India: From East to West – from Theatre to Nature and Society

Challenges of doing theater in the Indian subcontinent

In this edition of Sweet Travels, we focus on theatre and art in India. What are the motivations and the challenges for people actively devoting themselves to the theatre? Can theatre in India provide professional basis? How important are theatre and art in social and everyday life?  Simone and Mischa met some members of a youth and children’s acting group called Creacting India. It is an NGO working in the fields of performing arts: acting, dancing, improvisation, and yoga. Based in Bodhgaya (Bihar), the goal of Creacting India is to help young people to develop their personality and to increase creativity and awareness. One of the main ideas is to create a space for cultural exchange between locals, artists, and travellers. Classes are offered to everyone – girls and boys, beginners and advanced level.

We watched the play „The Magic Mirror“ with performers of Creacting India, and afterwards we talked to Vinod Kumar and Abhishek Kumar (both teachers at schools in and around Bodhgaya), and to to German artist and yoga teacher Wolfgang Schramm, who initiated Creacting India.

Theatre is not a new phenomenon in India. Whether it is theatre, movies, music or dance, the South Asian subcontinent has been preserving theatre and art. Indian theatre has a very long tradition and is one of the most ancient forms of Asian theatre.

More information on Creacting India:
Creacting India
Creacting India on facebook
Movie based on the theatre piece: “The Magic Mirror“

In the second part of Sweet Travels, you will hear a conversation with Mahendra Dan aka Charles – a nature/tourist/trekking guide in Mount Abu (Rajasthan). In Mount Abu, our journey felt like a mix of pilgrimage and summer retreat. Mount Abu is amulti-religious area. The mountain is home to several Hindu temples, to one of the most famous Jain temples, and the faith community of Brahma Kumaris has its spiritual headquarters here.

Charles took us to the surrounding hills and mountains of Mount Abu. We had an interesting conversation about his passion for nature, and about Indian society and philosophies.

More info about the tours offered by Charles:
https://www.facebook.com/charles.guide/
http://mount-abu-treks.blogspot.com/

Playlist:
Alap Desai – Gāyatrī Mantra (Instrumental)
Suresh Wadkar – Gāyatrī Mantra
Anoushka Shankar – Traveller
Anoushka Shankar – Indian Summer