Project Overview
Were you born to the stage?
This project is a great chance to use your love of the arts to make a big difference in the lives of Jaipur’s underprivileged children. Theatre workshops help kids channel their energies positively as well as giving you a crash course in traditional Indian folklore. You don't need to be an actor to get involved; all you need is a love of children and the energy to make this a fun and rewarding experience for everyone. Set against the backdrop of India’s ‘pink city’, this project really is a journey of discovery; from the historical treasures of Jaipur to the next Bollywood movie star in your theatre group!
What does this project do?
The aim of this project is to help build children's personalities through theatre. The group focuses on children from the lowest income families and works in the schools that they go to. By enacting famous folk tales of India, the children will be taught how to use their body language for communication. The end result of each workshop will be a show ready to be staged to an audience.
Why does this project need volunteers?
You are needed to help with teaching amateur dramatics to the children. The more assistance offered to children, the more they will get out of it! The children need attention and support from volunteers to help them overcome their inhibitions and reach their full potential.
The input of English-speaking volunteers also allows the children to practice and improve their English skills, which will create more educational and employment opportunities for them in the future. The chance to meet and interact with foreigners is a valuable opportunity for the children to increase their knowledge of the world.
Your role as a volunteer
Your role will be to help the current team with teaching amateur dramatics to the children and to assist with improving their self-confidence along the way. You'll get involved with a wide range of activities such as teaching theatre games to improve concentration; designing and making sets, costumes, props and music; making masks; and organizing tours to the theatre where the plays are staged.
The skills you need
You don't need any particular skills, but you should have the confidence to get stuck into an amateur theatre production and help the kids to overcome their shyness and stage fear. You need to enjoy working with children and should be able to coach and support them to help them develop personal skills. Don't forget to bring lots of ideas and enthusiasm with you, so that you can help to make it a fun and rewarding experience for the children.
Accommodation included
You will be living in a local guesthouse run by a local Indian family and may share your room with other volunteers, giving you the perfect chance to absorb the local culture and make friends with other volunteers.
Project resources and advice
Resources are adequate at the project, but any additional resources you can bring with you such as materials and costumes will be greatly appreciated!
Local facilities
This project is based in Jaipur, known as the Pink City, which offers a bustling and friendly atmosphere along with the main amenities.
Please Note; The Fesival of Diwali (Festival of Lights) takes place every year either at the end of October or the beginning of November where the projects will be closed for a week for the festivities.
Projects will also be affected for a week over the Christmas period December 25, please be aware of these dates when making your booking.
Food included
All your meals will be provided each day, in the form of breakfast, lunch and dinner, which will be vegetarian-friendly delicious Indian cuisine!
Things that you will need to organize yourself
- Flights to India: i-to-i can secure preferential rates, please ask us
- Travel insurance: i-to-i can secure preferential rates, please ask us
- Visa
- In-country transport (except your airport pickup on arrival date)
- Tours, trips and add-ons: i-to-i can secure preferential rates, please ask us
- Extra food and equipment
Stories
Alison Alexander gives this project 10/10
Here is what Alison had to say:
What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?
Working with the kids at the school, children the world over laugh the same was no matter what language they speak. They were a lot of fun to work with (once they calmed down), and seeing their English improve was really great to hear. I especially enjoyed teaching a puppetry class at Akshar cause it gave the shy students a voice, to see them become a tiny bit more confident when speaking to me was amazing.
Living with Sharda, her family and the other volunteers, who made me laugh every day. Seeing and living in india from a perspective other then a tourist in a hotel was something I would never change or give up.
The funny man in Delhi when I first arrived who sold me a salwar suit who first said the now much repeated phrase "seeeexy fieeeet"! and the 'peacov' painting seller on my second day who sparked my peacock love.
Camel trekking in Jaisalmer and going to the foot hills of the Himalayas on the site seeing side. both unforgettable and oth the extreme traveling to get there.
Was there a part of the project that changed the way you look at the world or affected you in some way?
People. For me it will always be the people not the places of india which will remain with me.
Living with Sharda, Harshita and Marharveer. They treated us as part of the family and now I'm home I miss them alot, they are beautiful people to open their home in the way that they do. I learnec so much more from them then a little hindi and how to cook a very tasty dish.
The lovely Karinika, who is so wonderfully direct and endlessly welcoming.
But also seeing the street children in Old Delhi showed me a side of India which has far to go.
Do you have 3 top tips for future volunteer travellers?
1. Be prepared to plan normal drama lessons as you may not always be rehearsing for a performance and work to your skills.
2. Local dress is the way forward as it makes everything so much easier, also atleast one person with a local sim is good.
3. Don't pass up any oppourtunity, you can always sleep another time.
Give Us Up To 10 Words That Sum Up Your Experience: For example - "A life changing experience!"
Didn't want to leave , would go back in a heartbeat.
Is there anything that would have made your experience better?
Having someone who teaches at the school do an orientation and being an sistant to them for the first few lessons as we were often abandoned with a class, with no real teaching experience it wa hard but thankfully their were two of us so we survived.
dividing time between the slum schools and the public schools is really worthwhile but tiring.
a small written thing of how much things should be roughly (i.e rickshaws, clothes etc) how the toilet flush and bucket bath works, the curfew and how the locking must be done.
Giving the email adresses of all the people who will be at te project at the same time not just the ones arriving on the same day would have been useful.
Simon Kendrick gives this project 10/10
Here is what Simon had to say:
What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?
Jaipur was a lovely city.
The people were very welcoming, and Karnika (the Jaipur coordinator) was very helpful, friendly and approachable. She makes good food too!
The accomodation was brilliant, I really enjoyed my time at Sharda, Mahaveer and Harshita's house. I felt like their adopted son :)
Was there a part of the project that changed the way you look at the world or affected you in some way?
I learnt patience. India runs on it's own trimescale.
I enjoyed communicating with the children and seeing them develop their dramatic skills. Even a little outside help can make a big difference.
It challenged me to be responsible for the learning of up to 70 children at one time
Do you have 3 top tips for future volunteer travellers?
1. Go to Jaipur.
2. Ask to stay with Sharda (and take hindi lessons from her)3. Go with an open mind, and a bag of tricks, songs and games to teach the children
Give Us Up To 10 Words That Sum Up Your Experience: For example - "A life changing experience!"
Jaiur bahot acha ta!
Is there anything that would have made your experience better?
the Theatre project coordinator could have provided more leadership early on in the project, and more oversight during the project.
Especially for volunteers with no teaching experience, being abandoned to a class of 35 children can be quite daunting.
More details on the actual project, and the fact that it deals with middle class children would have been useful
Scott Smith gives this project 10/10
Here is what Scott had to say:
What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?
After speaking to our in country co ordinator we went to the Taj Mahal and spent a day there. It was easily the best sight we saw in India.
The camel trekking was absolutely out of this world.
A rewarding highlight was the production of the two plays we did. The children worked so hard and it was an honour to be apart of it.
Was there a part of the project that changed the way you look at the world or affected you in some way?
I was deeply affected by the first few car journeys i had. People lived in such poverty and it was very hard at first to handle the stresses of the sights i saw through the windows.
Do you have 3 top tips for future volunteer travellers?
Be prepared for the unprepared.
Go with an open fresh mind.
Do and try everything, you're only there once!
Give Us Up To 10 Words That Sum Up Your Experience: For example - "A life changing experience!"
Be prepared for the unprepared !!
Is there anything that would have made your experience better?
No. If everything was perfect then it would not have been the same. Yes the toilets were not nice and the food sometimes was not the best, but i loved every minute because of that.
Claire Millar gives this project 9/10
Here is what Claire had to say:
What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?
- Putting on a play with a small group of students at the school; seeing the improvement in their acting and confidence.
- Eating home cooked Indian meals every day.
- Travelling to Jaisalmer for a camel safari on our last weekend - it's worth going all the way out there!
- Having other volunteers at the guesthouse to share the experience with.
- Attending an Indian wedding through i to i contacts!!!
Was there a part of the project that changed the way you look at the world or affected you in some way?
Not particuarly, as the project is placed in quite a well-off school. I did feel as though I would have been more use working with poor children, in a slum school like the one other volunteers were placed at. I guess I started to see the similarities between my country and India - things really are the same all over the world!
Do you have 3 top tips for future volunteer travellers?
1. Take a sleeping sheet! Possibly the most useful thing one could ever need. And a potato peeler, for peeling fruit off the streets.
2. Learn a bit of the local language before you go. If you are teaching, words like QUIET and SITDOWN go a long way! Don't wait until you get there to learn them.
3. Do everything that you can fit into a day! After your project finishes, even if you are tired, have an hour or so rest and head back out for sightseeing! THe worst thing is going home saying "i wish i'd seen/done that".
Give Us Up To 10 Words That Sum Up Your Experience: For example - "A life changing experience!"
India = heat, hooves and horns. Project = cheeky children!
Is there anything that would have made your experience better?
If I'd stayed longer! 2 weeks was not enough, the project shouldn't be allowed to run for those short periods of time! Maybe a booklet or sheet with teaching tips - when you have no teacher training whatsoever it can be hard to be thrown into a classroom setting.
Pearce Amanda gives this project 9/10
Here is what Pearce had to say:
What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?
Getting the opportunity to direct plays and mimes and watch the kids perform! Meeting other volunteers from all around the world and making new friends. Staying with a local family.
Was there a part of the project that changed the way you look at the world or affected you in some way?
Getting to know another culture and really being immersed in it. I became more aware of different cultures and ways of life. This experience has made me want to go and immerse myself in other cultures and continue learning from them.
Do you have 3 top tips for future volunteer travellers?
1. Always say YES! Try everything, and take advantage of as many opportunities as you can, the more you do, the more you'll get out of it.
2. Accept things, don't fight against them. Learn from the cultural differences and respect them, you are in their country.
3. Travel! See as much as you can, it's so worth it!
Give Us Up To 10 Words That Sum Up Your Experience: For example - "A life changing experience!"
The most valuable valuable experience i've ever had!
Is there anything that would have made your experience better?
The project could had been a bit more organised. We were always under time pressure to get the shows on. I think the kids would benefit from more time spent with us so that they can learn and develop skills before putting on a performance. I think that this would make the children more confident when they perform.
Cale Hubble gives this project 8/10
Here is what Cale had to say:
What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?
Seeing the Taj Mahal. No matter how many photos I'd seen, it was still amazing. It felt like it had a presence in me, some kind of powerful aura that went beyond it's physical magnificence. The Golden Temple in Amritsar had a similar feel.
The border closing ceremony with Pakistan at Attari- possibly the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. The atmosphere was so festive, and the soldiers so ludicrous.
The guesthouse I stayed at also felt like I was living with an Indian family- eating with them, etc.- so it felt like I had a true Indian experience.
Was there a part of the project that changed the way you look at the world or affected you in some way?
Just living and breathing a culture entirely different to my own was enlightening and mind-changing. It makes you appreciate and put in perspective everything at home.
Do you have 3 top tips for future volunteer travellers?
Don't get stressed out by endless horror stories.
Go with the flow- you can only plan so much.
Just do it!
Give Us Up To 10 Words That Sum Up Your Experience: For example - "A life changing experience!"
Absolutely mind-boggling.
Is there anything that would have made your experience better?
I wish my project had been with underpriveliged children, as I had assumed. Volunteering at a private school felt a little silly and unecessary.
