Theatre, dance, music, poetry, puppetry… There’s a lot in retailer at a crowd-funded dance and theatre pageant, which begins on March 10 at The Artwork Infinite, an area for artwork at Akkulam.
The three-day pageant, FOK!T, has been conceptualised by six impartial artistes — classical dancer and actor Devaki Rajendran, actor and musician Anoop Mohandas, classical dancer and trainer Sibi Sudarsan, and theatre practitioners Aravind T M, Prajith Okay Prasad and Laia Campama. 9 performances might be staged on the occasion along with music performances, stand-up comedy and slam poetry.

(From left) Anoop Mohandas, Aravind TM, Prajith Okay Prasad, Devaki Rajendran, Sibi Sudarsan and Laia Campama, the impartial artists behind the crowdfunded dance and theatre pageant in Thiruvananthapuram.
| Photograph Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“Getting a stage has at all times been a wrestle for impartial artistes. So we determined to create that platform ourselves,” says Devaki, who has acted in motion pictures reminiscent of Sleeplessly Yours, Malik and Saudi Vellakka. “If a change has to return, we thought now we have to do it and that’s how the pageant was conceptualised. It’s going to even be a possibility for like-minded artistes and performers to work together with one another.”
In accordance with Anoop, the primary drawback artistes face is the shortage of infrastructure to stage a efficiency. “It’s a wrestle to get an area to even rehearse, not to mention carry out. As for the prevailing venues, we will’t afford to pay the lease,” he says.
The artists level out that it’s the small teams and particular person artistes who discover it tough to showcase their works. “The identical artistes maintain getting invited to the identical occasion 12 months after 12 months. Even within the case of experimental productions, the desire is usually given to established names or troupes. Whereas younger expertise, particularly classical dancers, get alternatives to carry out in cities reminiscent of Bengaluru or Chennai, the scene shouldn’t be that encouraging in Kerala,” Devaki says.

Pappisorai
| Photograph Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRAGEMENT
The variety of theatre festivals have additionally come down with even a number of the prestigious ones carried out within the State are leaving the stage. The curtain appears to have fallen on a theatre pageant organised by the Division of Info and Public Relations, Authorities of Kerala, and one carried out by Abhinaya Theatre Analysis Centre, says Aravind, an alumnus of Moveo Bodily Theatre and Corporeal Mime Centre, Spain.

Preethi Bharadwaj in her experimental manufacturing Me and My Trash
| Photograph Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“Now we have struggled on quite a few events to discover a area to carry rehearsals. And if in any respect we stage a manufacturing, good high quality sound system, lighting and different points are arduous to return by,” he says. He’s presenting a manufacturing with Laia, a fellow pupil from Moveo. “We studied bodily theatre and on the finish of our course now we have to give you a manufacturing. We’re presenting that on the occasion,” says Laia.
On the stage
The performs to be staged on the pageant are Banerjee Babu, Udal, Pappisorai, Avishkaram, (A)Maya, and Pets of Anarchy.
Banerjee Babu is a light-hearted play in regards to the easy joys of life offered by House of Act, Kerala and Kissago Theatre, Hyderabad.
Udal, that includes Dileep Chilanka of Chilanka Theatre Lab, is about how persons are discriminated on the idea of assorted elements.
Pappisorai is a manufacturing of Cognizance Puppet Theatre, Athlete Kayikanadakavedhi and Minnadam. The play directed by Aliyar Ali brings collectively theatre, shadow puppetry and music by the story of a real-life couple, of Malu and Momo. Pappisorai is a utilization within the language of Irula tribe of Attappady.
Whereas Avishkaram is the Malayalam adaptation of Vaclav Havel’s Viewers created by am Theatre Collective, Pets of Anarchy, is an impartial adaptation of Frank Pavloff’s Brown Morning, directed by Sam George.
(A)Maya, a manufacturing by Aravind and Laia, is about two characters who’re on totally different journeys and their interactions.
Dance productions on the pageant are ‘Manasikara’ by Devika Sajeevan and ‘Otta’ by Thudippu Dance Basis.
Me and My Trash created by Chennai-based Preethi Bharadwaj connects artwork, trash and humanity as she brings collectively theatre, puppetry, poetry and story telling.
Prajith, who studied at Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore, observes that theatre is an area to forge friendships. “Six of us are collectively due to theatre. We wish FOK!T to be a platform for inventive minds to return collectively. Since we introduced in regards to the pageant on social media, there was an awesome response.”

Pets Of Anarchy
| Photograph Credit score:
Bivin Lal
The Artwork Infinite, the place the fete might be held, is run by Sibi, an alumnus of Kalakshetra, on his household property. He began it in 2018 in Vazhuthacaud as an area to carry collectively all types of artwork and constructed the brand new area at Akkulam final 12 months. “We maintain lessons, workshops and art-related occasions and it is usually used as a rehearsal area. After we determined to carry a fete, we realised that a number of artistes have been ready for such a stage. Some are able to carry out with none remuneration. There are sufficient performers to make it a week-long pageant. However we needed to take it forward slowly, and determined to have it for 3 days,” says Sibi.

A scene from Banerjee Babu
| Photograph Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Crowd-funding was an bold concept, all of them agree. “However there was great assist from all quarters, together with our households,” Anoop says. He provides that they wish to change the notion that theatre is just for the mental crowd. “We wish the younger crowd to return in and that’s why there are lifelike in addition to experimental works on the pageant,” he says.

Devika Sajeevan
| Photograph Credit score:
Bivin Lal
Tickets can be found on allevents.in. Price is ₹999 for the total pageant and ₹499 for day by day go. For particulars, contact [email protected]
Schedule
March 10: Banerjee Babu, Udal, Pappisorai; March 11: Avishkaram, (A)Maya, Manasikara; March 12: Me and My Trash, Otta, Petsof Anarchy. Performances start at 6pm on all days