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| Thursday, 27 January 2005 |
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Butterflies in action: Establishing harmonious relationship among communities by Ranga Chandrarathne
The targeted audience of the workshop was professionals, parents and journalists. "We must have an emotional integration of the people of this country so that we could be welded into one strong national unit with all its wonderful diversity. The psychological effect of the feeling of oneness is essential as it postulates a sense of identification with the spirit of the nation. We believe in the appreciation and appreciation of the common heritage of our different linguistic regions would help in fostering the much needed sense of oneness.
This workshop was unique in the sense that it has not only inculcated and enhanced the artistic talents of the participants who are differently-abled but also gave a sense of pride that they could also interact with the so-called abled in a creative way. The cast formed into tiny circles consisting about eight to ten members. Director of the performance Rohana Deva gave some topics for them to work out. Some of the topics were from the audience. Each group chose a topic and retired to a corner. Then they began to speak among themselves. It was a wonderful amalgamation of persons who tried and communicated with one another in various languages including the sign language. For some time the silent discussion went on and thereafter each group came to the heap of paper strips which they made from old newspapers and took some paper strips from the heap. What we had to witness was the re-creation of the topics that they had chosen out of these paper strips. They draw pictures and images from tiny pieces of paper that were put in a way to form an image, perhaps in dubious form. The audience was then called upon to recognize and name the images.
The next stage of the workshop was the dramatization of the drawings in little episodes which lasted for about fifteen minutes each. At the end of the each scenes, the audience was once again called to identify the topics of each scene. These scenes were derived from the multifaceted experiences and the situations the cast experienced during the decades of war and civil strife on divided lines; soldiers from the battle front and the civilians sandwiched between the rebels and army. Their experiences were so different that led to the formation of collective conscience which is not always the reality. Those were the horrendous experiences that formed their perception of world and about the other ethnic groups on the other side of the divide. The issue of National Integration should claim the first attention of our Governments and people. Enlightened modern scientific education backed by substantial economic uplift of the citizens should be given. The spirit of religions should be brought home to people. All media publicity should be pressed into service for inculcating a national outlook among the people. The significant result of the work was that it enabled the cast to have a fresh insight into their own miserable past and to form a better worldview. The difference lies in how the citizens approach and tackle their problems. An earnest effort with a strong determination is all that is required to tide over these hurdles. Tchaikovsky: the most celebrated Russian by Gwen Herat
No one has put Russia on the international scene like Tchaikovsky. A country blessed with a host of composers, dancers, writers, politicians, scientists, etc. have greatly inspired and contributed to what it is today. A nation rich in her classical arts as powerful as she is (also produced a Miss World lately) it was Tchaikovsky who put Russia in the world map as a total nation. Tchaikovsky often declared his 'passionate worship' of Mozart based on his playing an instrument called orchestrion which was a device that produced sounds of an orchestra at play. He started playing the piano when he was barely five years old making all efforts to clasp full octaves between his small fingers, an impossible thing for small hands. Tchaikovsky's career was brilliant from the word go. It was so spectacular that people who had no knowledge of classical music, knowingly or unknowingly had one or two of his incomparable scores firmly lodged in their minds. His music reached such glittering heights, a passionate nation reached out to the rest of the world, proud and honoured to be called Russians. As they watched him play, they realised that it was not just the scores that captivated Russia but the way he put them across. Leonard Birnstein overwhelmed by this virtuoso, said, "Tchaikvosky is one of the most inspired melodists on earth."
The time spent during his infant years listening to mechanical orchestration would have motivated his maturity to apply the rich orchestral palette to such stirring and haunting efforts. The turbulent and dramatic life he led must have added the excitement and drama to his music. There were the natural and spontaneous lyricism in his scores if one were to listen to the passionate climaxes in his Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet. He wrote passionately when at the end of his emotional tether and on the brink of suicide. Patehetique or the Sixth Symphony was an insight to his soul or for a matter of argument, he proved to be the greatest of all composers. In comparison to Beethoven who wrote his scores on a clear line of development, Tchaikovsky did not nor did he have to. Each note he scripted for scoring was with full volume that rippled in melody. He found it difficult at times to compose symphonies because musical ideas arrived in his mind as fully blossomed flowers because the development of themes are based on structure and form. His symphonies were like poems. They had character, rhythm, melody and unspoken words swirling upon the strings. The creative genius and prodigious energy with which he wrote, sometimes stunned him. Anyone coming fresh to Tchaikovsky's music will be on the brink of a rare experience of a lifetime and perhaps will also be rattled initially at the bounce it offers. The joy, pain, beauty and tragedy are the hallmarks written between the lines and those who are able to read them will no doubt, immortalise him. When Tchaikovsky wrote Swan Lake, he least expected it to be a classic danced down the centuries by all the famous ballerinas and held in the repertories of all dance companies. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) born in Votnisk and died at St. Petersburg after an astonishing career unparallel to any other composer. He was Russia's golden son, who was to propel the fine art of scoring leaving nothing for others to complete. However, Tchaikovsky collapsed at the age of fourteen when his mother died of cholera, the same disease he was to die from though many believe that he committed suicide after being confronted by his peers over his homosexual relationship. Tchaikovsky married Antonina Miluklova in 1877. Possibly this marriage was a way of escaping his homosexual leanings but their relationship collapsed within weeks. However, he maintained a spiritual and loving relationship with Madam von Mack, his pen friend of many years who later became his patron. His reputation was well established in Russia in 1880. With the scoring of the sensational Serenade For Strings and the triumphant debut of the First Piano Concerto in New York brought him instant success. His fame spread across the continent and Tchaikovsky became the composer of the moment. He was invited to perform on all musical platforms and concerts. But with his phenomenal rise, this virtuoso became all the more lonely with frustration overtaking him and when death came by, critic Rodney Milnes wrote 'Beyond the eternal that the death of a man, whether by his own hand or not, only past the right side of fifty and at the height of his powers, was a cruel and tragic waste.' But the spirit of Tchaikovsky, the Master who triumphed over virtuosity, abides in our hearts with the same fervour. For us, he never died. Broadening horizons - The 2005 awards for Young Commonwealth Artists The Commonwealth Foundation has announced its 2005 Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Awards for young artists and crafts people.
The awards are open to artists and crafts people under 35 who show promise and initiative but who have had little opportunity to work in another country. From bookbinding to basketry, from calligraphy to ceramics, as well as the more usual media of painting, sculpture and printmaking, the awards cross all visual artforms and over the years have touched upon - in many different ways - the artistic life of most Commonwealth countries. These awards promote international understanding through collaboration and exchange, and demonstrate what the Commonwealth is all about - diversity, sharing and building bridges. From the Nigerian batik artist who had a batik enterprise named after her to the Guyanese sculptor whose work enhanced the New Zealand art college where he spent his time, many individuals have not only reaped rich rewards themselves but have contributed knowledge, skills and different cultural experiences to their hosts. "The Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Awards is an important initiative not just for the individual artist but for the wider community of artists around the commonwealth. The awards give many artists opportunities, not otherwise available, to expand their horizons and share their skills with other artists from the Commonwealth. The exchange of practice and ideas between artists of different cultural backgrounds creates a stimulus and interest in artmaking amongst a wide audience in countries to which the award winners travel and work, " writes Robert Loder, CBE, Trustee, Triangle Arts Trust, and Judge, Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Awards. A view reinforced by 1998 winner, Raphael Vella, from Malta: "If anyone harbours any doubts about the value of cultural exchanges, this award should set these peoples' minds at rest. It provides a rewarding experience for the winner as well as the individuals, the winner comes across in the host country (and fulfils one of the) essential goals of the Arts and Crafts Awards: to change individuals and help those individuals change other individuals." Some 85 artists from 30 countries have received a Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Award. Established in 1987 to address the isolation in which many artists in the Commonwealth work and the lack of opportunities they have to travel outside their own country, the awards have reached out to talented artists and crafts people and given them opportunities to share, explore, and pursue their artistic dreams. Deadline for completed applications: March 31, 2005. For more information please contact: The Project Manager, The Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Awards, The Commonwealth Foundation, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5HY, United Kingdom; Tel +44 20 930 3783 Fax +44 20 7839 8157; Email: [email protected] ; Website: www.commonwealthfoundation.com The application form can be downloaded from the website while photographs of previous award winners are available from the Commonwealth Foundation. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Sunera Foundation which has been in the forefront of using performing
arts to propagate the message of peace and ethnic harmony through its
dramatis personae from diverse cultural, linguistic background differently
abled, had held its latest workshop at the Foundation Institute Colombo
recently.
As every community has a vested interest in social and economic
development, every community has to play a positive part in national
integration", said Sunethra Bandaranaike at the inauguration of the
workshop.
The drawings in pieces of papers were identified and named as key,
Crane, kite, snake and the wonderful fish by the volunteers from the
audience.
Every two years, ten winners of the Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Awards
are given a grant of Sterling Pounds 3,000 - Sterling Pounds 6,000 to
travel and study in another Commonwealth country.
