Lucknow: The 32nd edition of Ullas Bal Parv, a unique festival dedicated exclusively to children’s theatre and creative expression, will be held on June 29 and 30 at the Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium in Kaisarbagh. The two-day event is being organized by Yayavar Rangmandal with support from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Announcing the programme, Yayavar Rangmandal Director Puneet Mittal said the festival has become one of the longest-running initiatives in the region devoted entirely to nurturing young talent through theatre, music and performance arts.
The opening evening on June 29 will feature a stage adaptation of “Gupi Gain Bagha Bain”, presented by students of K.K. Academy, Indira Nagar. Directed by Puneet Mittal, the production is based on the celebrated story by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and inspired by Satyajit Ray’s renowned adaptation. The Hindi theatrical adaptation has been prepared by Adya Ghoshal, while the concept has been developed by Lakshmi Kaul.
The second day of the festival, June 30, will begin with the dance-drama “Gopal Se Jagat Pal Tak”, performed by students of Puran Shiksha Kendra, Jankipuram. The production has been conceptualized and choreographed by Vanshika Sharma, with Vinay Kumar serving as assistant director.
The festival will conclude with the staging of “Ek Sapna” by participants from St. Peter’s Inter College, Gomti Nagar. The play is based on a script by Yogendra Joshi and directed by Ankit Srivastava, with theatre workshop mentor Mohammad Hafeez guiding the production. All performances will begin at 7 p.m.
Celebrating Three Decades of Children’s Theatre
For more than three decades, Ullas Bal Parv has played a significant role in fostering creativity, confidence and artistic development among children. According to Puneet Mittal, the festival is not merely a cultural event but a platform that helps shape young minds through meaningful engagement with the performing arts.
Unlike many workshops that combine participants of different age groups, Yayavar Rangmandal designs its programmes specifically around child psychology and age-appropriate learning methods. Training is conducted by experienced theatre professionals who tailor sessions to suit the developmental needs of children.
As part of the 32nd edition, three separate 40-day summer theatre workshops were organized at K.K. Academy, St. Peter’s Inter College and Puran Shiksha Kendra. A total of 130 children participated enthusiastically in the workshops, receiving training in acting, dance, music, dialogue delivery, physical expression, stagecraft and teamwork.
Organizers said the primary objective of the festival is to encourage self-confidence, creative thinking, leadership skills and social awareness among young participants. Over the past 32 years, the initiative has contributed significantly to the personality development of thousands of children while strengthening their connection with art, culture and collective creativity.
The upcoming festival promises two evenings of engaging performances that will showcase the imagination, discipline and artistic growth of the young performers who have undergone intensive training during the summer workshops.
