Arjun M

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA will engage sixth grade students of Government Higher Primary School in Chikka Hunasur, Hunasur taluk, Mysore district with the folk stories and songs of folk hero and saint Manteswamy, associated with the Neelagara community. Students will engage with the community and the musical instruments used by Neelagara artists, and the project will connect to their curriculum in languages and social science. Arjun M will be the Coordinator for this project. 

Arjun M is a theatre practitioner from Mysore. He has completed his Theatre course from Rangayana, Mysore. Arjun has been working with various theatre groups and film production houses in Mysore. He has acted and directed many theatre plays for children. Arjun has served as a facilitator for theatre workshops and summer camps organised by Rangayana. Arjun is the founder of ‘Ranga Garadi’ theatre group in Mysore. Given his experience he is best placed to be the Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.     

Among the folk singers of South Karnataka, the Neelagaras belonging to the Manteswamy tradition are prominent. The Neelagaras refer to themselves as the Guddas of Siddappaji. Manteswamy also known as Siddappaji is a 16th century folk hero and saint who is the guiding force for this community. Manteswamy Mahakavya – is an elaborate epic which covers various topics such as bhakti, moral stories, and traditional practices of the Neelagara community. The performance of Manteswamy Katha prasanga – is often presented as an overnight performance with the tamboori used as the main instrument. The tamboori is a four-stringed instrument which is prepared from the jackfruit tree and is topped with a drawing of a cobra head or a lion face.

This project will explore the folk stories and songs from this community with a series of activities in the school premise. Students will be engaged in watching documentary films on folk culture and communities of Karnataka. The local resources and folk artists will be invited to the school for interactions and lecture sessions with teachers and students. The project will have a continuous engagement with the Neelagara community members exploring their songs, music, and instruments. Students will visit their settlements and collect folk songs from the elders and villagers. They will also be introduced to the tamboori and other folk instruments and will learn to play these instruments. 

The learnings and observations about the Neelagara community will be connected to their curriculum in languages and social science. Students will engage in writing and composing folk music, and playing folk instruments leading to the creation of a theatre piece. This theatre piece and folk music will be performed in the school premise. The project coordinator will work closely with teachers and students throughout the project and all their findings will be published in a hand-book at the end of the project. 

The outcome of the project will be a performance in the presence of school staff, parents and community members and a publication. The deliverables to IFA with the final report will include a copy of the publication, still and video documentation of the process, and performance.

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Education programme in the manner in which it attempts to help students connect their school curriculum to the stories from the regions they inhabit and communities they live with.

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.