BRINGING SOUTH ASIAN ART TO VANCOUVER
Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts builds on last year’s success
In India, the seasonal monsoon rains bring life-giving water to the land. The event is widely celebrated with all manner of arts and culture.
The Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts was formed by the South Asian Arts Society aiming to provide a similar experience in Vancouver, a place with considerable rainfall, too.
The South Asian Arts Society’s Gurpreet Sian provided an overview of the society, the event and highlights:
Q What does the South Asian Arts Society do?
A: South Asian Arts Society is an organization that has presented theatre on a one-off basis since 2006 and it has been in the back of our minds that we wanted to put on a festival with a focus on performing arts, specifically theatre, for some time. Last year, we held the first Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts.
Q What ideas did you have in mind for the Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts?
A To provide both touring and local shows, as well as some professional workshops, that revolve around the South Asian voice. This year we have Nadia Manzoor’s play Burq Off! from New York, which is particularly relevant with the political landscape of North America, where a lot of racial undertones are really rising to the surface. It’s a racy, comedic show that we are really excited about. With all the rising, call it Trump-mania, we have noticed that more of this sort of show is making it to the main stages and it’s good, it’s about time.
There is also a mounting of an adaptation of Indian poet Kalidasa’s first play, Malavikagnimitram, titled Malavika (Aug. 13, 5 p.m. | Surrey Arts Centre, Main Stage | Tickets: $15). It’s a presentation of the locally based Nrityenakatha classica Indian dance troupe who have performed for many, many years, but have never done something theatrical on a stage. We are extremely keen to develop local talent and presentations.
Q Besides the two performances, you also have a workshop reading series. What does this entail?
A These are free community workshops, specifically for engaging local artists with professionals. Last year, we had four
of these with workshop leaders like Anosh Irani leading a writing workshop and Anita Majumder doing a creation workshop. Based on the feedback we received from those attending, there was a real hunger for more of these, so we will have them. The schedule will be posted on the website.
Q Do you believe you are building the artists of the future this way, getting in early to be part of the creation of shows you’ll produce in future?
A We have experience working in theatre with the routine, technical, must-be-donebehind-the-scenes structure of producing. The magic happens from the artist and we like to help that happen. In 2015, we produced a Fringe show titled Mrs. Singh and Me by Murnish
Sharma and it was a Pick of the Fringe. Now he has added a second act to that and we are hoping to produce it at next year’s Monsoon Festival to take it to the next level.
Q You already noted that the times are ripe for an explosion of South Asian arts locally as both audience and interest grows. What would you like to see in the future?
A I would like to encourage younger artists to pursue a career in the performing arts, and that it doesn’t just need to be a fun pastime as it was for so many of us in my generation. We can help them out and give them knowledge to reach the goals of making world-class art. Having a space devoted to South Asian performing arts would aid in this expansion, as well as continuing to expand the scope of the Monsoon Festival.