In theatre, the language of movement, or choreography is a silent storyteller, communicating emotions, narratives, and histories. Through his presentation, he hopes to hypothesize the intricate relationship between the body and power, through unveiling the unconscious imprints inscribed within the choreographies across traditional theatre forms of Kutiyattam, Noh and Beijing Opera. He hopes to trace through the choreographies the expressions of the specific socio-political contexts and the power structures that surrounded the theatre form.

At its core, this exploration seeks to pose questions about the contemporary relevance of these understandings, inviting the listeners to appreciate and scrutinize the hidden values they hold. Furthermore, he will examine how traditional theatres conceptualise and address the primal objectives of theatre as an art form and how these objectives continue to hold relevance and influence his theatre practice. To exemplify, he will highlight the rationale of his upcoming project Hagoromo in 2025 as a case of harnessing traditional repertoire to inspire new creations.

He will also draw attention to the theatre space that he operates in Attappadi, hoping to offer insights into the unique dynamics of 'intercultural' spectatorship in this context. Moreover, he hopes to offer a critical perspective while approaching history, tradition and heritage, proposing that they are not mere relics to be revered but resources to be actively engaged within contemporary works.

Finally, he will explain how history and heritage have served as sources for creation in his recent works, My Name is Tamizh – Three Lives and Criminal Tribes Act. This will also outline an approach to generating text for contemporary theatre. 

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Asian Intercultural Conference 2023

UEN Charity/CPE No: 200818680E | CPE Registration Period: 13 Jul 2020 to 12 Jul 2024

Intercultural Theatre Institute Ltd is supported by the National Arts Council for the period from 1 Apr 2021 to 31 Mar 2024