We were privileged to have FSF Patron and a Trustee at one of  our workshops recently, when FSF Patron Jonathan Steele and FSF Trustee Alison Skilbeck visited our Maharagama workshop on January 12, 2012. The high point of the occasion was when both Jonathan and Alison joined the activities along with the participants. The workshop participants enjoyed the presence of the visitors. They engaged in a fun filled interactive session together.

These photographs were taken during the visit of FSF Trustee Alison Skilbeck. During her stay, she visited many of the workshops.  She met with the parents of the workshop participants, trainers and staff of the Sunera Head Office.

The main highlight of Alison Skilbeck’s visit was that she staged her one woman show “Are There More Of You?” from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2011. The show, which was a fundraiser for the Sunera Foundation, was performed at British Council, Colombo, on January  13& 14. The event turned out to be a huge success.  Alison played to a full house on both nights and the audience greatly enjoyed it.

A review that appeared in the Sunday Times newspaper following the show stated thus, “Each woman’s story, is served up with a twist, and the audience is given the chance to be there, in the very moment they make their leap into a new life or resign themselves to the ones they already have. Each story is laced with panic and despair, humour and resilience……As an actress, Alison has a wonderfully expressive face, and she is beautiful to watch as she makes the transition from one character to another, adopting a new accent, attitude and appearance for each.”

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It was a rare honour for the members of the Sunera Thalawa workshop who took part in the recent  North Central Provincial Art Festival when the short drama presented by the Sunera members ‘Awasara Nehe’ bagged the highest number of awards out of the nine shortlisted for the final competition.

Having taken part in the first competition held at Vivekananda School in Anuradhapura, the drama was also selected to be featured at the final ceremony held at the Anuradhapura Central College on 23^rd December.

Sandun Bandara Dissanayake won the Awards for the Best Script , Best Choreography and second place for the Best Producer. Niluka Seneviratne won the award for best costumes while K. D. Jayakody received an award for best stage management. Thanuja Lasanthi Wijeywickreme was selected the best make up artiste.

In addition, Gayathri Ranbgebandara, Thanuja Lasanthi Wijeywickreme and Chandani Ranasinghe became the recipients of merit awards.

The drama ‘Awasara Nehe’ was featured at the annual Samanalayaya concert in 2010.

The art festival was organized by the North Central Provincial Council and the Cultural Department. The North Central Province Governor Karunaratne Divulgane and Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake were among the distinguished guests who graced the occasion as chief guests.

Thalawa Sunera workshop is conducted every Friday at the main hall of ‘AKASA’ – an association for the differently abled females. The Sunera’s initiative receives the fullest support of the Chairperson of the ‘AKASA’ organization N.G. Kamalawathie. 

It was a rare treat for the local classical music lovers who  witnessed the young American cellist Joshua Roman perform at two fund raiser concerts for the Sunera Foundation on September  26 and 30 in Colombo and Kandy respectively.

Joshua Roman  who has earned the coveted recognition as a  2011 TED Fellow, kept the audience spellbound with  his magnificent cello performance, accompanied by the veteran pianist Eshantha Peiris. The delightful  selection that was played included: Schubert’s ‘Arpeggione’ Sonata, J.S. Bach’s ‘Solo Suite No.02,’ Summer’s Julie-O (Solo), Ginastera’s ‘Pampeana No.2′ and  Popper’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’  among others.

His performance was magnificent, and had the members of the audience, both young and old, totally captivated throughout the show.

From the feedback received, it was clear that there was much interest among not just the parents of the participants but also the people in the area, about Sunera’s work  with the differently abled.

Mawanella workshop participants receiving their savings deposits at a ceremony held on August 14.

For those of you who are classical music lovers, here is good news….

The young American cellist Joshua Roman will arrive in Sri Lanka to perform at a fundraiser concert in aid of Sunera Foundation on Monday September 26^th at the Lionel Wendt Colombo and Friday September 30^th  at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel in Kandy at 7.30 .pm. He will be accompanied by Eshantha Peiris on piano.

Having earned his Bachelor’s Degree in cello performance in 2004 from Cleveland Institute of Music and Masters in 2005, Joshua Roman, won the principal cellist job with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at the age of 22, thereby becoming the youngest principal player in that orchestra’s history. His most recent achievement was when he was named a 2011 TED Fellow- one of the most recognized fellowships in the world.

Tickets for the Colombo concert are available at the Lionel Wendt theatre while for the Kandy show, tickets can be obtained from Mahaweli Reach Hotel Kandy.

Workshops were also held in Kurunegala, Anuradhapura and Hatton. The programme consisted of training in theatre, arts and dance and was conducted by Prof. Artemis Preeshl from Loyola University in New Orleans.

Prof. Preeshl at the workshop in Colombo

Our trainers at the workshop in Colombo

Trying out the new methods with our participants at the workshop in Colombo