Our first session was on May 26, 2017 where 12 boys from the Aadharshila Observation Home for ‘Children in Conflict with Law’ had stepped out of the Home for the first ever time to perform a play. An intense 15 day Expressive Arts Workshop Module with the boys had helped us develop an interactive performance. Our focus was to use this time to expose the boys to a world of theatre and the arts. The resultant performance titled ‘Aadharshila Mein Ek Din– A Day in Aadharshila’ was created through personal stories and narratives, displaying power struggles in everyday life that the young ones face. This interactive performance was presented at the Delhi Judicial Academy for members of Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee.

The performance was followed by a Playback Theatre session with the audience members. Committee members of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee were encouraged to share their stories with us. The Yuva Ekta Playback Theatre group brought these stories to life by performing them through different narrative styles. The idea was to contrast these stories to the ones shown by the boys and help them relate to each other in a session that was titled ‘Understanding Childhood: Dreams, Delinquency and Destitution’.