H Anklesh

This Foundation Project, implemented by IFA engages seventh grade students of the Government Higher Primary School in Papinayakanahalli, Sandur Taluk, Ballari district, through a project titled Tiliyona Banni Nammura (Come, let us find our city). The project aims to enable students to explore the history, art, culture, and living legacy of Toranagallu village through theatre and literature, while creating meaningful connections with the texts and themes in their social science and language curriculum. H Anklesh is the Coordinator for this project. 

H Anklesh is a theatre practitioner, activist, trained journalist, from the Devadasi community; Anklesh has been associated with several trusts and NGOs working on children’s rights and development in and around Hospet. He is an active member of Bhavaikyate Kala Vedike, founded by Abdul, a renowned theatre artist and scholar from Hospet. Anklesh has devised and performed numerous street plays addressing human rights, cultural solidarity, and environmental awareness, and for the past five years has conducted theatre workshops for children in rural areas, focusing on self-confidence, communication skills, and awareness of their rights and opportunities. As a journalist, he has also written widely on topics like local art and theatre festivals, Dalit rights, and historical sites in the region. Given his experience, he is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. 

Toranagallu forms the central landscape of the project. Located along the important corridor connecting Ballari with Hospet and Hampi, the village has a rich historical and geographical significance. According to an old Ballari District government account, the name Toranagallu is traditionally associated with the word torana, meaning a gateway or ceremonial arch, reflecting the belief that the village served as an outer gateway to the Vijayanagara capital. The region is also known for its striking rocky landscape, including conical hills and distinctive dark porphyry rock formations. The wider region witnessed significant historical transitions following the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire after the Battle of Talikota in 1565, when political control shifted among local Palayagars, Deccan powers, Mysore, and eventually the British. 

In the twentieth century, Toranagallu underwent another major transformation with the establishment of the Vijayanagara Steel Project. The Government of Karnataka selected Toranagallu as the site for a major integrated steel plant, and the foundation for the project was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 14 October 1971. The development of the steel industry, supported by the mineral resources and iron-ore deposits of the Sandur region, transformed Toranagallu from a predominantly rural settlement into an important industrial centre, accompanied by the development of a new township, workers’ housing, and supporting infrastructure. 

The project will use this layered history as a starting point for experiential and interdisciplinary learning. In the first phase, seventh grade students of the Government Higher Primary School in Papinayakanahalli will be introduced to Toranagallu through theatre activities that encourage them to collect stories, memories, songs, and oral histories associated with the village. They will document their learning through interviews with elders and community members and undertake a field visit to explore the village’s historical temples, buildings, trees, natural landscape, and industrial sites. On returning to school, students will translate their observations into essays, short stories, maps, and drawings. Abdul, the author of Toranagallu Charitrika Adhyayana, will engage with the students and introduce them to the book, encouraging curiosity and motivating them to investigate the history and cultural landscape of their region more deeply.

The second and third phases will take students further into the historical and cultural development of the region through site-specific learning. Students will visit the Sanganakallu Archaeological Museum to learn about prehistoric objects and archaeological findings from the region, with local historians invited to conduct interactive sessions. They will also explore folk songs, oral traditions, and traditional practices through practical classes. Theatre practitioners will work with the students to introduce fundamental concepts such as stage presence, body language, vaachika and angika abhinaya. During the third phase, students will visit the museum at Kamalapura to explore objects associated with the Vijayanagara period and understand the region’s historical legacy. Drawing from the stories and oral histories collected during the earlier stages, students will work in groups to devise short theatre pieces by connecting their learnings to social science and Kannada language curriculum. They will participate in developing scripts, costumes, makeup, sets, and props, while the Project Coordinator will support them in acting, dialogue delivery, movement, and performance. This process will create an experiential learning environment in which students become active researchers, storytellers, and performers.

The fourth and fifth phases will consolidate the students’ learning through group discussions, quizzes, essay writing, and reflective activities, with teachers involved throughout the process. The Project Coordinator will also visit Kannada University, Hampi, to gather information and resources related to rural folk forms, traditional artefacts, and regional cultural practices. These materials will be shared with students through presentations and discussions, allowing them to connect their local experiences with broader histories of art and culture. Towards the conclusion of the project, students will prepare for a final performance at the school and contribute articles to the project handbook through an activity titled Kathe Kattona, Kathe Bareyona (Let’s Craft a Story, Let’s Write a Story). The project will conclude with an open platform for feedback and reflection, bringing together students, teachers, and parents. Through this process, Tiliyona Banni Nammura seeks to move beyond classroom-based learning and create an environment in which children discover their own landscape through history, oral traditions, art, theatre, research, and direct engagement with their community.

The outcome of the project will be a publication and a theatrical performance. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will include a copy of the publication, photographs and video documentation of the entire project. 

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Education programme in the manner in which it attempts to connect students and schools to the cultural knowledge of the regions they inhabit and communities they live in. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.