What is it?
Jana Karaliya is a mobile cultural organisation that uses a collapsible theatre and travels through districts with its theatre group. It provides the area with a cultural hub during its stay, using drama and Theatre, with other art forms for social harmony. It implements human development activities using drama and theatre at the grass root level as well as the higher level of the society.
Its mission is to develop a culturally and spiritually awakened society enabling it to live in peace and harmony and also make the Sri Lankan society a sensitive, creative, wise, active and a just one.
Read more: Welcome to Janakaraliya - Makkal Kalari - Theatre of the People
From its inception in the year 2004 Janakaraliya was travelling from district to district with its Mobile Theatre during the period of 6 months from 01st February to 31st July. The balance six months was spent on production of new dramas, training and skills development. Taking into consideration the schools holidays falling in January and August and the rain fall the Mobile Theatre is stored securely for 6 months. Also the drama group get their respite after 6 tedious months of work during this period.
From April 2012 this routine has changed temporarily. The reason for the change is that Janakaraliya is shouldering an assignment, a joint venture on behalf of GIZ/FLICT institutions and the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration on their project, Facilitating Local Initiatives on Conflict Transformation. Under this programme Janakaraliya is conducting a series of programmes in the districts of Galle, Puttalam, Ampara, Badulla and Mullaithivu aimed at imparting knowledge on the need to know each other’s language and pacifying conflicts through positive interactions among the masses living in these districts using theatre arts.
