January 15 - 20
Tree of Life Festival
15th January - 7 pm Opening night
at The Park, Chennai.
16th, 7 pm - Puppet show from Australia at The Museum Theatre, Egmore. 17,18,19 - Story telling sessions in schools and NGOs by Rangashree, Sonali Punjabi, Scharada Bail 17,18,19 - Spinning sessions for
schools by V.R Devika
18th, 7 pm - Puppet show from Spain at The Museum Theatre, Egmore. 19th, 7 pm - Puppet show from Turkey at The Museum Theatre, Egmore. 16 - 20th "Night Life of Trees" an exhibition in association with Tara publishing at Apparao galleries. 16 - 19th "Sacred Trees" Giant tree pictures by Deidi von schaewen at The Park, Chennai and at Nageswara Rao park in association with Max Mueller Bhavan and Alliance Francaise. 20th, 8 am - 9.30 am "Tree Walk" in association with Nizhal at The Theosophical society.. 20th, 4 pm Sand sculpture competition, Elliots' beach, Besant Nagar in association with Adyar Times.
The Tree of Life Festival – Chennai, January 2007 The Tree Of Life Festival, presented by Prakriti Foundation for the second successive year, was celebrated across different venues in Chennai from the 16 th to 20th January, 2007. Designed around the theme, 'Nature. Chennai. Us', the Tree of Life Festival aims to bring a greater awareness of trees and the environment that nurtures and sustains us, to schoolchildren and the larger community. This year, as in 2006, the Festival combined storytelling sessions and spinning workshops in schools, with performances by international puppetry groups, a nature walk and sand castle building competition, and art in the form of a gallery exhibition as well as installations of giant photographs of sacred trees in Nageswara Rao park and at The Park. "Sacred Trees" Giant tree pictures by international photographer and artist Deidi Von Schaewen at Nageswara Rao Park in association with Max Mueller Bhavan and Alliance Francaise. It drew quite a few curious onlookers. Deidi Von Schaewen is a renowned international photographer and film maker on travel, design and interiors. She is responsible for photography in many books such as Inside Africa, Taschen, Cologne 2004, Interiors India, Taschen, Cologne 2001, Obsessions/Collectors, Mitchell Beazly, London, South Africa Style, Taschen 2006. She lives in France and travels for her work all over the world. International Puppetry festival in association with Ishara International Puppet festival and Teamworkfilms, New Delhi. at The Museum Theatre, Egmore was on on 16 th, 18th and 19th January.. 16th January, 7 pm, Museum Theatre - Puppet show from Australia, by Group-Barking Spider Visual Theatre Inc. 'HATCH' Written and directed by Penelope Bartlau, performed by Penelope Bartlau and Jacob Boehme with original music by Leah Scholes. "Hatch" is the tale of a puppet character called "Little Legs". He journeys through a series of different worlds meeting a Challenge in each. Little Legs reaches his final destination, re-discovering lost joy and restoring his sense of faith. Little Legs' journey is reflected by the journey of the two human characters on stage, who themselves go through a parallel process of discovery. "Hatch" is puppet and movement based visual theatre with musical accompaniment. Without dialogue, "Hatch" was enjoyed by an all-ages audience On 17,18,19th, Story telling sessions with tree and us as the theme were held in some private, government and panchayat board schools and NGOs by Rangashree, Sonali Punjabi and Scharada Bail. Rangashree is a storyteller who has worked with children, and been associated with Tulika Books. Her storytelling sessions at the Good Books store have won their own following. Sonali Punjabi is a parent committed to presenting quality narrative to children that nourishes their enquiring minds while it gives them scope for sheer delight. Scharada Bail is a writer whose stories and books for children have won awards and been in publication since 1990. 17,18,19 - Spinning sessions for schools by V.R Devika V.R. Devika is a well-known dance critic, cultural activist and scholar, deeply engaged with Gandhian philosophy and methods. Her spinning workshops with children and adults communicate the simplicity and sustainability of a Gandhian view of the world, including Mahatma Gandhi's concern for nature, toilet cleaning and economics of hand looms. 17.1.07, 7 p.m, Apparao Galleries, "Night Life of Trees" an exhibition in association with Tara Publishing. The exhibition featured original art by Ram Singh Urveti, Bhajju Shyam and Durga Bai, three of the finest living artists of the Gond tradition. It was a tribute to the majesty of trees, and to older ways of relating to the natural world, recreating the familiarity and awe with which the Gond people view the cosmos. Intricately painted visions of trees fill the canvases of this exhibition of art and folklore from the Gond tribe in central India. In Gond belief, trees stand in the middle of life, and the spirit of many things lie in them. They are busy all day, giving shade, support, shelter and food to all. Only when night falls can they find rest for themselves, and then, under the quiet dark skies, the spirits that live in them are revealed. Each painting is accompanied by text - narrated by the artists themselves – describing a legend, myth or folktale associated with each individual tree. Thursday, 18.1.2007 18th January, 7 pm, Museum Theatre - Puppet show from Spanish Group Titiriteros de Binefar - La fábula de la raposa - THE FABLE OF THE FOX Director -PACO PARICIO CASADO
This was a performance without a text. Delighted children applauded through the show at several points and lingered on to look at the puppets. 19th January - 7 pm, Museum Theatre - puppet show from Turkey Group Ttiyatro Tempo Karagoz – The Witches and Indian Faker Director Haluck Yuce This was a show in three parts: 1-A Classical traditional Turkish
Shadow puppet play "The Witches"
Hacivat, one of the two main characters, continually attempts to outwit Karagoz. He tries to convince Karagoz that it is time to change his name to, "broomhandle". Zenne, daughter of Witch Nakkare and Celebi, son of Witch Meymene are engaged to be married. The young lovers experience jealousy and Zenne asks her mother through a spell to turn Celebi into a monster. Celebi turns back into his human state and asks his mother to punish Zenne. Eventually, the lovers forgive each other and resolve their differences. Karagoz and Hacivat who have witnessed the transformations of Zenne and Celebi discuss the incredible event. "Out of the blue" comes one of the witches, angered at the way Karagoz teased Zenne during her transformation as a monster. She turns Karagoz into an animal ! Finally, with great joy, a belly dancer is called in to entertain everyone. There was plenty of interaction with the audience with juggling, song and self made instrument played. 20th January, 8 am - 9.30 am "Tree Walk" in association with Nizhal at The Theosophical Society. Nizhal is a group of like-minded people who love trees. They conduct regular tree walks and work as a lobbying group against cutting of trees. Arun took us around telling us about the different trees, their origins, their nature in a relaxed manner which was a sheer delight. 20th January 4 pm - Sand Castle competition, Elliots' Beach, Besant Nagar in association with Adyar Times. Young kids with their mothers came to work on the sand castles. A big group of boys and girls from Karunakria, an NGO in Thiruvanmiyur working with out of school kids and after school care took part enthusiastically. Rs. 1000/- was won by the three boys group of Vetrivel, Vijayakumar and Purushothaman group no 5 which did a sculpture called "Don't cut Trees". Judges were actor Ms.Kalairani and Exnora friends of the beach head Mr.Satyanarayana. |
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