August 02nd, 2016

Hi Barbara here - we are going to the Isle of Wight this afternoon to meet the New Carnival Company to discuss the Kathakalali - Carnival Project.

Are you living in Southampton or on the Isle of Wight? Does your family originally come from Kerala, south India or the West Indies?

If so, the Kathakali-Carnival Heritage Project would love to hear from you to learn more about your family and heritage.

Alice has discovered ancient rituals that were taken to the Caribbean from south India, integrated with African traditions to create  ceremonies that are unique to the west Indies.

We want to capture this valuable social heritage through an informal interview between yourself and a member of our team which will be filmed and retained by Wessex Film and Sound Archive, Winchester.
 
If you would be willing to spare your time, please contact Barbara Vijayakumar on [email protected]  or call 02380 420114 or 07740123070.
 
You would be contributing to an exciting project, kindly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund South East Team. The project will include workshops, performances and an exhibition of stunning Kathakali and Carnival costumes at Southampton Art gallery plus a photographic exhibition at the Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Isle of Wight in 2017.

When you see the majestic Kathakali performances, follow a Carnival procession or dance to Soca music it is easy to forget the enormous journey these exceptional traditions made to emerge as major influences in world culture.

This project aims to honor the unforgettable people who made the transformation from extreme poverty and oppression to a celebration of the human spirit.
We would be delighted to welcome you to go on a journey of discovery where your time, skill and commitment will be highly valued as we expose these wonderful cultures and help us to raise awareness of the people from South India and the Caribbean who preserved them.

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