Closing Ceremony - Basic Screen Acting Course for deaf and hard of-hearing people

Today, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, started with an amazing experience. Our YWTC Trust in collaboration with Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) arranged a basic screen acting course for deaf and hard of hearing people. Today we celebrated the closing ceremony along with our participants, supporters, faculty and senior officials from FTII. We received wonderful feedback from our participants (pl find below two msgs from our participants). Faculty felt so happy with the performances of our course participants. Even though the course is virtual and for a short duration, course participants performed very well. This was mentioned by the faculty specifically :).

FTII Director Mr Sandeep Shahare appreciated all the participants and YWTC for starting this initiative. He mentioned that FTII is strictly following the quota for Persons with Disabilities and advised the participants to apply for different types of courses announced by FTII. He spoke about the two courses offered by FTII for PwDs as a part of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held at Goa recently. Registrar Mr Rabeehashmi Sayyid i, CFOL Executive Head Dr Milind Damle and our Course Director Jijoy Pulikal Rajagopalan put so much effort in organising this course. Heartfelt thanks to all of them ! We all made our first steps. I am confident that this journey will continue and together we will create a more inclusive environment in the entertainment industry.

We could arrange this course because of the support from my dear friends Dr Saundarya Rajesh (MyAvtar), Aruna Sharma (4 AT Consulting) and Vrishank and his parents. We have plans to arrange physical sessions in 2023. Hope we will get the required support !

Thank you so much Raja Rajasekharan P and Santosh Kodimyala for sharing your expert views with us !

Our core volunteer Aakash Manokaran made all the arrangements for smooth conduct of this virtual event.

Totally today's event is one of the unforgettable moments in my life :)

Feedback from Sabari Venkatesh Thumatti Vishnuram , one of the participants of the course:

Today is my most remarkable day of my life. Doing a skit of mime based on the mother's love. I recieved a lot of appreciation and feedback. If mime was a subject, I should score a centum 😁. It was a magnificent experience learning an acting course through online. Through online course, I expected there would be a barrier of a network connection. But course went smoothly in one month with no network interruption. Thank you YWTC team(especially Madhavi ji) and FTII Jijoy sir for your fabulous support. Without your support, we should have not made it here. It was a nice memories acting with Arshia and Vishak and an amazing journey to see you all acting during course. Last but not least I would like to say thanks to the interpreters. ❤

Message from Nandhini, another participant:

First of all couldnt believe that it was the last day. Time flies ..!

One amazing journey it was. Each and every one joined here with their own interest to learn something new and also to share their ideas to others. Everyone working hard at their office with hectic pressures , deadlines though we consolling ourself for the weekend days to spend with our families happily. People may think we are sacrificing those days once joined here , but we know that actually we created a beautiful family here.

Thank you each and everyone . It was a great pleasure to spent a time with you guys. Hope we all keep in touch . Special thanks to madhavi since i personally know her we both working at the same office she is an Avp for the process i know how hectic pressure her work is though she managed all ,sheduled a time for everything and exectuted very well . I still remember one day she said people like us should hands together and reach heights. I feel like this was the first stepping zone for that. Let v all together and shine bright !

Basic Course in Screen acting for Deaf and Hard of hearing people - Day 9&10 (26th & 27th Nov, 2022)

Day 9 (26/11/2022)

Morning Class - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Faculty : Jayachandran Palazhy, Founder and Artistic Director of Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts is an internationally sought after dancer and choreographer at the forefront of the contemporary Indian movement arts scene.

Driven by Attakkalari’s underlying philosophy “Traditional Physical Wisdom, Innovation & Technology”, Jayachandran is deeply committed to extending the reach of contemporary movement arts. His path breaking work makes Indian movement expressions of contemporary reality more visible both nationally and internationally.

Learnings from 17th session :

Topics Covered -

• Breathing (The Idea was to connect our body with breath every moment, then we think about alignment).

• Core Muscle Excercise.

• Movements of Body.

• How to perform Movements.

• Gestures

• Covid time video for different positions & Contemporary dance.

Activity by Faculty: Create a Story or an idea with three Sentences.

Usefulness : Helps Students understand & Perform Movements & Dance...

Afternoon Class - 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm Learnings from 18th session : Topics Covered - • Walking movements taught by faculty (where he performed himself for making students understand each walking movement & students follows Faculty for performing) • Contemporary Solo Dance practiced under faculty's guidance(where faculty taught students by performing himself guiding how to perform & students follows Faculty for performing). • Contemporary Duet Dance practiced under faculty's guidance(where faculty taught students by performing himself making students understand that how to perform & students follows Faculty). • Students Practiced Gestures & Movements in sitting positions under the guidance of faculty (where faculty himself performed to make students understand about movements & gestures in a sitting position & students follows Faculty). • Facility Clearing Doubts by taking questions. Overall, Students Practiced Gestures with different mo

vements & at Last of the session faculty shared a video with students which showing performance of Contemporary Dance. Usefulness : Since every Gesture & Movement was practiced under faculty's guidance & Faculty followed by Students throughout the session & hence, It was really useful for students for practicing & understanding everything.

By Nitin Taneja

Day 10 (27/11/2022)

Morning Class - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Faculty : Jayachandran Palazhy

Learnings from 19th session :

Topics Covered -

Recap Done of Yesterday's, which includes About Breathing with Streching Excercises of the movement in the Space, About Movements, About Martial Arts, A Video Shared with Students which was on Martial Arts in northern & southern India. Faculty Performed Movements of yesterday with students which had new movements as well. Session again includes that how to do movements. Students did Gestures too.

• Gestures

Usefulness : Helps Students understand & Perform Movements ...

Day 10 (27/11/2022) Afternoon Class - 02:30 pm to 04:30 pm Learnings from 20th session : Topics Covered - • About Gesture in bharatnatyam for salutions to mother earth taught by faculty, the same was performed by students under faculty's guidance. • Students practiced Bharatnatyam on the music of rangam mohanam by Sanjay subrahmanyan with faculty. • Faculty took Questions for clearing doubts. Activities by Faculty -

1) Students were told to Create any bharatnatyam dance movement on their own. 2) Creating Bharatnatyam Dance with music & adding movements by each student. Usefulness : An Introduction to bharatnatyam dance & performance in bharatnatyam made students aware about gestures & help them evolve this form of classical dancing under the supervision of Faculty. Feedback by students on basic screen acting course's last Weekend classes by jayachandran palazhy sir is as follows, Nandhani C. Said, "It was amazing session and favorite session too. Actually i am staying in banglore.. I didnt get any sweating due to cool weather. Last two sessions making me work out.. I feel like learn more..the way sir teaching was amazing." Sabari Vekatesh Thumatti Vishnuram said, "Attakalari session was a fun and beautiful experience. Instructor was so knowledgeable and friendly. I find it so interesting to learn and really enjoyed the whole session. Many thanks to JP Sir who taught the steps slowly and made sure to learn the steps easily. " Arshia Sarfaraz said, "i studied, did action & did Dance, ISL helped me." Sankareswaran said, "I m Sankareswaran, I’m able to understand, and this the first time I’m seeing people conducting classes for hearing impaired. So happy " Vishak said, "I feel good because there are different sessions to learn about my life. I never learn acting courses till September 2022 because there are no provided interperters. I am very pleased because there has been an interpreter in class. Thank you" Gauri Bisht said, "Classes by Jayachandran Sir were good & I enjoyed"

Nitin Taneja (me) said, " On Saturday during performance i felt inner happiness apart from that it had been amazing learning experience of Bharatnatyam and other performance from Saturday to Sunday in all four sessions starting from breathing, bharatnatyam & everything under jayachandran sir's guidance. Best part of the sessions were this that sir was enjoying teaching students." Neetesh Sharma said, "Someone taught me for the first time how to dance. I was thrilled. I am interested in learning yoga and dance. Overall this course gave me the best experience" Anupriya (Indian sign Language Interpreter) said, "It's a refreshing experience to interpret for

the dance/related to dancing exercise. It's was nice to be participated."

By Nitin Taneja

Basic Course in Screen acting for Deaf and Hard of hearing people - Day 8 (20/11/2022)

Afternoon Class - 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Faculty : Shri Madhu Apsara

Associate Professor Sound

Holds 'Bsc in Physics’ from Calicut University and Postgraduate Diploma in ‘Sound Recording and Sound Engineering’ from FTII, Pune in 1991. He has worked with Mani Kaul as his Chief Assistant Director in the films ‘The Cloud Door, The Servant’s Shirt, Light Apparel and Bhoj, during 1992 to 1999.

As a sound designer, he has worked for the feature films like, Dharaviand Hazarom Kwaish Aise by Sudhir Mishra, Throne of Death, Wart (Co-Writer of the film), The Dogs Day, Unni, and Virgin Goat by Murali Nair, Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar, Agent Vinod and Badlapur by Sriram Raghavan. And many more. He was also associate with Documentaries as a Sound designer.

He has been closely associated with the Dhrupad Gurukul as a student and a Sound Engineer for most of the Gurukul programs.

Learnings from 16th session :

Topics Covered - About Sound in Detail. What is sound.

About Importance of sound

About Sound as Sensation

Madhu Sir took questions from students and answers their queries.

Usefulness : A Thorough Understanding of Sound & Sound as Sensation makes students understand about concept of sound in context to Cinema.

By Nitin Taneja