The audience will be introduced to the very unique tradition of Kūṭiyāṭṭam, a theatre form from Kerala (Southern India), which was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2001. Its repertoire is an archive of myths from the great Indian epics and Sanskrit plays, and its major technique is the storytelling through the bodily representation of the emotions. Music is also a form of storytelling, which amplifies the different nuances of the aesthetic experience.
Kapila Venu has been trained in Kūṭiyāṭṭam by the legendary Guru Ammannūr Mādhava Cākyār. Her mastery is a rigorous combination of tradition and experimentation, which made her one of the most intense performers of the contemporary scene. She also featured in contemporary dance performances, including those of Min Tanaka and Akram Khan (Gigenis, 2024).
On the 19th, Kapila Venu will be accompanied by the percussionists Kalamandala Rajeev (mizhāvu), Kalamandalam Hariharan (mizhāvu), e Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan (iḍaykka). The performance-lecture will be introduced by Vito Di Bernardi and Carmela Mastrangelo from Sapienza Università di Roma. The event is organized, with the collaboration of the Italian Embassy Cultural Center in New Delhi, in the frame of the Sapienza project TEXT_ACT TEXTs living on stage. Goddesses, queens, and courtesans from Sanskrit theatre to the ACTresses of present-day Kūṭiyāṭṭam, within the Departments Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali (ISO) and Storia, Antropologia, Religioni, Arte e Spettacolo (SARAS).
On the 20th, the Istituto Interculturale di Studi Musicali Comparati (IISMC) of the Giorgio Cini Foundation will host Kapila Venu and her company for the full performance of Pārvatīviraham (“The separation of Pārvatī”).
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the emotions of the great Indian theatre!
Note- The Event is in Italy,
Time: 3.30pm CEST
Admission: Free