The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) is proud to announce the launch of its inaugural KNMA Theatre Festival, an exciting new initiative from its Performing Arts department. Taking place at the historic Sunder Nursery in New Delhi from 14 to 20 October 2024, this festival marks KNMA’s debut in the contemporary theatre scene.
KNMA Chairperson and Founder Kiran Nadar said, “The inaugural edition of the KNMA Theatre Festival is a pivotal moment in our journey to expand into the realm of contemporary performing arts. This festival not only showcases the richness of India’s diverse cultural narratives but also creates a vital platform for dialogue around pressing societal issues through theatre. As we move toward establishing dedicated performing arts spaces in our new museum, this festival represents our commitment to fostering a deeper connection between the arts and the community, enriching Delhi’s cultural landscape in the process.”
Curated by Bengaluru-based actor, director and filmmaker Kirtana Kumar, the inaugural edition of the festival will focus on the role of contemporary theatre in addressing current societal vulnerabilities, including class, religion, location, gender, and sexuality. The theme of the inaugural KNMA Theatre Festival is, ‘The Power of Vulnerability’.
The festival will open on 14 October with the performance of Beesu Kamsale, a ritualistic and acrobatic folk form in Kannada associated with the worship of Lord Malé Mahadeshwara, and practised by men of the Halu Kuruba community in the fields and forests around Chamarajanagar and Mandya, near Mysuru. It will be led by Sri M Lingaiah and presented by Karnataka Janapada Kamsale Kalavidara Sangha from Bengaluru.
A total of 13 plays will be staged over six days, in English, Hindi and other regional Indian languages and dialects.
The opening performance will be followed by a puppet theatre production, The Nights, that reimagines tales from One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights), in English and Hindi. Directed by Anurupa Roy, it will be presented by Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust.
The line-up of the festival is as follows:
October 14: Beesu Kamsale, The Nights
October 16: Beesu Kamsale, Love and Information
October 17: Portal Waiting, Talki Via Bengaluru
October 18: Project Darling
October 19: नज़र के सामने/ Before Your Eyes, Bhaagi Hui Ladkiyan, Enchanted Walk, Be-Loved: Theatre, Music, Queerness & Ishq!
October 20: wepushthesky, Notion(s): In Between You & Me, Enchanted Walk, Vali Vadha
In addition, the festival will include a workshop, a lecture demonstration, and a symposium, fostering discussions among performance theorists, students, and practitioners. This structure aims to create a dynamic space for collective reflection, with performances integrated into the symposium to extend their impact.
The symposium on the theme, ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ will navigate the phenomenon of post-pandemic contemporary Indian theatre through an open, interactive space for theatre viewing, conversation, Q&A and focus group discussion. Speakers include Dr Anuradha Kapur, former director, National School of Drama; Vivek Madan, Mumbai-based theatre actor, producer and founder-director of Bhasha Centre; Dr Abhilash Pillai, director, pedagogue and scholar of contemporary Indian theatre; Dr Amanda Culp, dramaturg and performance historian specializing on the theatrical after lives of Sanskrit drama; Dr Brahma Prakash, writer, cultural theorist and assistant professor of Theatre and Performance
Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Dr Christoph Scheurle, professor at the University of Applied Science and Arts in Dortmund (Germany); Markus Kubesch, theatre practitioner, researcher and a visiting lecturer at Mozarteum University, Salzburg; and Deepan Sivaraman, theatre director, scenographer, dramaturg and educator. A hands-on workshop by Dr Barbara Lutz and Dr Christoph Scheurle for theatre-makers and all students of performing arts will be held as part of the festival.
This vibrant celebration of contemporary theatre expands KNMA’s commitment to multidisciplinary artistic expression, building on the museum’s established programming around different genres of dance and music such as the Legacy Series, Centre Stage festival, and KNMA in the Park.
This festival is open to the public, and tickets are available for purchase online on insider.
Free entry for students upon pre-registration and presentation of a valid student ID.
