Bhubaneswar: Season 6 of “KALLOLA 2020 – a Celebration of Children’s Creativity”, a children’s festival week, took off here on Friday.
The theme of this year’s festival, a collaborative effort of Unicef Odisha and Aaina, an Odisha-based voluntary organization is “Children & COVID-19”. The festival that was launched with support of Women and Child Development department and Mo School Sangathan will continue upto November 25.
The festival will show case short videos and jingles produced with scripts written by around 500 children in child care institutions and government-run schools in the state. The scripts were produced through a series of online workshops organised for the children by film-makers in Odisha.
Sharing his experience, 15-year-old Subham Sahu from Manikeswari High School in Kalahandi district said, “I had a lot of fun learning about the different aspects of writing a script. We also watched movies to understand how an idea is converted into a script. I worked with four other fellow students and we are happy to see a film made with our script.”
Another participant from SOVA Astha Children’s Home in Koraput district, Jhumuki Kirsani, said, “We had thought scripts could only be written by grown-ups. After we understood how a story is broken into parts, visualised and converted into a script, we are confident of writing more scripts and radio jingles.”
Speaking on the occasion, Anu Garg, principal secretary, WCD said, “I am proud of the work done by the children. All the videos, jingles, and short films are excellent. Films can teach, educate and inspire people to do more for the country.”
Chief operating officer, Mo School, Amarjit Jena said, “We are very pleased with the scripts produced by our students. Along with studies, such creative activities are very essential for children.”
Well-known film director and producer Nila Madhab Panda said, “Just the way we have our basic needs such a food, water and shelter, creative activities are essential for a child to grow. As adults, we must give space and platforms to children explore their own creativity. This builds character and a better future for them.”
Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Odisha Dr. Monika O. Nielsen said, “Today, as we celebrate the World Children’s Day, we are acutely aware of the impact the pandemic has made on the lives of children. We need to find avenues of hearing their views directly from them. Young people rarely have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, yet they have immense energy, talent and creativity that, if harnessed, can contribute to their societies’ advancement. The scripts written by the children showcase this creativity and we are very proud of them.”
Sharing her thoughts on the occasion, Sneha Mishra said, “Working with children is always fun. This year we reached out to nearly 500 children with the support of Odisha State Child Protection Society (OSCPS) and Mo School.”
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