Batting for social justice through arts

As the Margazhi season continues unabated in Chennai, this fest will be aimed towards creating platforms for art and cultural expressions from the periphery.

“It is being envisioned as a three-day celebration of visual and performing arts. The carnival aims to attract and educate youth from across the city on the importance of arts towards striving for social justice and equality. There will be theatre, dance performances as well as a live act by The Casteless Collective,” said a member of the organising team.

Performers from all communities and from different parts of Tamil Nadu are expected to perform in the event. “Tribal groups, folk koothu performers and artistes from the likes of Tirunelveli, Namakkal, Salem and so on will be present. Rapper Sumeet Samos from JNU who talks about Dalit oppression, SC/ST students, etc will be performing as well as reggae artist Dr Sakthi who sings Bob Marley’s songs in Tamil,” said a team member. A photo exhibition as well as statues of prominent reformers, especially Dalit leaders, will be displayed too at the event that will be held at the St. Ebbas Girls Higher Secondary School from December 29 to 31.

Director Pa Ranjith, founder of the Neelam cultural centre said, “These three days are important because we are getting together to end the year culturally, remembering the year-long socio-cultural journey we have had, and in the hope that it marks a new beginning for the coming years.”

Tenma, co-founder of The Casteless Collective, said, “The last year has been a great learning for the entire team. We started off with gaana, and since then some of our team members have made it big within the Tamil film. This was part of the dream of forming the TCL, apart from being able to showcase gaana, a genre which has been confined to North Madras, when actually it is one of the people’s form.”