Campus Talk: Gatha storytelling festival set to return to Mumbai this October; all details here

A collaboration betwixt Mumbai Storytellers Society (MSS) and SVU, this 2nd variation of Gaatha envisions proscription into a satellite of stories for its participants with this year’s taxable – ‘Mukhauta – Unmasking Narratives’, wherever each communicative volition uncover layers of contented and imaginativeness hidden within. Furthermore, by reviving this creation of story-telling, the SVU besides hopes to empower its young students with creation of keeping 1 engaged, arsenic it explores story-telling arsenic an creation of effectual communication.

Festival Chair, Amrita Somaiya said, “Whatever you whitethorn beryllium studying, each vocation requires 1 to person bully connection skills to marque an impact. Exploring the creation of story-telling volition supply conscionable the borderline to young participants. This year’s taxable of unmasking communicative means taking retired layers 1 by 1 and telling stories wrong the story, which really brings retired a much idiosyncratic attack to the exhaustive creation of story-telling.”

To complement the theme, the festival volition research assorted story-telling creation from the authorities of Kerala which involves masking successful the forms of people story-telling styles; specified arsenic face-painting successful Kathakali, oregon the geometrical presumption of communicative done Kolum Rangoli etc. Doodling workshops are held for schoolhouse children to animate their imaginativeness of masking.

Festival Director Usha Venkatraman, said, “India is simply a unsocial state that enjoys the diverseness of culture, traditions, determination histories, languages, lifestyles, nutrient and clothing. These variations person fixed emergence to accepted folklore and myths that person go fashionable implicit the ages successful their respective lands. Gaatha was conceptualised to observe this practice done storytelling successful varied forms and is committed to keeping the contented alive.”

With interactive activities specified arsenic ‘story-slam’, ‘tell your ain story’ and ‘Kathakshari’ – which is fundamentally Antakshari of stories; the festival hopes to bring retired an informal attack successful the festival wherever individuals get accidental for an impromptu story-telling, which could beryllium arsenic elemental arsenic a communicative from one’s life. “Additionally for the archetypal time, Gaatha is presenting Queer Kahaniya (stories). We person LGBTQ assemblage coming to the festival and highlighting their voices arsenic we request it successful our ecosystem,” said Venkatraman.

Some salient sessions during the festival include, the inaugural show by Dr. Santhushya Fernando from Sri Lanka, who is going to usage masks to archer a story. The finale of this inaugural showcase volition beryllium by the Urban Folk Project – Shilpa Mudbi and Adithya Kothakota, who are performing a communicative connected Renuka, parent of Parshuram, the sixth Avatar of Hindu deity Vishnu.

On the 2nd day, determination is simply a league named Unique Voices which is an planetary showcase, wherever Folke Tegetthoff, a palmy writer from Austria, volition beryllium performing. Whereas, Syed Sahil Agha volition beryllium performing Dastangoi, which is Urdu oral story-telling artform. On the 3rd day, an lawsuit titled Indian Kaleidoscope volition witnesser storytellers specified arsenic Indian writer Amish Tripathi and Actor Mita Vashisht.