Akkad Bakkad: India’s first slum children theatre fest in city

Nagpur: "I never thought my daughter would act like this, standing so confidently in front of everyone," said a tearful mother, Sarika Bhagat, from Sanjay Nagar in Pandharabodi Basti, her voice choked with pride. Around her, neighbours clapped and cheered as slum children performed a street play, turning the dusty lanes into a stage and lighting up hearts hardened by years of struggle.
Across Nagpur's slum pockets, scenes like this have been unfolding since April 27 as over 200 children, trained through Meraki Performing Arts Organisation, began staging their own street plays in their communities. It is a moment of rare celebration for bastis where daily life is often a battle against poverty, crime, and scarcity.
All this is building up to ‘Akkad Bakkad', the country's arguably first-ever Slum Children's Theatre Festival, to be held on May 1 at the NMC English School in Ram Nagar.
The rehearsals leading up to this festival have turned forgotten spaces into hubs of creativity — the IT Park's basement, the Pandharabodi Basti Garden provided by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), and an open ground near Danteshwari Basti have all been buzzing with life and laughter. Here, children have set aside their hardships and immersed themselves in theatre, storytelling, puppetry, and short films.
"These children are incredibly talented," said Rupesh Pawar of Meraki Theatre. "Their grasping power is amazing. Through theatre, we aim to instil life values, creativity, and confidence — keeping them away from crime and helping them dream bigger."
Pawar urged, "We invite all of Nagpur to witness this historic moment. It's the first time something like this is happening, not just in the city, but arguably anywhere in the country."
The festival is an extraordinary collective effort supported by NMC, Community for Liberal Arts and Performances (CLAP), Underprivileged's Advancement by Youth (UPAY), NWCYD, Vidarbha Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, and residents themselves.
Akkad Bakkad On May 1
Venue: NMC English Medium School, Ram Nagar
Time: 5.30pm onwards; Entry: Free for all
Events: ‘Bap Re Bap' by Danteshwari Basti children, ‘Kitabon Se Dosti' by Pandharabodi and Bajiprabhu Nagar kids, a delightful puppet show ‘Buddhiman Memna', storytelling sessions like ‘Mai To Billi Hun',
screenings of short films ‘Hum Chitra Banate Hain' and ‘The Girl in the Pink Frock', culminating in a powerful 20-minute play, ‘Hamari Jagah'