Idakeda Group hosts conversation on Ramleela

Idakeda Group will host a conversation on Ramleela, in collaboration with the Heritage Institute of Trinidad and Tobago (HITTam) of the Hindu Prachar Kendra, on October 18 from 6.30 pm at Lakou Wi, 12 Warner Street, Newtown, Port of Spain.

Ramleela – The Role of Theatre in Community Sanskaarisation and spreading Hindu values and beliefs will be led by Shri Raviji of the Hindu Prachar Kendra. The HITTam group will perform excerpts of the epic tale, a media release said.

Ramleela, one of the oldest forms of community theatre to be found in Trinidad, is traditionally known in Trinidad as Ramdilla, and this spelling is used to pay homage to those ancestors who brought the tradition with them and fought to maintain it.

Baal Ramdilla (Children’s Ramleela) had such a rich range of community sanskaar techniques that it led to the formation of the Heritage Vacation Course, which began in 2004 with 25 children. It has grown to be one of the most important programmes on the Kendra’s calendar. Baal Ramdilla is open to children from five-15, who are taught theatre and performing arts along with Hindu beliefs, values and philosophies, the release said.

The epic tale charts the challenges and triumphs of Lord Rama as He seeks to reunite with Sita, who has been kidnapped by the wicked king Rawan.

“The Ramdilla project has led HITTam to deepen and widen the Heritage Vacation Course as a partner to the nation’s education system, which has failed to fulfil ethnic needs beyond colonial education,” Raviji said in the release.

“This well-known community theatre form is part of the rich and diverse enactment tradition that exists in TT, so it’s important for us to take the time to share our experiences in terms of how we teach, how we rehearse, staging issues and keeping authentic while innovating,” said Idakeda Group director Attillah Springer.

For the past 25 years Idakeda Group has been producing plays, community theatre interventions and workshops, including the critically-acclaimed Kambule play written by Eintou Pearl Springer performed as the NCC’s re-enactment of the Canboulay Riots on Carnival Friday mornings.

“This is the first in a series of conversations on TT culture to be hosted at our new space Lakou Wi, that will be open from now, through the Carnival season and beyond. In addition to conversations, we’ll be hosting workshops, limes and exhibitions all with the aim of celebrating and learning more about our performance traditions,” Springer said.