- August–September 2019
The Rickshaw Theatre Project is an entirely student run volunteering project that takes Cambridge students to three cities in Northern India and Nepal, where we will run educational theatre workshops with disadvantaged kids and young people. We hope to not only create a fun and safe environment in which they can develop creative skills within drama, but also a space in which they can learn valuable social skills, such skills of teamwork, the ability to build trust, and establish lasting, healthy relationships. Feedback from previous years shows the workshops were rewarding, both for the children and the volunteers, and that they made a real difference to those participating.
Traditionally, the project runs for a period of six weeks with a team of 8-12 individuals spending two weeks in three separate cities, working closely with existing NGOs and schools to deliver workshops. We recognize that 2 weeks is not a lot of time to make a lasting difference, however we aim to help build upon initiatives that are already in place and bring new forms of teaching and interaction to the NGO’s that can continue to be used even after we have left. In this way, rather than starting up initiatives of our own, we strengthen and help develop ones that will be able to continue to make a difference over a long period of time.
- August–September 2018
Rickshaw Theatre Project is an entirely student run volunteering project that takes Cambridge students to three cities in Northern India and Nepal, where we will run educational theatre workshops with disadvantaged kids and young people. We hope to not only create a fun and safe environment in which they can develop creative skills within drama, but also a space in which they can learn valuable social skills, such skills of teamwork, the ability to build trust, and establish lasting, healthy relationships. Feedback from previous years shows the workshops were rewarding, both for the children and the volunteers, and that they made a real difference to those participating.
Traditionally, the project runs for a period of six weeks with a team of 8-12 individuals spending two weeks in three separate cities, working closely with existing NGOs and schools to deliver workshops. We recognize that 2 weeks is not a lot of time to make a lasting difference, however we aim to help build upon initiatives that are already in place and bring new forms of teaching and interaction to the NGO’s that can continue to be used even after we have left. In this way, rather than starting up initiatives of our own, we strengthen and help develop ones that will be able to continue to make a difference over a long period of time.
- August–September 2016
Rickshaw Theatre Project is an entirely student run volunteering project that takes Cambridge students to three cities in Northern India and Nepal, where we will run educational theatre workshops with disadvantaged kids and young people. We work closely with existing NGOs and schools to deliver two week workshops in each city. We hope to not only create a fun and safe environment in which they can develop creative skills within drama, but also a space in which they can learn valuable social skills, such skills of teamwork, the ability to build trust, and establish lasting, healthy relationships. By helping the children to be more comfortable with performing, one can also help them to develop self-confidence and strength in public speaking, which are values that they will be able to utilize in all parts of life. Feedback from previous years shows the workshops were rewarding, both for the children and the volunteers, and that they made a real difference to those participating
We will be travelling as a team of 8-12 individuals, and will get the chance to work with 2 different NGO’s in each city that we visit, in that way reaching as many children as possible in the short time we have. We recognize that 2 weeks is not a lot of time to make a lasting difference, however we aim to help build upon initiatives that are already in place and bring new forms of teaching and interaction to the NGO’s that can continue to be used even after we have left. In this way, rather than starting up initiatives of our own, we strengthen and help develop ones that will be able to continue to make a difference over a long period of time.
- August–September 2015
The Rickshaw Theatre Project is an entirely student-run project working in India and Nepal that has been running for the past seven years. The project aims to contribute to the imaginative development and individual expression of children through experimentation with different dramatic mediums, such as clowning, mime and puppetry.
Each year during the summer vacation, students with a strong academic background and a keen interest in the performing arts run theatre workshops with children in India and Nepal. By working alongside established NGOs and charities, the endeavour is not just to impact these children for a short period of time but to complement work which already takes place all year round. The project aims to revisit some of the charities and NGOs with which it has worked in previous years, and as such, strong relationships are formed with these organisations.
Traditionally, the project runs for a period of six weeks, with the team(s) spending two weeks in three separate cities. In each place, roughly the first week is spent doing highly interactive workshops, with the aim to expand the children’s motor skills, boost their confidence and provide a forum for self-expression. The second week then usually aims towards a final performance encompassing the children’s own ideas, stimulated by a range of dramatic forms explored in the previous week. Last year the children created performances ranging from Snow White to The Odyssey!
