Thrissur: The moment their performance of Irula Nritham, the traditional tribal dance, ended, the students of Chattanchaal Higher Secondary School in Kasaragod swarmed around their mentor, Sajeesh Chandran, their faces alight with joy and gratitude. Not far behind, teams from Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Kottayam followed suit, calling out `Mashe' (master).

This year, eight teams from six districts participating in the Irula Nritham competition at the State School Kalolsavam were trained and mentored by the Attappadi Community Theatre, of which C Sajeesh Chandran is a member.

The Attappadi Community Theatre is a youth initiative under the Special Tribal Kudumbashree Project. Alongside Sajeesh, theatre director Sudheesh Maruthalam and around fifteen members,including K Abhijith, Aneesh Plamaram, Gajendran, Ajay, Arun and Aravind played an active role in the training sessions.

The Community Theatre also provided students with traditional costumes, jewellery, and musical instruments for their performances.