Annappa Ontimaalagi

Annappa is an active theatre practitioner from Shivamogga and is part of the district’s Rangayana chapter. Trained under Ninasam he has been conducting several camps for children over summer and Dasara breaks. Being part of the Karnataka Nataka Academy, he has received state awards for set design. His most recent training at NSD Bangalore has opened new ways for him to engage in the field of Theatre in Education.

Under this grant Annappa plans to work together with his students on a research based inquiry into the local history of a chieftain named Shivappa Nayaka towards creating a theatrical production. Taking children through guided field visits to the historical ruins, Annappa would encourage them to make visual sketches and document the sites. Inviting local historians and referencing locally available published material, he would create discussion platforms in the school. Having collected primary and secondary research material, Annappa would invite a scriptwriter to conduct a series of workshops to build a text for a theatrical production. Annappa will also draw upon his Rangayana connections for resources in conducting rehearsals, set design, costume design, light design etc. The grant will conclude with a production at the cluster level and at the Kuvempu Kalamandira, Shivamogga for the local population.

This grant was made possible with support from Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore and Citi India.