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2008 TOUR


 The Tour will include the
great Kathakali master 
 KALAMANDALAM GOPI plus other outstanding Kathakali artists from Kerala, South India.

If you would like to book Kathakali - there are a few dates left - Please contact us info@kathakali.net

September - December

OUR TOURING HISTORY


1987 - workshops, demonstrations and small scale performances to see how Kathakali could be made accessible to as many people as possible in the UK whilst maintaining its ancient cultural heritage took place. 20 years of hard work had just begun and Kathakali found an international touring base in Southampton. UK.


1988
Toronto, Canada with WOMAD FESTIVAL- a very exciting tour as Kathakali was performed at a major international festival amongst other world- class artists. The care provided by the WOMAD organisers became our standard of care when touring our artists.


1988
KATHAKALI SUMMER SCHOOL UK - for professional artists, dancers and actors was created to provide access to the stylised performing techniques of the Kathakali actor. Professionals from a wide range of backgrounds attended the Summer School. Some still come to see the performances even now. The course took three months of research to design and structure to ensure a learning process that was relevant to non Kathakali specialists.


1988
TOUR UK Kathakali - 50 performances/100 workshops plus 200 workshops and 100 solo performances. Workshops were specially designed to suit all ages especially young children. The response was overwhelming as audiences and promoters supported Kathakali. We were given a banquet by Visiting Arts in recognition of the planning of the tour and the high standard of care we provided for the artists.


1989
Finland with WOMAD Festival. Another exciting tour where WOMAD took excellent care of the arrangements and the artists. To perform where there is continual sunlight was remarkable.


1989
EDUCATION -we were invited to Germany to provide workshops and solo performances. Education was starting to develop as Kathakali visited more schools all over the UK. The workshops grew and evolved and Teachers Packs created as more children and teachers participated.


1989
TOUR UK - Kathakali and Centre Ocean Stream Performance Art Company approx. 55 performances, 300 workshops and 100 solo performances. This tour brought together Kathakali and the Contemporary work of Centre Ocean Stream Performance Art Company - specialising in Colour through performance as a double bill - Both are linked by the use of colour and ritual and have provided many creative workshops exploring abstract movement and visual theatre.


1990
TOUR UK - Kathakali and Centre Ocean Stream Performance Art Company approx. 55 performances, 125 workshops and 75 solo performances. This was to see the last performance of Centre Ocean Stream after 12 years of touring as Kathakali grew from strength to strength. We toured the Highlands of Scotland to include
The Isle of Lewis - the journey took us onto single track roads, passing deer herds and the most beautiful scenery imaginable.


1991
TOUR UK - Kathakali Mohiniattam approx. 50 performances, 125 workshops and solo performances.We wanted to bring other at forms from Kerala to the UK. The obvious choice was Mohiniattam - the female classical dance of Kerala. The soft style of Mohiniattam contrasted well with the more aggressive quality of Kathakali.


1992
FESTIVAL OF KERALA - In Kerala a Kathakali performance is surrounded by other art forms creating an incredible environment as the village communities celebrate. The Puram, or festival, is a the highlight of the village year. We wanted to re-create this exciting atmosphere in the UK so brought other art forms to perform with Kathakali to include Mohiniattam, Barathanattyam, Ottanthullal, Kolam, (temple dance) Thayampaka (music), Panchavadiym,Keli[drumming] and devotional songs. 75 performances and 60 workshops. This was a huge project and lasted over four months. The great master Kalamandalam Gopi and other top artists came to disclose the arts of Kerala all over the UK.


1993
TOUR - UK and IRELAND - Kathakali and Ottanthullal approx. 50 performances. This tour brought a very rare and rhythmic art form - Ottanthulal to the UK for the first time. The visit to Dublin in Ireland was exciting as Kathakali reached new shores.


1994
EDUCATION UK - 200 workshops and 100 solo performances. We decided to focus on Education Projects to establish an understanding and appreciation of Kathakali and the culture that surrounds it. Thousands of children, young people and their teachers had Kathakali in their own schools to learn , understand and enjoy non-western theatre and culture.


1995
TOUR UK - Kathakali plus EDUCATION projects with a NEW STORY specially created for Kathakali by Kalamandalam Vijayakumar and adapted from the original version of Snow White. Looking at the enormous potential of Kathakali to tell a story this new work was produced. The familiar storyline enabled the audiences to understand the characters and the plot. People from the Indian community enjoyed it and asked for more stories of this nature to be created.


1995
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - JAKARTA - Workshops and solo performances at the British International School, Jakarta Indonesia. The Education Programme was expanding so well that we were invited to go to Indonesia. The links between Indonesian dance - drama and Kathakali was remarkable. The workshops concluded with a performance for the whole community.


1995
TOUR UK - Kathakali and Irish music approx. 50 performances, 120 workshops and solo performances. Looking at ways to integrate Kathakali whilst maintaining it cultural heritage we explored trough the music element of the Kathakali musicians and their ability to improvise. Guest musicians from Ireland toured with the Company to present a musical collaboration to open the performance of Kathakali.


1996
EDUCATION - UK 200 workshops and solo performances. A year of education and building up an understanding of Kathakali and its cultural background.


1997
TOUR UK - Kathakali plus educational projects 45 performances, 200 workshops and solo performances. Kalamandalam Gopi - the great Kathakali master - toured with the Company to bring excellence into the performances.


1998
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - Specially designed educational projects for the British International School Sao Paulo, BRAZIL. Plus educational projects throughout the UK.200 workshops and 100 solo performances. Education is a very important element of our work as Kathakali becomes establish in the UK.


1999
TOUR UK - Kathakali - 50 performances.200 workshops and 100 solo performances. The last tour of the century - Kathakali is becoming part of mainstream theatre and years of working with promoters and schools are resulting in good audiences.


2000
A MAJOR MILLENNIUM AWARD UK TOUR with Kathakali and Theyam performing outside. 50 performances, 200 workshops and 100 solo. Theyam is incredibly visual and its ritual quality set the atmosphere for the whole evening. We presented one of the weeks in a marquee in a tiny village in Somerset in the school field. it was just like the performances in Kerala - outside in the open air performances


2001
EDUCATION UK-200 workshops and 100 solo performances. A year of education took Kathakali to thousands in schools and colleges all over the UK.


2002
TOUR UK - Kathakali - 47 performances, 200 workshops and 100 solo performance. Returning to existing audiences and reaching new audiences is building a strong base for Kathakali in this country.


2003
Education tour 50 full company performances and 200 workshops and 100 solo performance. We took the full company into schools to take Kathakali into the heart of education.


2004
Education UK 200 workshops and 100 solo performances. Continuing to provide access through practical workshops our education programme is growing.


2005
Educational full comapny tour-Kathakali and Barathanatyam more then 50 performances and 200 workshops music, drama and dance.To include a visite to the Isles of Scilly where the artiste and costumes were transported by the boat to islands


2006 
FULL COMPANY KATHAKALI UK TOUR - autumn Education projects, solo performances, international tour of the UK and India to include two major heritage projects celebrating Asian and Celtic Storytelling - supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund England South East and Scotland


2007 -
Education in UK 200 workshops and 50 solo performances.The Company toured in Kerala, India to establish support for young Kathakali artists. Since May 2007 we have been providing our Education Programme taking Kathakali into new areas of the UK.


2008 SEPTEMBER to DECEMBER - The 2008 UK Kathakali Tour has only a few dates still available for booking.


TO BOOK KATHAKALI
 Please contact us

TO SEE A KATHAKALI PERFORMANCE
Please visit our tour dates.

 

KATHAKALI

1 Holland Road
Woolston
Southampton
Hampshire
SO19 9FW
UK

Tel: 00 44 [0] 23 80 420114
Fax: 00 44 [0] 23 80 444468.

e-mail: info@kathakali.net

COPY RIGHT-KALAMANDALAM VIJAYAKUMAR