Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival is back after a gap of 3 years

After a gap of three long years the 40th edition of Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival will celebrate legendary danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai’s 100th birth anniversary through invigorating musical and dance performances. Women performers of Jewish, Indian and Australian origins will be showcasing their art at this year’s festival. Know all about this years VS fest at Natarani here.

The restored Natarani Amphitheatre will once again host the Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival’s 40th edition in the end of December 2018. After a gap of almost three years, the signature festivity of Darpana Academy will honour the Founding Director Mrinalini Sarabhai‘s birth centenarian celebration through theatre, dance and music. The festival will specifically revolve around women creators and performers, and the featuring artists will try and touch-sensitive societal topics such as domestic violence.

The three day celebration scheduled on December 28-29-30, 2018 will feature two internationally acclaimed performing arts recital and one spectacular vocal concert. The first day will have performance by famed Jewish actress Naomi Ackerman. Known around the world for ‘What Might Be Under the Bed’, her performance titled ‘Flowers Aren’t Enough’ is a drama that discussed issue of domestic violence. It is said that one out of seven women in the world has gone through some domestic violence in her life and the Los Angeles based social activist, teacher and advocate will portray a play on the  prevailing social evil at Natarani.

The second day of this time-honoured festival will feature a stirring carnatic, jazz and pop blend musical performance by mumbai based vocalist Aditi Ramesh and her team. The endowed jazz artist recently shook the otherwise male-dominated music industry with her highly peddled jazz album ‘Autocorrect’ and her live performance at Bacardi NH7 Weekender music festival, Pune was much appreciated.

To conclude the 40th edition Mallika Sarabhai of Darpana Academy has invited Seeta Patel, an award-winning Bharatnatyam dancer from UK. Patel will perform her critically acclaimed performance called ‘Not Today’s Yesterday’. Patel is weaving a close-knit alliance with Australian contemporary choreographer Lina Limosani to narrate highly animated 19th-century children’s tales called the Grimm’s fairy tale.

The artistic quality of each act is indubitable. Each performance at Natarani has been handpicked by Mallika Sarabhai by personally watching each of them. It is a great way to bring the eventful year to the closure. Tickets for the the festival can be found here.

Image: Natarani facebook page