Delhi: Children take the center stage in theatre scene

In a refreshing turn for Delhi’s cultural landscape, schoolchildren are stepping onto the stage—quite literally. The Urdu Academy, Delhi, recently conducted two theatre workshops that brought together students from various schools, offering them their first taste of acting, storytelling, and live performance.

Held at the Crescent School campuses in Jafrabad and Daryaganj, the workshops saw enthusiastic participation from children aged 8 to 15. For an art form traditionally associated with college students and adult performers, this new wave of young participants marks a significant and heartening shift.

A new chapter in theatre education

Theatre, once considered an extracurricular pursuit for older students or aspiring young adults, is now making its way into the lives of much younger learners. Organisers at the Urdu Academy saw this as an opportunity to introduce the performing arts at an early age.

“It was beautiful to see how quickly the children adapted to stage language, expressions, and the idea of becoming someone else for a few moments,” said Fahad Khan, a theatre instructor who led the Jafrabad workshop. “They brought a raw energy that you rarely find even in seasoned actors.”

Over the course of a week, students were introduced to the basics of stagecraft—voice modulation, facial expressions, movement, and improvisation. The final day featured mini-performances where children enacted scenes based on folk tales and everyday situations, laced with humour and emotion.

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From shy to spotlight

For many of the students, it was their first time performing in front of an audience—even if the audience consisted only of peers and teachers.

“I was scared at first,” admitted 13-year-old Rida. “But then I remembered how much I like telling stories to my friends. So, I thought, why not tell one on stage?”

Ten-year-old Ibrahim Rahim discovered a hidden passion for the performing arts. He said he had not expected theatre to be so enjoyable, and now wanted to write a play of his own.

Teachers and school administrators were equally thrilled to witness their students bloom under the guidance of trained theatre professionals.

“Workshops like these build confidence and imagination,” said Shaheen Sheikh, a theatre instructor at Crescent School, Daryaganj. “Children who are usually quiet in class were the ones delivering punchlines and leading scenes.”

Preserving language and culture

While the workshops focused on performance techniques, they also served as a platform for promoting the Urdu language and culture among young audiences.

“Theatre is a powerful way to keep a language alive,” noted an official from the Urdu Academy. “When children speak Urdu through dialogue, poems, or stories on stage, it becomes a lived experience—not just a subject in school.”

NSD’s foray into children’s theatre

India’s premier acting and theatre school, the National School of Drama (NSD), also introduced a similar workshop last year, which witnessed overwhelming participation from students.

Chittaranjan Tripathy, Director of NSD, emphasised that the workshop aims to foster holistic development in children through theatre.

“It helps them grow physically and emotionally, while also integrating them with their community and society in a more meaningful manner,” he said, adding that more such workshops are in the pipeline.

A citywide movement

Now, various theatre groups across Delhi are involving schoolchildren in acting and performance training. The Little Actors Club is one such initiative working to nurture young talent. They are currently conducting a workshop that runs from April 5 to mid-August 2025.

“This workshop is a theatre training programme for children aged 10 to 15, run by Feisal Alkazi and his team of experts in the performing arts,” said an official. “The 30 sessions include movement and improvisation, music and elocution, creative writing, art-based activities, and mask-making. It will culminate in a full-fledged theatre production at Triveni.”

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Looking ahead

Following the success of its recent workshops, the Urdu Academy now plans to launch more theatre programmes in schools across Delhi, particularly in areas where children have limited access to the arts.

“There’s talent in every corner. We just have to give it a stage,” said an Academy official. “It’s part of the Delhi government’s initiative to promote theatre and integrate it into the school curriculum.”

Shekhar Singh, a parent whose children attend such workshops, echoed the sentiment: “It’s a great activity. They learn so much and it really helps in developing their overall personality.”

For now, these young performers return to their classrooms with newfound confidence, a love for the stage, and perhaps, dreams of brighter lights in the future.