Shivesh Kumar

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Explorations will delve into involving Chhau dancers in contemporary theatre towards the making of a devised theatrical production. Shivesh Kumar is the Coordinator for this project. 

Shivesh Kumar is an actor, writer and storyteller, who divides his time between Dhanbad and Pondicherry. Shivesh did his B Tech in Computer Science from Techno India, Salt Lake, Kolkata. Shivesh was trained in Chhau during his training at Theatre House, Milon Mela, in Shantiniketan. Shivesh has worked professionally as an actor for nearly a decade, including his experiences with Moromia Theatre, Kolkata, and Rangshila Theatre Group, Mumbai, and is currently working with Indianostrum Theatre, Pondicherry as a full-time actor. Given his experience, Shivesh Kumar is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.

This project will explore the intersection of the acrobatic performing arts form Chhau with contemporary theatre, through the Devised Theatre method. The Project Coordinator will spend time during the summer in the villages where Chhau performances are performed, and subsequently, he will invite four or five Chhau artists to get involved in the devised theatre exercises at Indianostrum, Puducherry, under the mentorship of Kumaran, its founder. There are some artistic research questions that concern the Project Coordinator. What is the Chhau performers’ self-reflexive perspective on the art form? What are the socio-economic conditions of the performers and their families? What is the past, present and future of the art form? What are their social relations like, and how do they get impacted by the caste society? What is the impact of the performing arts on the women and girls in the society, and do they want to involve girls in the art form? These questions will form the background of the Project Coordinator’s artistic research, based on which he will author a new play script. 

The outcome of the project will be the playscript in Hindi and the pre-production process of the devised theatrical production. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be the playscript, and the audio-visual documentation of the artistic process of the devised piece.    

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Practice programme in the manner in which it attempts to delve into the intra-cultural question of how the practice of a semi classical dance with martial and folk traditions, like Chhau dance, and its socio-political dimensions can inform and enhance the making of contemporary theatre, through the collaborative process of devised theatre, mediated through the cultural insider status of the Project Coordinator.    

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 by convening an online gathering of artists coordinating Explorations projects. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is made possible with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment Fund.