[Reader-list] Dramatic Space : A Workshop in Delhi, September 20th - 23rd

[rohitrellan at aol.in]

The Arshinagar Project



presents
Dramatic Space - Theatre as Transformation
Worlds Within and Without

September 20th to 23rd, 2012





Theatre : What, Whose, Why?


There are as many different kinds of theatre as there are people. As Augusto Boal said, "We are all actors: Being a citizen is not living in society, it is changing it” . For some of us it's a profession, for some, a tool. For some, entertainment, for some others, a spiritual experience. For some, it is about mirth and having fun, games and icebreakers, while for others, it is about dedication, discipline, rigorous exercises of body and mind, and an absolute, monastic submission to craft. It is process, and it is product. It is an intellectual exercise, requiring written scripts, lights, sets, props, video projectors and more, and it is the dance of the Baul and the whirl of the Sufi, the deadly grace of the Kalari master, the drum-beat of the primal ritual, the excitement of the hunt, the detachment of Zen meditation, only breathing, only being, Buddhist chants resonating across high plateaus, Upanishadic hymns resounding in the forests, and the simple beauty of folk songs and dances - all this is theatre. It is the Way of the Warrior, and it is the Way of Love. Theatre is only beauty, only aesthetics, but by its very nature, theatre is an act of protest. Theatre is living in the world and transcending it. 


Theatre is thus a place of paradoxes - a place of meeting. It is a place of conflict, and hence a place of change, of transformation. It is a liminal space where the human consciousness looks at the universe within and the world without.


Workshop context: 


This workshop is meant as a safe space for people from different vocations to come together to collectively engage with their own selves, with others, and with their professions. While it is open to actors and dancers, it is not restricted to them alone. It is also open to musicians, painters, writers, to teachers, facilitators, activists, and to young people - essentially to anybody above the age of 18 with a reasonably fit body and mind. It is not meant to teach any specific methods or techniques of acting, movement or performance. Rather, through an intense engagement with body and spirit, and through a process of ensemble based creation, it is designed to take us to a free, natural, creative state of being where we break free from our inhibitions and engage deeply with our selves, in the process questioning our identities and our relationship with the world.  


Methodology:


The workshop is firmly rooted and grounded in the principles of equality, connectedness and harmony. Of being present, wholly and organically, at a given space, of listening and and watching with one's whole organism, to be focussed on the other person, to be open and responsive, to explore the body - social, political, gendered, sexual, ecological, performative, primal, ancestral, spiritual, communal. Exploring the Otherness of Self and thus confronting one's own fears, biases, prejudices, inhibitions. To be open, vulnerable and brave before the other human being, to approach the other human being as the source from which I flow as a living stream


Approach:


The workshop will be based on a principle of un-learning. While it draws upon traditions of spiritual and ritual performance, community theatre, music, art and more, there will be no attempt to teach a bag of tricks, or communication/presentation/presentation/leadership skills in a superficial sense. It is rather about removing layers of social conditioning which inhibit us and re-discovering a lost body, existing in a shared space where we go forward to 'meet' the other without fear or shame. We'll work with breath, movement, voice, song and silence, we will go on a walk through the corridors of history and fable, and we'll go on a journey within ourselves. 




Venue:



Gurgaon Valley School
P5 (Behind Oakwood Estate and near Sikanderpur Metro Station),
Akashneem Marg,
DLF City Phase 2,
Gurgaon 122002









Workshop Timings : 


20th  - Half Day
21st - Evening
22nd - Full Day
23rd - Full Day
(Exact timings will be intimated to those selected)


Fees:


The programmes cost is 2,500/-, which includes the cost of food and materials. Partial bursaries are available - we try our best to accommodate everyone irrespective of financial ability. We are also grateful for contributions greater than the stipulated amount from those who are able, as this can support the participation of others who need assistance. The Arshinagar Project is not funded in any way at this point of time and all our programmes are self-sustaining. If you are applying for a bursery, do mention it in your application)


Registration Details: 



If you are in Delhi-NCR, please mail your applications to Paromita Bardoloi on paromitabardoloi at gmail.com, otherwise please mail thearshinagarproject at gmail.com.  


Your application should include 

A brief, one page C.V., including your e-mail address and contact number. In case you are sponsored by your company/organization, please mention that also. 
A brief statement (less than 500 words) mentioning why you would like to join this workshop. 
Please mention whether you are unable to pay the full fees, stating clearly the reason you are asking for a waiver.
Please make "Application to Join Dramatic Space, September 2012" the subject of your mail. 



The deadline for sending in applications is September 5th. We will inform you if you've been selected by the 8th, and payment formalities need to be completed by the 11th.














__,_._,___