One of the best festivals I have ever attended is this – FESTA, Festival of Storytelling – by
@ala.theatre at Mulamthuruthy, on the outskirts of the Ernakulam district.
What a beautiful, soulful, pure, and genuine experience it is. Stories can be told, read, performed, acted, and sung, and that was a key understanding for me from this particular festival. And the good thing is that the audience of this event is every Malayalee in this world. One of the social media copies of this festival was, “A festival for your child and the child in you.”
From the selection of storytellers to how well it is programmed in three small, beautiful venues, with one set amidst a lot of trees, everything was so beautiful. The ambience, seating, stage, washrooms, availability of enough fans in this summer season, the pandhal covering for both rain and no-rain situations, the carpets with mats on top, mobile charging points, and food for everyone in a budget-friendly manner-things that we see as very common in other festivals-are done here with genuineness, soul, and care, and not to make money. It’s all to help the people who work, who are invited, and who visit. There are limitations, but no one complains because everyone feels it’s their festival. That’s the power of FESTA. And when I counted the team while everyone was on stage, it was more than 60 people, ranging from 4-year-olds to 70-year-olds, from people who can’t walk properly to children who proudly say they are unschoolers.
In this world of too many festivals and events, especially those that happen in cities for a section of people who regularly attend such festivals, festivals like this in villages create a true impact and answer the real questions of why a festival is organised. What is the purpose of the festival? How will it impact the audience, the neighbourhood, the people working with you, and the guests who are arriving? There might not be reports made here or grants or support received in the future, but this festival truly touches people-their minds, hearts, intelligence, consciousness, empathy, and sense of community.
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![One of the best festivals I have ever attended is this – FESTA, Festival of Storytelling – by @ala.theatre at Mulamthuruthy, on the outskirts of the Ernakulam district.What a beautiful, soulful, pure, and genuine experience it is. Stories can be told, read, performed, acted, and sung, and that was a key understanding for me from this particular festival. And the good thing is that the audience of this event is every Malayalee in this world. One of the social media copies of this festival was, “A festival for your child and the child in you.”From the selection of storytellers to how well it is programmed in three small, beautiful venues, with one set amidst a lot of trees, everything was so beautiful. The ambience, seating, stage, washrooms, availability of enough fans in this summer season, the pandhal covering for both rain and no-rain situations, the carpets with mats on top, mobile charging points, and food for everyone in a budget-friendly manner-things that we see as very common in other festivals-are done here with genuineness, soul, and care, and not to make money. It’s all to help the people who work, who are invited, and who visit. There are limitations, but no one complains because everyone feels it’s their festival. That’s the power of FESTA. And when I counted the team while everyone was on stage, it was more than 60 people, ranging from 4-year-olds to 70-year-olds, from people who can’t walk properly to children who proudly say they are unschoolers.In this world of too many festivals and events, especially those that happen in cities for a section of people who regularly attend such festivals, festivals like this in villages create a true impact and answer the real questions of why a festival is organised. What is the purpose of the festival? How will it impact the audience, the neighbourhood, the people working with you, and the guests who are arriving? There might not be reports made here or grants or support received in the future, but this festival truly touches people-their minds, hearts, intelligence, consciousness, empathy, and sense of community.[ Text Continued in comment section due to word limit ]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739681564721516181164_0_e885819c5195016abee9c896c91695ce.jpg?o=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&h=51597978448dc5ebd1e1d2cc5c97b69c)
