Fellowships for Gireesh Menon, Charu Narayanan, & Scholarship for Harikrishnan.S

Lokadharmi is very happy to share the news that three of its artists got recognitions in the form of fellowships and scholarships from the department of culture, Government of India. Gireesh Menon and Charu Narayanan are selected for a junior fellowship while Harikrishnan is selected for a senior scholarship for advance training in theatre. The scholarship and fellowships are for two years starting from 2009.

Gireesh Menon, the lighting designer, musician and a photographer par excellence is selected for fellowship for his project ‘The influence of indigenous theatre in modern Kerala theatre – A study using theatre photography as the medium of expression’.

Gireesh started his career as a lighting designer in 2002 with the lighting of the play Selfish Giant (directed by Chandradasan) and afterwards he has been doing it for the plays of Lokadharmi and Mazhavillu that includes Macbeth, Poranadi, Panjarasala, Pattabakki, Medea, Karnnabharam, Alibabayum 40 Kallanmarum, Ubu Maharaja (all directed by Chandradasan), Andha Yugam, Tom and Jerry (both directed by Sudheer Babu ), Bhagavadajjuka- Mathavilasam (Directed by Selvaraj VR), Madhura Kandam (directed by R.Raju). He has also worked and collaborated with International groups and projects like Kandor (curtain raiser, Malta,) Maya (Mandalam performing arts USA directed by Radha Karman,), Book of Stars (‘S’ theatre group Lithuania directed Zita Vilyutete, 2007), Salabhanjika (Lasya academy for performing arts Kolkota dir by Pallavi Krishnan, 2007). He has participated in many national and international theatre festivals that include Bharangam organised by NSD. He has widely traveled along India along with Lokadharmi and on his own and photographed People, Nature etc.

Charu Naryanan is getting her fellowship for the project ‘Northern and Southern Systems of Kalaripayattu and Their Influence in Different Performance Arts of Kerala’.

 Charu an actor and physical trainer has started her career in theatre in 2004 with Lokadharmi. Her acting career include the role of Panchami in the play Innalathe Mazha directed by Ullas Mavilai, based on the novel by N.Mohanan, in Theerayathra directed by Probir Guha. Since then she has been training Kalaripayattu and  Yoga for the actors of the Mazhavillu and Lokadharmi. She is an excellent Kalari performer and has traveled to Germany to perform and demonstrate Kalaripayattu. She also is a qualified Yoga teacher and also the State champion of Yoga.

Harikrishan S is awarded with the scholarship to undergo advance training and specialize in ‘the acting system in the folk forms of Kerala and its adaptation into contemporary theatre’ under the guidance of Chandradasan, at Lokadharmi.

The career of Hari in theatre that started with campus theatre took a serious turn after his joining of Lokadharmi. He has participated in many workshops including that with Probir Guha. He had acted in the plays Paattabakki (by K Damodaran and directed by  Chandradasan), Theerayathra (by Probir Guha) etc.

This fellowships and scholarship will add the zeal and passion of these artists in their career and prospects in theatre.