with water, which became our meal during those difficult periods.
I was quite young when an old man abused me. Sexual abuse is common in the slums but goes unnoticed.
Later, the factory where my father worked closed down. This change in our lives led us to relocate in 2004 to a place in Delhi called Khan Market, an upscale neighbourhood which housed bureaucrats, MPs, and MLAs. My father started working as a security guard in the area while my mother became a maid for these bureaucrats, and for that reason, we were allotted servant quarters. It was quite an upgrade to a 10*12-foot room. Every few years we would end up on the street for a couple of months when the bureaucrat my mother was attached to would move out.
From Inspiration to Impact: Anand’s Journey of Self-Discovery
In 2006, a significant turning point occurred in my life. I had the opportunity to join an organization that offered a diverse range of subjects, which included theatre.
At age eleven, I witnessed my friend’s performance in a theatre production. At first, I didn’t quite understand it, but as the play reached its conclusion, the audience erupted in applause. That moment planted a seed in my mind, igniting a strong desire to receive the same appreciation and be free to jump into different roles and recognition through theatre.
This initial thirst for applause served as my inspiration to dive into the world of theatre. A year later, I took on my first role in a play, and to my surprise, it was performed in front of the Chief Minister. This experience further fuelled my drive to pursue theatre.
After finishing my schooling to support my family financially, I did several jobs: Data entry operator, security guard, uber rider, and hotel line, among others. My father had opened a tea shop, which I took over after he died in 2021.Despite all these jobs, I always try to find time to be with my friends, together with whom I run a theatre production house where we make theatrical plays, short films, and even ads for corporations.
Theatre as a Catalyst for Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
Over the years, theatre has evolved into much more than a mere platform for seeking appreciation. It has played a crucial role in shaping the person I am today. Through the medium of theatre, I have developed confidence, empathy, curiosity, perseverance, and a heightened sense of social awareness. It has proven to be an invaluable tool for personal growth and self-discovery. Soon, just performance wasn’t enough, and I started conducting theatre workshops in various organizations focused on child rights, women empowerment, hygiene, and education, among others. These workshops served as a means to share the transformative power of theatre with others, inspiring positive change in their lives.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Anurvana’s Learn-and-Earn Model for Empowering Slum Children
The response from the slum children’s parents deeply impacted me. For them, the struggle for daily survival takes precedence over education. This realization led me to found Anurvana, which follows the learn-and-earn model, where slum children can simultaneously acquire essential education and practical skills.
Visit Participant 2023 page to more about anand and his fellow participants.
