Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ideas for Fest 2010

This is where you come in . . .
Tell us what you would like us to feature for the Fest in 2010.

It will help us shape our plans which have begun to roll.

Here is what is on on board.

1. To create a performance space at another venue, not far from the 16 pillar mantap and host shows in the open air there.  Visitors said that they would like to have alternate events.
Having events indoors is not the best if we have space options.

2. To create Sound and Light Show No.2.  The focus will be on Mylapore but it could be thematic. What theme would you like us to handle? It should be engaging, have to be told thro' narration, sound effects, lights and small acts and be about 40.30 minutes! Tell us. . .

3. To produce 2 shows with children. One will be led by a therukoothu artiste, another by a theatre artiste. Both have expressed interest. What kind of themes would you like children to present? The productions will star a few seasoned artistes and the children will rock the rest!
But those who are selected with need to work hard on 4 weekends in August. Look out for audition dates! We may have 10/12 children in classes 6 to 9.

4. To produce a cinema based stage show. Film clips, narration, talk. What is your fav theme? N. S. Krishnan? Early films of K. Balachander? The song and dance era? Tell us now.

5. To produce a docu on Mylapore. Not a linear docu but with a perspective. What do you think it should highlight? The temples and religious traditions? The evolution of a seaside fishing village into a heritage zone? 

Ideas wanted, and welcome. Tell us if there is a person / family / institution that is celebrating a landmark and how we at the Fest can focus on that.

By the way, one event which has received much and positive feedback is the 'Discover Mylapore' one. Look out for the 2010 edition - it will rock you all. It will be tough, engaging, crazy and fun. Thanks Karnik and co. who walked most of the way and gave us some insight from this experience. . 

P. S. : A visitor asked - why don't we use the tank space?

Check out this blog now and then. It doesn't look like it will be frozen today and come alive only in January 2010.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was my first time at Mylapore Festival. The experience was truly larger than life. Both as a participant and as well as a spectator I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamics of the festival. Kudos to the team and special thanks to to Revathi!

sreelakshmi said...

Ideas for Fest 2010

My ideas are as follows in relation to your points: please read on…

1.
We should use Mylapore locality to the maximum, the schools open area. To an extent, the indoor events should be minimised, because the common people fear to tread in or use the facility.

Schools should open out and help us to achieve this as a common festival like any other one. We could also check out the community centres.


2.
The sound and light show was indeed a great idea and entertaining one. If it is to be for 4 days in sequence, it is better to split the activity like the therukoothu so that we will have continuity in the crowds. One more point is that if it is for 4 days , 4 different parties should be given opportunity and also to enjoy the different styles on one stage. This would also feel like giving equal opportunity to all sectors, it could be folk, or semi classical or anything but not traditional fully. Mylapore is a composite mixture of all types of communities.


3.
This is a very good idea, small stories from the epics of our country, which are not known to most of us, or a theme which is not the usual one. You could ask the children who have read or heard stories so that they could be unique. One theme could be selected which good impart good values or message to the audience. For the therukoothu all the old epics will be helpful, for the theatre the theme has to be selected to suit the age of the children. I think the festival is heading to a good start even before 2010 arrives.

4.
I think this is the best. We could take from the 1950’s N.S. Krishnan, next in line and now till Nagesh. The song and the dance era is already been done on stages, so it is better to avoid that. A simple scene in the olden films could be taken and reenacted to suit the present times.

5.
The docu should first highlight the evolution of the Mylai village, the architects if any, the temples- while on this, who built it and when did it come, when was the rituals streamlined, the story behind the main deity, if alwars had sung then who and what period, what is the significance of it, what are the festivals associated with the temples, who is the main deity and the other deity which are taken outside, The temples which protect the village etc., These should be told as to be understood by the layman . Then the fishing village, the river which had flown and now not there. The architecture which is there or which was there till the Britishers went out of the country.

In fact every year we could highlight one of the freedom fighters, poets or any of the old personalities to bring out their values.

This should clearly bring out your spots of heritage walk in a small manner.
The reason this is to be done, is to encourage the children to take interest and to preserve them.

One more idea is that we could ask the 70 or 80’s age group of citizens of Mylapore to give us some nostalgic incidents, experiences..etc., provided they are in good voice, this could be very interesting as a lot of stories, facts or info could come out.

,P. S. : A visitor asked - why don't we use the tank space?

We can use them, but can the tank stand the crowd and also the children if not guarded, might fall or do something. Will the temple authorities provide us the middle mantap in the tank so that wecould ask the people to sit on the steps and watch some very good program….

Simulation said...

How about organizing an on-line quiz cum treasure hunt (of course google-proof) dring this week-long programme?

This would enable maximum particpation and also kindle the Mylapore spirit.