Course Brief

The course is an introduction to an unique Mahabharata festival of Tamil Nadu which provides its audience both an understanding of the world and themselves. The theatre form Koothu is central to this festival and learners would be given an immersive experience of the festival through watching the documentation of the performance of the Mahabharata in this festival celebration. We will begin with online sessions and will conclude with in-person field sessions in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

Learners interested in how culture is transmitted, people interested in learning about the many forms of performance of the Epic, theatre and design students, students interested in documenting and archiving of living traditions 

A student should apply to this course to get exposure to a whole new world experience in an accessible form which otherwise would be very difficult because of one’s own location 

Students will be given exposure to a methodology of practice which can be applied in different fields of research. By gaining insight as to the Mahabharata and Koothu construct the world students will be made to introspect as to how they construct the world themselves. This introspective understanding would be vital in whatever individual discipline of the student.

Keywords

Design, Mahabharata, Theatre, Koothu, Festival, documentation, living traditions, culture

Objective of the course

We are offering this course as it engages with a vibrant living tradition which would be inaccessible otherwise for most people outside of the cultural zone. The tradition offers a different kind of pedagogy which is interesting because it instructs not from a podium, but as equals on a one to one kind of dialogue 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course the students would have an understanding of the theatre form Koothu, will have an understanding of regional variants of the Mahabharata. Interested students will also gain insights as to how complex traditions can be documented and archived 

Students will be given exposure to a methodology of practice which can be applied in different fields of research. By gaining insight as to the Mahabharata and Koothu construct the world students will be made to introspect as to how they construct the world themselves. This introspective understanding would be vital in whatever individual discipline of the student.

What you bring?

• An awareness of the Mahabharata, not necessary in great detail would be fine

• We believe that the best learning happens when it overlaps with one’s own practice. Hence students will be constantly encouraged to bring their own practice and experiences to the learning process 

What will you make?

Students will get a detailed knowledge of how Koothu presents Mahabharata as an anti-war text in performance traditions. They will also get an immersive experience of participating in a festival which celebrates peace while actually narrating the story of a fratricidal war in which no one wins finally 

At the end of the course each student would be expected to write a monologue of one character from the Epic and to enact it as a solo act. Help will be provided to reach the desired result which will shot on video

Learning modes

The course will consist of eight days of online sessions where videos would be played. Students will be taken on a field trip to Kanchipuram to meet and interact with the actual practitioners of the craft.

Students will be encouraged to both engage individually and as a group as we believe the best learning which happens is from one’s own peers.

Course plan

Phase 1: Orientation – Learning from the Place and Learning with the Community by - 16th Nov (LLI)

Phase 2: Introduction to Koothu - Watch, Listen, Observe and discuss - 18th to 27th Nov (Sashi)

Phase 3: Distilling the Essence of the Tradition/ Mentoring the learners - 29th to 30th (Sashi and LLI)

Phase 4: Field Immersion – Going Beyond the Story - Dec 1st to Dec 5th (Sita Raman, Sashi, LLI)