AN AIM FOR THE WIDER REACH OF TRADITIONAL ART FORM

A folk art troupe brings out our traditional culture in an artistic way.

“The centre creates a life for the people who have been discouraged and disrespected. We doesn’t work much when we were an alone artist. People like me struggled a lot for not having work and earning was quite difficult for us. But as a member of this troupe, we are working as well as studying with the help of educational sponsors. We have a good training and getting huge respect from everyone we see through this. This will encourage us to build up our talents” says Malini, a member of the troupe.

“Maatru oodaga maiyam” is a folk art troupe and is so called “Alternative Media Centre” involves in stage shows, folk songs that creates awareness and the behaviour change component, Folk dances like Karagattam, Oyilattam, Paraiyattam, Saataikuchi, Silaiattam, Gummi and Kaliyalattam, debates and theatre performance. In Tamil Nadu, Alternative media centre has branches in 32 districts with a number of talented people into it. In Chennai, it is situated in Chinmaya Nagar, Virugambakkam with 87 members. The Centre got started in 2005 by Kaleeswaran who worked as a regional manager for Population Services International (PSI) and currently a professor at Loyola College.

“There were totally 250 folk art organizations in Tamil Nadu. But 5 are doing well in present and my centre is one of them. I have started this media centre for the profit of the people who have been performing this traditional art form for years, to show their hidden talents and open the eyes of the public to know about our traditional culture even better” says Kaleeswaran, founder of the centre.

The group involves in Public Service Announcement (PSA) through arts for changing public attitudes and behaviours towards a social issue. The members have a separate house for staying and performing their arts. They have some sponsors for poor people in education fees.

“Theatre performance has four types which is an Art, Development, Political and for Protest. We do all kind of folk performance and even street play in need of social awareness. We even used to perform at marriage functions and festivals” Says Jayaseeli, coordinator of the centre.

The organization have a huge platform for underprivileged  people , and also they have a free education in folk tradition art for NGOs, poor people from Government school and college students, communist people and suppressed people. Government seeks to it in case of any awareness programme to be conducted. It involves in the need of behaviour changes towards Government and public on this.

Asking about the future plans, Kaleeswaran adds, “Our main aim is to showcase our talented volunteers in the field of Traditional art. There were many old successful people who have been in this centre for many years but still have not been exposed well. So, our future plans would be to make documentary films about them. We are letting people not to forget our arts and culture. This troupe involves not only for protecting our culture but also for saving the people’s art”.