NEWS CENTER – Rojava, which has made progress from economy to health, from ecology to education after the revolution, has created spaces where the society can express itself and preserve its culture with its Culture and Art activities. Adults have been trained in cultural fields from theater to folklore, from cinema to TV series in the war environment that has been going on for more than 10 years. In addition, for more than 4 years, many projects have been undertaken to encourage children to turn to art. One of them is the children’s theater group, which was launched this year under the leadership of TEV-ÇAND.
The start of the project, which aims to provide theater education for children in all cities of Northern and Eastern Syria, was given in the city of Dêrik. Art activity to be developed in Rimêlan, Kobanê, Hesekê, Tirbêspiyê and Hesekê will be carried out in all cities in partnership with the Martyrs’ Families Institution, Hilala Zêrîn and Şilêr Children’s Committee.
The Children’s Theater Group project, which includes all children from martyrs to children living in camps due to the occupation in the region, aims to prevent the destruction caused by the war. In the Culture and Art project, where Arab children in the liberated areas of Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij and Deir ez-Zor will also receive theater education, each child will exhibit theaters with their own culture and language. While the language, culture and identity of the peoples that are intended to be transferred from generation to generation will enable children to become competent in the theater, they will be animated by scripting stories that are passed on from language to language such as ‘Çûkê Pirê, Pirê Rovî, Pîsik û Mişk, Dîk û Qertel’. In trainings that are one day a week; Each children’s group will consist of 30 people in the project, which was started with the aim of training competent theater players with sound, music, movement, rhythm and acting training.
GOAL TO CREATE 8 CHILDREN’S THEATER GROUPS
Şanoya Çiya Member Ekîn Ronî, who is personally interested in the Children’s Theater group and contributed to the development of the project, and Şemal Reşîd, one of the directors of the Dicle Culture and Art Center, spoke to ANF about the details of the Children’s Theater group project.
Ekîn Ronî pointed out that the Children’s Theater was lacking in culture and art activities and said, “Significant successes have been achieved in Culture and Art studies in Rojava. In the last 5 years, there have been programs in which children can express themselves, especially in Culture and Art projects involving adults. There were many branches of art developed by Culture and Art. One of them is theatre. But the Children’s Theater dimension was missing. This year we signed a new project. We rolled up our sleeves for the development of children’s theater. The children’s theater started under the leadership of TEV-ÇAND-Rojava will be organized in all Rojava cities”.
Ekîn Ronî explained why theater is important for children: “Theatre is important for children’s personal development. Children’s theater develops the child’s thinking, dreaming and emotional abilities. It enables the child’s personality to mature. It helps the child to adapt to his environment. It develops the decision-making authority of the child, teaches him to evaluate the events in multiple ways and to be objective. Therefore, personal training is provided through theater, and their understanding level improves.”
THE PROJECT IS INTENDED TO COMPLETE IN 3 MONTHS
Noting that the project will be completed by the summer of 2023, Ekîn Ronî shared the information that a big children’s festival will be held after the theater training and the scenarios are completed, and continued his speech as follows: “In our trainings, stories representing Kurdish and Arab cultures are read. These stories are scripted. After the trainings given, roles are distributed according to talent. Our project will be finished in 3 months. Çûkê Pirê, Pirê Rovî, Pîsik û Mişk, Dîk û Qertel will be played through the theater of stories from the Kurdish tradition. In this way, there are many stories in the Kurdish archive, and all the stories will take the stage one after the other. Each of these scenarios will be played in a city.
TEV-ÇAND teams are also present in Reqa, Tabqa, Manbij and Deir ez-Zor, which are known as liberated areas. Here, too, the Arab segments will be reached, and the stories compiled from the Arab culture will be scripted and performed as a theater by the children. Each child will exhibit their own culture, language and art. The culture of the peoples will be passed on from generation to generation in this way. Rojava is an area of hot war. Most of the families negatively affected by the war now have to continue their lives in the camps and the number of children living in the camps is very high. We will reach these children living in the camp and form a theater team. Even if we cannot completely eradicate the destruction of war through art, educating children in a healthier way of thinking, morale, motivation and psychology will be a means of great improvement. The war is a language, It was a culture war and as a result our lands were liberated. Maybe we can make things that cannot be done with politics and war permanent by fighting culture and art.”
THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM BRINGS SOCIETY TO THE BILL OF THE Abyss
Drawing attention to the importance of Culture and Art, Ekîn Ronî addressed the families living in the Northern and Eastern Syria Region and concluded his speech as follows: “Our aim is for children to meet and become acquainted with art and to make the art of theater competent. There is still an ongoing war environment in the region. This war environment is reflected in all areas of life. Families living in the region should send their children to cultural centers and contribute to the development of art. Because the capitalist system brought society to the brink of an abyss. Institutions and organizations created with the Rojava Revolution are waging a great struggle against this system and rebuilding society. Therefore, our families should prioritize personal development training by sending their children to cultural centers.”
CHILDREN SHOULD ATTEND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Şemal Reşit, one of the directors of the Dicle Culture and Art Center, mentioned the activities undertaken by the Dêrik Culture and Art Center and made the following evaluations regarding the importance of the Children’s Theater Group: “Before the Rojava Revolution, there were no Culture and Art activities in the region. We met with post-revolutionary art and realized how far we have drifted from our own culture. New generations should not grow up like us. It should grow up with its own language, identity and culture. For this reason, raising each child in cultural centers and being involved in cultural activities will mean getting to know their own language and culture. Our children, who are educated, will raise new generations as educators after a while. Thus, the culture of the peoples will not be forgotten.”
