The Education Tree

Type “street play” on Google and the first link, a wiki page, describes it as ‘a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience. These spaces can be anywhere, including shopping centres, car parks, recreational reserves and street corners.’  Over the years there has been a deviation from this long established and rooted definition. Street plays have been reduced to a mere competition. In fact and in principle, they are still carried out in front of a large, unpaying audience (more so in the DU circuit) but the purpose is not completely served because they are not reaching out to a large proportion of audience who are equally affected by say, sexual harassment, corruption, consumer rights, reservation etc which are common topics of nukkad nataks. ‘Aaghaaz’, The Education Tree initiative is an attempt to revive the lost essence of street theatre or nukkad nataks and take them to the masses. The Education Tree is a student organization with an agenda to support and facilitate all manifestations of education. Under their initiative, they have collaborated with the dramatics society or dramsocs (as they are popularly known) of several DU colleges like Hansraj, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, SGTB Khalsa College, IP College for Women, Daulat Ram College, Maitreyi & Shivaji College and given them the opportunity to perform their annual productions at various public venues like Sarojini Nagar Market, Adventure Island, Delhi Haat(INA), Satya Niketan Maket & GK-M Block etc, in schools like DPS, Bal Bharti, Rukmini Devi Public School & Maharaja Agrasen Model School and at NGOs like Salaam Balak Trust & Prayas and at the same time disseminating valuable information to the common people from all ends of spectrum. With their core belief in the utility of nukkad natak as a tool of education, The Education Tree believes that the revolution begins at the corner of YOUR street. Follow them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/theeducationtree?ref=ts&fref=ts]]>