Clik | Edition 37 | July 2024.
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We are delighted to open our cultural calendar for 2024-‘25 to connect with you through live events at physical spaces, via hybrid modes or virtually at the click of a button! We invite you to join us, whenever you are ready, or from wherever you are, on myriad creative journeys, where with valued partners in India and in Korea, we explore new pathways and experiences, the magic of live performances and exhibitions or engage with those newly imagined from creation to reception and distribution on digital platforms. In this edition, as we open our cultural calendar, through a combination of phygital presentations, we invite you to evocative journeys and sensory experiences that though moored in local culture, connect and resonate with audiences worldwide!

We hope, with this e-digest, to stay meaningfully connected with you, to discover and engage with the unique, local characteristics as well as the shared, global dimensions of the dynamic, ongoing intercultural dialogue between India and Korea.

A Tree and a Boy

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Presented by


in association with

A Tree and a Boy is a non-verbal puppet theatre production, filled with poetic imagery and delicate sounds that foreground a singularly Korean aesthetic. The lives of a tree and a boy are juxtaposed, from spring to winter and, to spring once again. This visually and aurally appealing story unfolds within the infinite cycle of nature and signals that birth, growth, decay, death and regeneration are all recurrent, natural occurrences that collectively convey the mystery and magic of existence.

Credits:
Director: LEE Mihee
Art Director: KIM Sookhee
Music Director: LEE Boram
Puppet & stage Designer: PARK Seongchan
Lighting Designer: JEON Youngjoon
Sound Operator: LEE Mihee

Puppeteers:
Little girl, Grandfather: LIM Eunhee
Little boy, Funeral Boy: PARK Minsun
Baby, Lady: PARK Yeon
Mother, Man: KOO Soohyun

InKo Centre, in association with local partners, has consistently presented high quality productions for children from 2010 to 2023 across a vibrant circuit in South India. Apart from a connect online during the pandemic, all our shows have been in physical spaces with productions that are sparsely verbal and wholly visual and aural treats!

We believe that children are the citizens of tomorrow and that early exposure to wholesome artistic expression creates an eco-system that helps foster creative ideas, communication and co-existence.

Our focus has been to present exceptional performances from Korea across a South India circuit with an aim to connect meaningfully with a large network of school children, their parents and teachers. All our productions aimed to focus on what was unique in Korean theatre, to examine how traditional technique and training continue to have contemporary relevance and to present messages that were universal and timeless.

While presenting interesting and innovative examples of Children's theatre productions from Korea, we look out for opportunities to research and develop new, vibrant Indo-Korean collaborative theatre productions for children.

Here’s a snapshot of what we have presented over the years, with support from valued partners in India:

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About theBEFU Company:

theBEFU, meaning 'The Best Friend’ in English or ‘Be kind’ in Korean, put people first and believes that happiness for all should be the goal and collective dream. The company was established as a nonprofit organization in May 1997 with an aim to specialise in culture and art education for children and young people. The company leads in the field of cultural welfare movements not only for children but also for a diverse cross-section of people, in order to enhance the cultural standard and aspirations of society to create a positive environment without discrimination. In 2011, the company was certified as a social enterprise and has expanded its remit to include all people who have difficulties in enjoying cultural and artistic initiatives. theBEFU Company believes that education with theatre can have a great and meaningful effect to transform this world and are keen to consistently project the genuine value of culture and art education.

We are delighted to present A Tree and a Boy by theBEFU Company in Chennai, Auroville and Bengaluru with support from the following partners:

The Little Theatre, Chennai.

The Little Festival is an annual Festival for children held in July in the city of Chennai in South India. It is organised by The Little Theatre which is a theatre dedicated to providing wholesome theatre to children and young adults. The company has been presenting a Christmas pantomime annually in December for approximately 29 years. The Little Festival is now into its thirteenth year and presents the company's own production as well as plays by international companies for children and family audiences. Over the years, we have presented Theatre Seoul’s ChoonHyang and Heungbu Nolbu, Taroo’s The Tiger with White Eyebrows, Puppet Fantasy Hooray by Manetsangsahwa, Yao Yao by Brush Theatre and The Dandelion's Story by Modl Theatre at the Little Theatre Festival, Chennai. The Story of the Lake by Company Young, Korea at the Little Theatre Festival, Chennai. His Day by ArtstageSan, South Korea at the Little Theatre Festival.
For further information, please visit : thelittletheatre.explara.com or contact 044 – 28211115.

The AHA! Festival, Bengaluru.

The Aha! International Theatre For Children Festival in Bengaluru is an annual Festival for children, held in July in the city of Bengaluru in South India. The Festival is organised by Ranga Shankara which has developed a large audience base and has been doing excellent work with schools and young audience networks to promote theatre holistically. Over the years, we have presented ChoonHyang; Heungbu Nolbu; Taroo’s The Tiger with White Eyebrows and Puppet Fantasy Hooray by Manetsangsahwa, Yao Yao by Brush Theatre and The Dandelion's Story by Modl Theatre at the Aha! International Theatre for Children Festival. The Story of the Lake by Company Young, Korea at the Aha! International Theatre for Children Festival. His Day by ArtstageSan, South Korea at the Aha! International Theatre for Children Festival.
For further information, please visit : www.rangashankara.org ; www.bookmyshow.com or contact080- 26592777.

The following is the schedule for the 3-city tour in India:

Chennai

Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 July, 2024.
11.00 a.m. at The Museum Theatre, Egmore, Chennai.

For donor passes, please log on to thelittletheatre.explara.com or contact 044 – 28211115.

Auroville

Friday 12 July, 2024.
11.00 a.m. & 7.30 p.m. at Cripa Auditorium, Auroville.

For further information, please write to: mint@auroville.org.in or contact +91 94899 04112.

Bengaluru

Sunday 14 July, 2024.
3.30 p.m. & 7.30 p.m. at Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru.

For tickets, please log on to www.rangashankara.org ; www.bookmyshow.com or contact 080- 26592777.

Suitable for children aged 4 years+ and for adults. Duration - 50 minutes (Non - Verbal)

For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org

Metamorphosis: crafting a green future.

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Presented by

We are delighted to open our season at The Gallery @ InKo Centre with an exhibition presented by Crafts Council of India. Titled Metamorphosis: crafting a green future, the exhibition celebrates the vital interconnection between craft and nature and the incredible stories that come to life through these indispensably interlinked vocabularies.

In the march through time, Man has built an entire civilization of creative expressions, with crafts representing a whole interwoven world of food, shelter, clothing, art, worship and product: utilitarian, ritual and decorative. The entire source material to shape this creativity was drawn by Indian artisans from Nature's abundance, its beauty of earth, stone, rivers, forests, plants, fruits, flowers and more. Ancient cultures such as India's, acknowledged this interaction and dependence between craft and nature, by showing their reverence for nature in all its aspects, best captured in Atharva Veda's shloka “May earth spread wide for us to thrive...”

In the millennia that has passed since, both nature and crafts have thrived, with craft complementing nature for its very creation, while nature has played its part by regenerating itself to produce raw material for craft creation. India today has perhaps the most thriving craft scenario in the world and is often referred to as the "treasure house of hand crafts”. Despite the onslaught of mechanization and chemical dyes worldwide in the last century and half, many of India's craft traditions follow green practices, such as the hand production of vegetable dyes and their use in the processing of textiles, toys, folk and many other crafts. Bamboo, grasses, stem, leaf, flower, and fiber extracted from various trees and plants are being used in many parts of India to craft beautiful mats, basketry, furniture products for indoor décor, bowls and textiles. These crafts are non-polluting to water and the environment, kind to the skin of the wearer while also making a case for renewable natural resources and sustainability. Based on their craft, stories and traditions of local myth, mythology, folk tales and songs, they carry a culture forward, apart from imparting an alternative education to the artisans. Most of all, they provide livelihoods to thousands of rural artisans and their helpers across the country, giving them both economic sustenance and a sense of pride in their hereditary vocation.

The Crafts Council of India’s exhibition at the Gallery @ InKo Centre, celebrates crafts which tell stories of the transformation of nature into works of art. Exquisite Masland grass mats from Midnapore in West Bengal woven from Madurkatti grass, Pattamadai mats from Tamil Nadu woven from finely split Korai grass growing on the banks of Thamiraparani river, plant based screwpine mats from Kerala, Palamyra leaf basket for every season and decorative objects all eliminate "separateness of the useful and beautiful”. The widely spreading lantana shrubs and water hyacinths choking river waters have been used by artisans to create crafts of great beauty. Each craft carries with it the fresh smell of grasses, flowers and forests, the immaculate craft skills of the artisan and the story in continuum, of the country's green craft history and heritage.

-Pushpa Chari

About the Craft Council of India:

The Vision
The Crafts Council of India strives toward an India in which its artisan communities are valued, respected and supported with an enabling environment that renews, enhances and extends their matchless heritage as a force for contemporary relevance and for national quality, integrity and self-worth.

The Mission
To help ensure sustainable livelihoods through crafts.
To help bring technology, design, marketing and entrepreneurship knowledge than can enhance the self-reliance of artisans within changing markets at home and overseas.
To promote research and documentation that can help conserve tradition and provide resource of knowledge as a foundation for future development.
To advocate the critical importance of artisans and their crafts to the nation’s social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing.
While clearly CCI seeks to encourage GenNext to prosper within the traditions of its forebearers by providing scholarships, the Council also works to provide the children of artisans with the same options of growth and opportunity which are, or should be, the right of all children. This includes training and education for crafts persons and their families.
For further information around. please visit- www.craftscouncilofindia.org
“CCI must always be ready to let others take the credit for its achievements and remain anonymous in favour of the artisan.
Those who work for the Council must remember that it is the artisan to whom we wish recognition to be directed.
Those who serve the Council must accept their role as facilitators not patrons of the artisans. Humility is therefore as important as sensitivity if CCI is to generate the national movement for which it is founded“

– Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

Thursday, 18 July 2024 at 6.00 p.m. at the Gallery @ InKo Centre.

On view until Sunday, 11 August 2024.
(except Sundays and published holidays).

For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.

AccessMusic

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Presented by

AccessMusic is a series that aims to provide talented emerging musicians with a space to share original scores and songwriting with those who relate to music as essential and energizing. The ambience is relaxed, intimate, so that the musical connect is immediate, meaningful and inclusive. Presented in collaboration with Unwind Centre, this series which is all about access to and through music, places creativity and musical prowess centre stage even while recognizing the power of the arts as a critical enabler, to foster inclusion and reflection to change hearts and minds.


TRISH-A

An Indian citizen, born in Dubai, raised in Africa & the United States and currently residing in India, TRISH-A represents the quintessential Gen-Z breed of singer/songwriters who are currently taking the international music world by storm with their unique, breakthrough styles of song writing, singing & creative expression.

Currently signed to Universal Music India for distribution, TRISH-A started singing at the age of 5, writing at 12 and now boasts of an impressive catalogue of music. Her songs are infused with emotion and her unique style of delivery touches the heart in a way that leaves a lasting imprint on her audience. She is also a very versatile singer with a range that spans over 4 octaves. Her strength lies mainly in Pop & Adult Contemporary music.

About our partners


Unwind Center, a renowned music institution in Chennai, has been nurturing young talent for over twenty years, offering comprehensive training in Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Violin, and Vocals. The Center not only serves as a music school but also provides a platform for aspiring musicians to showcase their work, connect with peers, and share their compositions. Exodus, Chennai's leading music and event management organization, partners with Unwind Center, combining their expertise in producing music festivals, managing radio music, providing club entertainment, and artist management, ensuring unforgettable experiences for music enthusiasts.

Saturday, 27 July 2024 at 7.00 p.m. at InKo Centre.

The AccessMusic series is presented by InKo Centre, in association with Unwind Center, on a bi-monthly basis.

For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.

Korean faculty at Attakkalari Diploma programme, Bengaluru.

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Presented in association with

We are delighted to support Korean contemporary dancer Sehee Hong as Visiting Faculty at the Attakalari Diploma programme at the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in Bengaluru. Sehee Hong is currently a professor of Dance at Ewha Women's University and a professor in the Department of Performing Arts at Anyang University in Korea. She worked at Dance Theatre CcadoO (2002-2011) and KS Contemporary Ballet (2007-2020) as a dancer and choreographer. She has been honored with several awards, including the Best New Dance Award and the Best Dance Performance Award. Her work focuses on researching the dancing body and creating movements based on somatic education.

Sehee Hong will teach Ballet and Contemporary for the Attakkalari Diploma programme from 27 July to 7 August 2024. On weekends, she will teach a community class intensive that is open to all, based on prior registration.

About Sehee Hong:


Sehee Hong

Sehee Hong is a professor of Dance at Ewha Women's University and a professor in the Department of Performing Arts at Anyang University in Korea. She worked at Dance Theatre CcadoO (2002-2011) and KS Contemporary Ballet (2007-2020) as a dancer and choreographer.

She received the 19th Dance Arts Award for Acting in 2011 and the 5th Female Culture Personality of the Year Award for New Female Culture Personality in Dance in 2012. Additionally, she works as an artistry teacher for various communities. She has been honored with the Best New Dance Award and the Best Dance Performance Award. Her work focuses on researching the dancing body and creating movements based on somatic education.

About Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts:

Established in 2001 in Bengaluru, Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts is India's premier contemporary dance and cultural institution. It spearheads a wide spectrum of activities including dance education, training, research, archiving, choreography, productions, performances, festivals, incubation of new works, international exchanges, collaborations, and advancements in stage technologies.

The unique education programme at Attakkalari is driven by the motto "Traditional Physical Wisdom, Innovation, and Technology" and draws inspiration from the somatic knowledge of Indian physical and performance traditions acquired through years of research and practise, along with the latest developments from the international dance and performing arts scene.

Attakkalari’s Diploma in Movement Arts and Pedagogy is a landmark comprehensive and complete professional dance education programme that combines the latest knowledge and skills from the international contemporary dance scene with expertise derived from India's rich physical and performance traditions. This is a full-time, intensive programme, and through a student-centred learning process it offers a comprehensive study of various dance forms, alongside modules covering theoretical foundations in pedagogy, history of dance, and arts and aesthetics. This holistic approach to developing a career in dance prioritises development of artistic skills alongside critical thinking.

Attakkalari Dance Company's international collaborations have resulted in several acclaimed multi-media dance productions that have toured some of the best festivals and venues across the world. Furthermore, its Incubation Centre for Arts & Media(ICAM) supports artists in producing fresh, innovative works. The most significant contemporary dance festival in South Asia, Attakkalari India Biennial, serves as a meeting place for live artistic practices and collaborations through its South Asia Platform, Open Studio Initiative, and Attakkalari Culture Port.

Attakkalari is currently working towards establishing a new Centre for Innovation in Performing Arts (CIPA) on 1.65 acres of scenic land allocated by the Bengaluru Development Authority.

Sessions at Attakkalari:

As Visiting Faculty, Sehee Hong will teach Ballet and Contemporary for the Attakkalari Diploma program, from July 27th to August 7th, 2024. On weekends, she will teach a community class intensive that is open to all, based on the prior registration.

Community Workshop Schedule:

Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 5.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 5.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Sunday, August 4, 2024 at 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Registration link for more information: https://forms.gle/5wJWyfg37YAdeteg6 /Email: education@attakkalari.org

For further information, please contact Attakkalari - ph: +91 89044 16003 or InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org