Using drama therapy with a mix of drama activities, movement, song, puppetry and mime, Sunera Foundation conducts weekly workshops around Sri Lanka for young persons with disabilities. Through these workshops, participants develop a sense of self confidence and belonging.
The cornerstone of our programme is the workshop space. The workshops are built on a sharing process and the workshop leaders are trained to facilitate creative progression. It is a learning process for both the trainer and the trainees. The workshop space provides a sanctuary where individuals are allowed to express themselves without ridicule or prejudice.
Simple communication exercises are used to help participants overcome inhibitions. This is followed by performance - based activities using dance, drama, and music which finally culminate in group performances. While a regular weekly class would comprise of approximately 30 participants, special workshops will have an attendance of as many as 40 to 50 participants.
Since the beginning of our workshops in 1999, the number of trainers and workshops have grown in response to the needs of persons living with disability.
Workshop timetable
| Workshop | Day | Time | Name of Trainer | Workshop Address | |
Workshop
Day
Time
Name of Trainer
Workshop Address
Samanalayaya (Field of Butterflies)
Every year, all our workshop participants are given the chance to stage their own performances to an audience within their regions in a drama festival called Samanalayaya.
This festival is a major part of our work as it gives all participants the chance to showcase their talents to a wider audience.
The performances are a colourful celebration of our differences and common humanity.
For the first time in the history of Samanalayaya, the best of the regional performances were brought to Colombo and performed over two days at the John De Silva Memorial Theatre. A panel of judges consisting of well respected film and theatre personalities awarded first, second and third place for the best production, best director, best male performer and best female performer, thereby recognizing the talent of our participants and motivating them to perform well.
Forum Theatre
Sunera has venutred into a new form of theatre, to Sri Lankan audiences.
Forum Theatre is an interactive form of theatre, pioneered by Brazilian, Boal, which encourages audience members to interact with the cast, and think of and suggest aulternative and constructive outcomes to the performances, thereby forcing them to think abou their prejudices, challenges they face and postive was in which to deal with them.
With Resource person, Shastri Mallawarrachi, Sunera has successfully completed 4 Forum Theatre performances in the Kurunegala District.
Workshop support
Bill Clinton gives his seal of approval to Sunera
Sunera is honoured to be featured as a committed partner of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). CGI is an organisation which entertains applications from organisations across the world who fit into their mandate of uplifitng lives in the fields of education, health and human rights. After a stringent screening process, accepted organisations are featured on the CGI website, which potential donors can visit and fund the projects that they wish to support.
Sunera is a CGI partner and is featured on their website.
Visit the CGI website here to learn more and support our work.
AUSAID
Thanks to funding from the Austrlian High Commission in Colombo, Sunera received funding to support and continue it’s Galewela workshop.
Our Executive Director, Chandrika Subasinghe and Celia Brennan, Officer of the Austrlian High Commission attended the inaugural ceremony.
Stage Craft Workshop
Sunera is excited that Theatre Director and playwright, Delon Weerasinghe has come on board to train 15 of Sunera’s senior most trainers in all aspects of putting together a performance including script writing, casting and stage management.
This is a three stage workshop, with each stage being 6 days long.