From the time of the Vedas to the present, nature and all of her elements have always been integral to our existence. Watching, witnessing, observing. And sometimes, taking matters into their own hands to balance the scales. They can be childish and playful, or angry and vengeful. They can be expressive, leaving nothing to our imagination, or they can be tacit, trusting us to figure out the true meaning behind their voice.

‘Bards of South’ showcases these polarities through traditional South Indian art forms such as Yakshagana, Kathakali, Choliattam, and Pandimelam, paying homage to Mother Nature in all her manifestations. Most of these art forms once were, or still are, on the verge of extinction. They come together in a never-before-seen ensemble to help us journey through serenity, anger, playfulness, and celebration.

Curated by: Mayuri Upadhya

Date: 19 December 2023

Time: 7 PM - 8 PM

Venue: The Arena at Nagalli Hills Ground

Team:

• Choreographer, Director: Sreelakshmy Govardhanan
• Technical Director and Dramaturg: Jose Koshy
• Music Director: Sunilkumar PK 
  
• Production Managers: Karthika Madhavi & Tushara Meleppattu (Aegis of Avanthika) 
• Art and Costume Designer: Swetha Pattathil (Engawa Collective)
• Kathakali Artistes: Adithyan ES, Vaisakh R, Mohandas V, Arunkumar VS, Praveen KP, Arun Raju, Midhun Murali (Kalamandalam Adithyan & Team)
• Yakshaganam Artistes: Shashikiran K, Sunil Bhaskara
• Yakshaganam Co-ordinator, Make-Up and Costume: Prithvirajesh Kumar SK
• Dancers: Aishwarya Ramakrishnan, Kavya Harish, Aiswarya Ramnadh, Mintu John, Sreedevi K, Karthika Madhavi, Souparnika Nambiar, Tushara Meleppattu, Chandana Anand, Anju Aravind, Remya Sarvada Das (Avanthika Collective)
• Actor and Visual Artist: Minon John
• Aerial Artistes: Ullas Mohan, Bhoomi JN
• Aerial Technicians: Sarath SS, Jithu RS
• Melam Artistes: Udayan KA, Sivadasan MV, Satheesan KA, Bharatharajan R, Hari PP, Vinayachandran K, Jayaprakash KP, Prasad UP, Unnikrishnan AR, Sajith VS (Musical Ensemble from Kerala led by Udayan Namboothiri)
• Kalaripayattu Artistes: Amal Babu, Jeevan Rajeev (Ayodhana Klakshethram- KKG Kalari)

Light Design: Gyandev Singh