Venkateswaran Sankar

Theatre

Thrissur, Kerala, INDIA

Artist in Residence at the Rote Fabrik from: Aufenthaltsdauer: 7.1.2011 - 31.3.2011

About the artist:

• 2009: Artist in Residence in Japan, invited by The Japan Foundation. Directed "Urubhangam" at Matsumoto Performing Arts Center, Nagano.
• 2008: Produced "Sahyande Makan- The Elephant Project" with an eminent Japanese actor Micari. (Funded by Arts Network Asia, Singapore)
• 2007: Produziert "Quick Death" (voll finanziert von der India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore).
• 2004-06: Studium am TTRP (Theatre Training and Research Programme) in Singapur (Abschluss in 2007) mit Vollstipendium.
• 2004: Dec. Meet Christian Fischer in the Netherlands and form Tim & Puma Mimi.
• 2000-04: Study Museology in the Netherlands.
• 2003: Workshop mit der KUNAUKA theatre company in Japan
• 2002: Abschluss der Calicut University School of Drama and Fine Arts mit Bestnoten.
• 2003: Performance "Saketam" (Regie: Abhilash Pillai) in Tokyo und Fukuoka, Japan.

AiR-Project:

Through the exploration of the complex relationships between the audible rhythms, visual patterns and the masked performances at the Basle carnival, I intend to conceptualize a performance piece incorporating contemporary mask work, drumming, and new media. I hope to spend the first three months of the residency with at least two different cliques, studying the preparatory practices of the Fasnacht, as in understanding the way in which the sujet or the theme of the year is depicted thought the decorations in the lanterns, costumes, masks and the rhythms.

During the second half of the residency, I hope to develop and conceptualize the frameworks of a performance piece that would incorporate the energies, themes and immediate social reflections seen at the Basle carnival. A workshopping of the idea is also intended in this period. This is in the hope that I will be able to develop a performance piece with these themes and ideas at a later stage.

Dance is a way to translate music into space. On an individual level, we dance to attain physical pleasure, for artistic enjoyment, to let off steam, to express or to attract attention. On a social level, people dance to accompany work, war, to cure illness, to drive away spirits or to honour ancestors and gods. By looking at these two aspects of dance in the context of the Basle carnival, I hope to resurface the relevance of the cultural signatures and their intentions that are embedded in the social lives.

Artist Website: theatreraw.hyperphp.com

                                            britishcouncil.org/india-arts.htm

                                            hindu.com/stories.htm

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