NETHRA ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS (NAPA) AND CAC

Napa And Cac Joint Fundraiser For Ukrainian Students

Sometime ago, NAPA approached Cheltenham Arts Council (CAC) to explore possible ways of supporting local students from Ukraine, particularly in terms of arts education. This paved the way for an event held at Cheltenham’s Playhouse on the 11th March, jointly hosted by NAPA and CAC, and presented by Shashish Gowri Shankar, a NAPA Gold Arts Award student. The event showcased a variety of Indian dance forms, beginning with Bharatanatyam, which originates from southern India, during which the intricate footwork and graceful movements of the dancer mesmerised the audience.

This was followed by a taste of Bollywood and folk dance, as well as Indian classical music. The huge audience was treated to fascinating performances offering a fusion of traditional and contemporary elements, with an emphasis on the idea of East meets West. This was the first event of its kind to take place in Cheltenham and involved over 50 performers from different age groups, both amateur and professional artists.

As the evening progressed, the western element of the event was introduced through poetry readings by CAC members. This injected an element of comedy into the evening, which at some points hugely amused the delighted audience. Not only was there comedy involved, but the use of language and structure was also amazing and kept the audience engaged throughout.

The final item of the evening was a Shakespearean drama which captivated the audience, allowing them to travel back in time to the Shakespearean era through the experience of a live performance. The use of movement on stage, sudden sounds, music, and props meant that members of the audience were unable to take their eyes off the stage even for a second!

The event was a resounding success, with the sell-out audience giving the performers a standing ovation at the end of the evening. Once the profits were calculated, over £1,500 had been raised for the Ukrainian student community. Cheltenham Arts Council will be setting up a Ukraine Arts Education bursary in the coming months and information concerning applications will be available in due course.

NAPA would like to thank Sue Silcock (Chair of CAC), Dr Steve Steinhardt (Treasurer of CAC) and the Playhouse staff for supporting us in bringing our plan to fruition. We would also like to thank our Cheltenham Member of Parliament, Alex Chalk, for taking time from his busy schedule to attend the event, along with the Deputy Mayor of Cheltenham, Matt Babbage.

Shashish Gowri Shankar

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