Over the years, Sunera Foundation has worked with many local and international organizations.
Through its special workshops, Sunera has hosted a range of creative individuals and groups from around the world, thereby facilitating the exchange of expertise and knowledge and the capacity building of our trainers.
Special workshops have been conducted in collaboration with:
- AMICI Dance Theatre Company, London
- West London College
- Access Arts, Brisbane
- Candoco Dance Company of Britain
- Japanese Integrated Dance Theatre Company “Sakura”
- UNICEF Sri Lanka
- National Institute of Education (NIE), Sri Lanka
- National Youth Services Council (NYSC), Sri Lanka
- Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka
- The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Awareness Raising and Education Workshops conducted with the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI)
- World Bank funded Awareness Raising Workshops were conducted in five districts throughout Sri Lanka.
- The Biennale of Theatre and Psychiatry, Padua, Italy
- Workshops for children with special needs at the Golda Meir Centre, Haifa, Israel
Hutchison Sponsored Awareness Raising Programme 2006-2007
Hutchison Telecommunications sponsored a series of awareness raising campaigns for the Sunera Foundation in five districts - Kurunegala, Badulla, Puttalam, Matara and Anuradhapura.
The primary aim of this campaign was to create awareness in society of the abilities and talents of persons living with disability.
World Bank Workshop 2004
Sunera Foundation hosted a series of workshops in five districts in Sri Lanka, funded by the World Bank, in 2004. These workshops raised awareness of the importance and need to integrate persons living with disability into society.
Family members of participants and the community were invited to participate in this workshop series.
Deutsche Bank Awareness Raising Workshops 2004
With a special focus on parents, media and government officials, Awareness Raising Workshops funded by the Deutsche Bank were held in 2004 with the view to building on the work done by Sunera Foundation.
Integrated Theatre Workshops in One Sri Lanka 2004
Funded by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, these five-day integrated workshops in the performing arts were conducted in Tangalle, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Badulla and Hatton by Sunera Foundation.
As a result of the workshops, five participants were selected from each workshop for a three-week residential workshop in Colombo where they rehearsed a play written by them, which was publicly performed in September 2004.
David Glass Ensemble: Lost Child Project 2003
Some of the Sunera Foundation trainers participated in a two-week training workshop in 2003. The workshop drew on various NGOs around Sri Lanka to put together an 80-strong group of children and adults, who were given the skills and knowledge to stage a successful community performance. The David Glass Ensemble helped to not only build the capacity, but also the confidence of the participants by giving them the tools to stage a community performance.
Two Year Leadership Training Programme 2001
Sponsored by the UK based Department for International Development (DFID), Sunera Foundation conducted a two year programme that focused on developing leadership potential that drew on expertise from both the UK and Austria.
Expression through the Arts 2000
Funded by UNICEF, this workshop run by Sunera Foundation gave children belonging to all communities, particularly those with disabilities from birth and the war, the opportunity to take part in creative art experiences. The workshops were specifically aimed to develop a sense of self worth, build a common understanding and sharing of experiences.
TOT on movement therapy
In January 2008, Zuleikha, a dance and movement therapist from the States, conducted a 2 day residential workshop for our trainers on the importance of dance and movement and the positive effects they have on one’s physical health. These were inputs that our trainers have since incorporated into their workshop activities.
Forum Theatre Project
Sunera has embarked on an exciting new activity - Forum Theatre, which entails performances where the audience suggest dialogues and outcomes for the performance. This means that our participants are receiving training on forum theatre techniques and improvisation, which significantly builds on their performance knowledge and repertoire.
The Forum Theatre Project, which was a FLICT funded initiative and entailed 4 performances in various locations in the Kurunegala District, with audiences totalling about 1000 people was a success, based on feed back we received from community players, audience members and trainers.
Below - a scene from the Forum Theatre performance entitled “Breaking the Walls of Illusion”
Street Theatre Project
Participants and trainers in the Plantations Sector are receiving training in Street Theatre. This will enable them to perform dramas containing perainant social and cultural issues to communities and individuals at the grass roots level.
Script Writing Project
Film maker and theatre personality, Delon Weerasinghe will be conducting a Script Writing and Stage Craft workshop for 12 of our trainers (consisting of PDO’s and Workshop leaders). This workshop will consist of three six day residential sessions which will take place from February 2009 to June 2009.
click here for more more news updates on this special workshop
