Sri Lanka celebrates Children's Day today. Every country has its own day dedicated to children. International Children’s Day is observed on June 1 and Universal Children’s Day on November 20 across the world. In India, Children’s Day is celebrated on the day of the birth anniversary of its first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14.
Children's Day was first celebrated on the second Sunday of June in 1856 by Rev. Dr. Charles Leonard, Pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Dr. Leonard named the day Rose Day, though it was later named Flower Sunday, and then Children's Day. Children are innocent and mischevous but they bring a smile to one’s face. Children are a most treasured possession on earth and loved by all. Children’s Day is celebrated to commemorate the healthy growth and happiness of children. Many schools and institutions in Sri Lanka have organised several interactive activities such as singing, dancing, painting, fancy dress and games for today.
Today, the Sooriya Village in Colombo 5 is featuring some amazing artists/artistes across various genres from story tellers, musicians to dramatists to celebrate the day. It is happening from 4.00 pm onwards. Tickets are priced at Rs. 750 per session and bulk tickets are available for all three sessions at Rs. 2000 each.
‘Tellers and Listeners’ recreated by Somalatha Subasinghe Play House will be from 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm. The artistes are Thiwanka Ranasinghe, Dhanushka Dias and Chandana Aluthge. Lanka Children’s and Youth Theater Foundation (LCYTF) or popularly known as the 'Play House-Kotte' is a non-profit making organization for educating children and youth through the medium of theatre with the vision to nurture a benevolent society. It was established in 1981 with the aim of promoting Children’s and Youth Theatre in Sri Lanka under the auspices of Somalatha Subasinghe, veteran children’s theatre director and playwright. Since then the organization has been able to produce a repertoire of children’s and youth theatre and award winning mainstream theatre productions. The organisation has emerged as one of the leading training centres for performing artistes particularly in children’s and youth theatre.
The Larry T Hill Show presented by Larry T Hill will be from 5.15 pm – 6.15 pm. With a striking solo performance, Larry T Hill crafts cheeky musical tales using just voice and a looping pedal. He records layer upon layer of his voice live on stage, creating elaborate yet fun musical pieces which you might expect to hear from a small band. Performances can be energetic and animated, soulful and outrageous, witty, pretty or sometimes just silly. The sharp beats, deep bass lines and sweet harmonies will have you hooked, singing the tunes all the way home.
Larry has gained a large following of little people and for this he is grateful. Young people around the island have enjoyed his quirky humour, energetic performances and insightful playshops. He is thrilled when he gets to perform in schools. Most recently, students in Colombo spent a whole week with him developing the Sights, Sounds and Stories musical comedy performance at Camp Kreativ. He is looking forward to returning to The Sooriya village, this time for his first solo live performance. Step on up to the Larry T Hill show!
Labu Gediye Thowile presented by Sulochana Dissanayake of Power of Play will be from 6.30pm – 7.30pm. It is the tale of the magical gourd that housed a whole thowile. Brought to life by low country dancers with live music and fire dancing, this is a tale for the whole family. It is ideal for families with children aged 4-12 years. The performance will be in Sinhala and English and will approximately run for 60 min.
Power of Play believes in the power of laughter and aims to delight audiences, reaching out through techniques of live performance – proven successful all throughout the world over centuries as an ageless mode of communication. Power of Play employs PUPPETS - a magic tool that attracts diverse audiences from any location. Puppets are used around the world to convey messages effectively, within a short time, to large audiences. Puppets have an incredible power to connect with people – people react more positively to puppets than they react to other people. Therefore, conveying a message through a puppet is a communication form that is unbeatable by any other. Power of Play customizes a variety of performances and workshops designed to fit any purpose and audience.
