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Rejuvenation Of Folk Arts

by admin

Folk arts are as old as humanity. They cover the entire gamut of human activity from womb to tomb. Common people (folks) described their everyday chores through little songs (arts), giving birth to the term, folk arts.  The artists performing were promoted by villagers, who would often get them to perform at every conceivable opportunity. A symbiotic relation thus existed between the two, leading to development of the art form. It slowly evolved with time, matching societal norms and beliefs. Also it became a strong means of how the Indian culture got orally recorded and passed on to the next generations.

However with the passage of time, advent of “modern” education & dynamic entertainment (cinema & television), this art form was soon overshadowed. As a result, many folk art forms perished. Only a fraction of these are still alive, but still struggling. The artists often live in abject poverty and many have given up on the art as a means to living.

With these arts being an important link in our cultural history, it is thus important to revive as much as we can. People like Sri Nendunuri Gangadharam et al have strived immensely towards the preservation and promotion of folk art. We too intend to utilize our means towards that end.

Current Programme:

Dr.B.V.Parameswara Rao, Founder, BCT, felt that the revival of folk arts could help manifold. It would help preserve our culture, arrest the rapid downfall of values and anchor people to their history. He along with Dr.Pappu Venugopal (Secretary, Madras Music & Dance Academy, Chennai), Dr.Murali Babu (Dance Director, Vigyan School, Vizag), Dr.Anita Shanmughanathan (Director, Aeka Academy) met at BCT in February, 2010. Many aspects became clear in the discussions and it was noted,

  • That rejuvenation of folk arts is achievable
  • It can only happen if children are involved,
  • A School of Folk Arts must be established

CBR

As a first step, all 105 children in the BCT Model School High School were soon trained in six folk art forms, under the able guidance of Dr. Murali Babu. These forms included Kolatam, Burrakatha, Jamukulu, Chitikelu, Tappetagullu and Dappu dance. The training was conducted between 23rd April to 30th April at the BCT Farm Complex, Haripuram. Immediately after the training programme, the children performed in various villages.

A positive response in the villages, motivated us to take our journey a step further. The 24 hour non-stop program at Visakhapatnam was so performed as a means to bring rural art forms to city dwellers. We felt this would be just apt to increase awareness on the culture and traditions of the region. As the process takes on, the art forms and the morale of its performers will surely be rejuvenated, and these dying art forms will hopefully be promoted, protected and in the long run, preserved.

December 20, 2010   No Comments

Ghanta Demudu (Agriculture)

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Name: Ghanta Demudu
Age: 70
Village: Dimili

Demudu has been farming all his life. He does not consider himself educated, though he did learn to read and write a bit at a night school in the early days of BCT. He is an experienced farmer with many agricultural skills, yet he felt quite helpless and didn’t know what to do when a major drought hit the area, ruined his rice crop and threatened to destroy his livelihood. At this time BCT-KVK was making visits to farmers, assessing situations and making suggestions. Demudu had never heard of the organization before, but happily took their advice to grow finger millet and planted the seeds they gave him. That year, his was the only green crop in the entire area. He harvested 500 kilograms of the millet, which was of excellent quality. The whole village came to see his crop and many purchased seeds for themselves, and they to had good yields.

Demudu was grateful to the organization for showing him a way to overcome the drought period. He wanted to thank them and show them the excellent results, but realized he had forgotten the name of the organization. He spent days searching and asking around and finally found his way back to KVK to give his thanks. Since that time he has continued to follow KVK’s advice and is always eager to try new seeds and new methods. He has even been selected as the best farmer in the area and was presented with an award by KVK. He attributes his success in farming to his attitude, and his willingness to adapt and try new things. His son has visited the KVK farm and research center, and now attends KVK meetings regularly.

This year Demudu feels fortunate to once again have a good rice crop. He will earn 460 rupees for every 100 kilograms of rice. With this income he wants to clear the debts he has with banks and private moneylenders. He is concerned about the bad situation still faced by many of the farmers as they deal with the devastation caused the drought and hopes for another good harvest next year in order to fully recover.

November 19, 2010   No Comments

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