The 2005 Tsunami was responsible for the deaths of over a quarter of a million people. India is estimated to have lost close to 17,000 alone. Thousands were left homeless but perhaps the most under-reported story of this terrible tragedy was that of the thousands of children who were left orphans. Their stories never made the headlines and three years on from that terrible disaster their story is one that has been largely forgotten. But acclaimed Asian playwright Bettina Gracias, after a recent trip to India felt the need to do something and hit upon the wonderful idea of an innovative way to bring joy and happiness to these children's lives Gracias is currently involved in staging a fundraising concert in order to raise money to organize opera workshops to be held in Channi at the Karuna orphanage there. “When I first got the idea to do this I contacted Karuna who have 20 different orphanages throughout India, these have been mainly set up mainly with EC money. They suggested the one in Channi because the kids there have had some experience in the past of art projects and they felt that they would be the most receptive to my idea,.”

Bettina Gracias will be working with National Theatre director Igbal Khan who is currently directing that theatre's national tour of Rafta, Rafta. Khan has directed opera in the past including a production of Madame Butterfly at the Lyric Theatre. “We will also be working with a composer as well as a local opera singer who lives just outside Channi. And I hope to get the kids to write stories and than pick the best one and turn it into a mini opera which will be performed on the roof of the orphanage, a place where they have previously staged other productions.” The future of the project is even more ambitious since it not only involves the orphans at the Karuna orphanage “but further down the line we hope to bring them here to London and then to get them to work with selected kids here who are currently involved in the same sort of workshops and ultimately I hope a production can come out of it. But for now my main aim is to organize and raise funding for these workshops in India.” To this end Gracias is promoting her fundraising concert on the 26^th of October, at London's, Regent Hall where the jazz fusion group Ramajazz will be performing. “I thought they were such a great choice because they are such a multi-racial mix with members in the group coming from all over the world. My friend in Ramajazz is Yosi Marshall and he's Iraqi-Israeli, there is also Sirish Kumar the group's tabla player who is Asian and their saxophonist is from Yorkshire. It's just great because they are this wonderful, mad mix.”

Gracias herself, a recent attached playwright to Britain's prestigious National Theatre, is mixed race and as an Austrian-Asian writer living in Britain today her work has concentrated very much on our current racial climate. She examines through her work the issue of racial diversity in many of her plays and highlights our current situation has one which offers both great opportunities and great challenges. . But unlike many other writers, who are currently writing for British theatre Gracias does not glory in what is dysfunctional within our society but rather highlights our emotional connections, connections which ultimately may prove more important than our ethnic divisions. So in many ways this current project fits quite well within the peramenters of her previous work.

The project is also supported by the Karuna organization itself, a charity which was set up with EC money to help assist disadvantage children in India get an education, children who otherwise would not be able to receive one. “The orphanage in Channi is slightly unusual in that it has been setup mainly for orphans but the others in India are primarily for children who come from families who are simply too poor to be able to afford to send them to school. Karuna is great in that it gives these kids an chance to get an education and to perhaps present opportunities to them that their parents never had, I hope in many ways that this will be the same for the workshops with kids getting an opportunity to not only sing but to write, direct and develop skills they will need to stage a production. Skills which might be useful for them in the future. And I guess who knows maybe there will be one little one who has an amazing voice and who simply falls in love with the whole idea of opera” .

Gracias is currently engaged in a publicity campaign for the concert “One moment I'm so panicked that no one will come and then the next I'm panicked that so many people will come that we can't cope!! But then I remember to breathe and remain calm and simply tell myself it will be fine..”

The Ramajazz fund raising concert promises to be both entertaining and thought provoking as well as an event whose proceeds could help to give a chance to tomorrow's potential opera stars.