Share
What began in a south Chennai fishing village as the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha in 2014 to celebrate equally all arts, people and spaces is now in its second year as the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha (Chennai Street Arts Festival).
Celebrating Chennai’s varied neighbourhoods, artistic genres and people, this year’s Vizha will take you from the languid waterscapes of Pazhaverkadu (Pulicat), through the cultural melting pots of Ennore, Royapuram and Mylapore in a celebration of young artists.
Justifying Chennai’s inclusion as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities, the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha strives to deploy art as an equaliser and a catalyst to transform Chennai into an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive city.
The Vizha has never been just about music and dance, but about the possibilities that these arts offer in uniting people, and liberating spaces in an act of celebration. The festival is designed to educate and liberate audiences and artists, to take art from exclusive stages to inclusive spaces, and making all art forms accessible to all audiences.
In the past years, spaces that have only witnessed traditional tamil art forms like theru-k-koothu, kummi and parai-aattam have supported stages for kuchipudi, indie rock, carnatic music and panchavaathiyam. Esoteric spaces like the sabhas of Chennai which had never hosted anything but Carnatic or Bharatanatyam threw their doors open and exposed their regular audiences to Gaana, Silambattam and the hauntingly divine melodies of the Jogappas, a troupe of transgender artists.
Co-organised by volunteers from Chennai, the youth of North Chennai and the residents of Ennore, and the fishers of Pazhaverkadu, the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha is a volunteer-driven, crowd-funded effort that will culminate in a day-long event at Lake Pulicat. This year’s festival is dedicated to Chennai’s defining element – Water.
Donate generously.
Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha is supported by Sumanasa Foundation and Bhuvana FoundationAll Indian currency contributions will be deposited in the account of Sumanasa Foundation, a registered Trust working in the areas of arts, culture and community.
All foreign currency contributions will be deposited in the account of Bhuvana Foundation, a registered trust working in the area of Education, Art and empowerment
Celebrating Chennai’s varied neighbourhoods, artistic genres and people, this year’s Vizha will take you from the languid waterscapes of Pazhaverkadu (Pulicat), through the cultural melting pots of Ennore, Royapuram and Mylapore in a celebration of young artists.
Justifying Chennai’s inclusion as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities, the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha strives to deploy art as an equaliser and a catalyst to transform Chennai into an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive city.
The Vizha has never been just about music and dance, but about the possibilities that these arts offer in uniting people, and liberating spaces in an act of celebration. The festival is designed to educate and liberate audiences and artists, to take art from exclusive stages to inclusive spaces, and making all art forms accessible to all audiences.
In the past years, spaces that have only witnessed traditional tamil art forms like theru-k-koothu, kummi and parai-aattam have supported stages for kuchipudi, indie rock, carnatic music and panchavaathiyam. Esoteric spaces like the sabhas of Chennai which had never hosted anything but Carnatic or Bharatanatyam threw their doors open and exposed their regular audiences to Gaana, Silambattam and the hauntingly divine melodies of the Jogappas, a troupe of transgender artists.
Co-organised by volunteers from Chennai, the youth of North Chennai and the residents of Ennore, and the fishers of Pazhaverkadu, the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha is a volunteer-driven, crowd-funded effort that will culminate in a day-long event at Lake Pulicat. This year’s festival is dedicated to Chennai’s defining element – Water.
Donate generously.
Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha is supported by Sumanasa Foundation and Bhuvana FoundationAll Indian currency contributions will be deposited in the account of Sumanasa Foundation, a registered Trust working in the areas of arts, culture and community.
All foreign currency contributions will be deposited in the account of Bhuvana Foundation, a registered trust working in the area of Education, Art and empowerment
