An
evening for making space to learn and enjoy Indian
dance and story telling with Bisakha Sarker and
music with Chris Davies was held at Liverpool
Well Being Centre on Friday 23rd October
a different tune or
the same old song? national
seminar
was held on
Monday 15 June
at The Box,
FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology),
Liverpool
The seminar was a partnership with Fact and considered
how children’s work and festivals are applying
new technology and addressing cultural diversity
nationally.
Chaturangan
Chaturangan
is a development initiative for South Asian Dance in
the North West.
Chaturangan
initiates and supports the development of South Asian
dance – from the popular to the spiritual –
to make an impact on the social and cultural fabric
of the North West of England.
Me-time
is a community dance project for mothers of children
with disability who attend the Everton Children &
Family Centre.
The
plan was to offer the group the possibility of new activities.
They would learn Indian dance movements, and then give
a presentation to their children in the nursery. The
group responded enthusiastically to the idea of learning
a new style of dance, but was reluctant to perform.
They became interested in the whole cultural background
of the dance. Every community dance project has to be
sensitive to the needs of the participants.
Alongside
their regular dance sessions we introduced other activities
such as dressing up in Indian clothes, jewellery making
and creating fun objects for the children from fruit
and vegetables. The process then gathered its own momentum,
and the group accepted an invitation to visit Fact,
a centre for digital arts, for a photoshoot by a professional
photographer. Here they also attended a children's performance
of 'In search of
a different tune'. This visit inspired them to perform
for their children, a prospect that they had initally
declined.
"A
Different Tune" imaginatively and innovatively
relates through a dance, drama and music fusion the
story of a group of animal friends, of their falling
out, making up up and gaining self-esteem. The story
comes alive through dance from across the world and
live music within a mesmerizing surrounding.
A project funded by Liverpool Culture Company
in conjunction with Liverpool Primary Care
Trust. Chaturangan has provided a creative
approach responding to the differing needs
of people in ‘waiting’ settings.
We worked with artists experienced in working
sensitively with people in different situations.
The first phase of the project comprised six
sessions in different in six different situations
(for example a hospital ward, a clinic, a
hospice and a patient support group) and the
making of a film "Precious" by Gina
Czarnecki suitable for showing in waiting
rooms. The second phase will focus on the
mental health area, and the development of
an interactive installation of the film "Precious".
The film was shown by the Liverpool Culture
Company at the UK Public Health Conference
at the Echo Arena in Liverpool in April 2008.
The full Waiting project was delivered by
Fact, Comedy Trust and Chaturangan. Liverpool
Culture Company has produced a "coffee-table"
book summing up the work of the whole project,
and distributed it to all GP surgeries in
Liverpool.
Warrington
Borough Council commissioned Bisakha to create an exercise
video suitable for use in residential home, and dance
groups for the over-50s. As part of the project Chris
Davis and Bisakha worked in residential homes and with
local mature dance groups. There will be four films,
three suitable for chair-based exercise and one for
more mobile participants. The emphasis is on creativity.
The films will be webcast when ready.
Dignity
Bisakha provided a one-day workshop for "The Place"
theatre.The project looked at working with older people
in hospitals.
Blythe
House Day Hospice
See
here for details of Chaturangan's performance at
Blythe House Day Hospice in Buxton.
transition
was
a two-day conference investigating heritage through
dance
held in partnership with Sampad and the National Museums
Liverpool
7th & 8th March 2008 at the World Museum Liverpool
Nationally acclaimed Artistic Director, Bisakha Sarker,
presented a full programme of events with thought provoking
lectures and challenging debates. Taking dance as its
focal point this two day conference explored and examined
what heritage means in today's society.
2004
was celebrated as year of "Faith in one City"by
Liverpool Culture Company. In response Chaturangan
produced "Sacred
Move",
a soulful production of new dance, live music
and spoken words. Chaturangan has created an initiative
that celebrates Liverpool’s diverse cultural
and devotional heritage. The first two performances
took place in Liverpool's two cathedrals in 2004.
In 2005 Chaturangan toured "Across
the Sea", a programme of extensive
community projects together with a performance
of "Sacred
Move"
to Cork (European Capital of Culture 2005).
2006
was designated "Year of Performance" by Liverpool
Culture Company as part of the build-up to the Liverpool
European Capital of Culture 2008. In response to this,
Chaturangan ran a conference entitled Marks
of time in partnership with Hope University.
The conference explored appropriate performance practice
in advancing years, and was held on Friday 12th and
Saturday 13th January 2007.
"The
Marks of Time conference was a great success. We had
over 80 participants as well as many performers, and
the event was inspirational for all concerned. The highlight
was the performance by Bisakha Sarker on the Friday
evening, with musical accompaniment by Chris Davies.
A few phrases from the conference will remain in my
memory: "Brightness of Life"; "Add
life to years as well as years to life". Thanks
to all of Chaturangan and Aspire Trust for the work
they put into the organisation. " - Eric Foxley
For
an archive of conference information click here.
For links to some of the submitted papers click here.
Following the success of their previous tour of
Jersey, Bisakha Sarker and Kali Dass were invited
to deliver another week-long education project.
The work concentrated on teacher training so that
local teachers were enabled to continue the work
to promote cultural diversity. This programme
involved over 100 teachers from 22 primary schools.
Each of the training sessions included an introduction
to the basics of Indian dance and storyletting
for education, familiarisation with the worksheets
and a practical session. In the practical sessions
the teachers observed us working with the children,
and received some hands-on training.
One of these sessions was exclusively focussed
on the training of parent mentors.
In addition Jersey Arts centre invited Chaturangan
to run two workshops open to the public.
Through
Indian dance, music & storytelling we addressed the physical
and mental well-being of older people in the Huyton, Kirby
and Halewood areas of Knowsley.
On the
final day of each project, the group watched a culturally
diverse performance of dance, music and storytelling. The
performances included Indian, Chinese, African and contemporary
Western dance, and stories from Indian, China, Africa and
Ireland.
A training
day was organised to familiarise those within the sector with
this style of working.
A resourse
pack has been prepared, including a specially commissioned
music CD (by Chris Davies) and a visual
aid of dance movements for limited mobility (by Eimear
Kavanagh).
Making
space 
Me-time
is a community dance project for mothers of children
with disability who attend the Everton Children &
Family Centre.
2004
was celebrated as year of "Faith in one City"by
Liverpool Culture Company. In response Chaturangan
produced "
