January 15 - 20
Tree of Life Festival
Nature, Chennai, us.
15th January - 7 pm Opening night at The Park, Chennai.
International Puppetry festival in association with Ishara Puppets
and Teamworkfilms, New Delhi at The Museum Theatre, Egmore.
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
International Puppetry festival in association with Ishara Puppets
and Teamworkfilms, New Delhi. at The Museum Theatre, Egmore.
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.
www.treeoflifefestival.com
Report
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
A show with marionettes and scenery made from natural materials; where
the real heroes were the animals who go through different adventures, around
the circle of life and Nature, changes of seasons, the importance of water,
their fight for survival and the place of Man inside his environment adapted
from a collection of old and well known fables an inspiring show for the
whole family
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"
2-A musical performance with "scarf marionettes and juggling"
3-A string puppet act "The Indian Fakir"
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.