“There’s a tough exterior, you see,” begins Gayathri Krishna, managing trustee of Bengaluru-based Bhoomija. “While it takes long to remove the skin, once you get to the core it is sweet.” Bhoomija’s Jackfruit initiative is named aptly for allowing its participants to grow with selective artistic grooming.
Conceptualised four years ago under the meticulous guidance of Bombay Jayashri and Vikku Vinayakram, the Trust aims to make performing arts of all origins accessible to all audiences.
The speciality, though, lies in its performers — students under the age of 18 are trained by vidwans and from there, a performance takes flight.
“Our hope is to present classical music and dance, as well as regional and folk varieties, in an innovative manner. This way, each Bhoomija show is different from the other,” Krishna explains. The organisation is responsible for giving children opportunities to develop their artistic abilities.
Two segments
Every year, a pair of artistes is chosen to spearhead the two major segments of the show: a Children’s Carnatic Choir, an idea that Gayathri credits to Jayashri, and a pan-India percussion ensemble. While the percussion giant Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman will head the ensemble, Gayathri has handed over the reins of the choir to a next-generation artiste, Sriranjani Santhanagopalan.
“I was thrilled when Gayathri approached me,” says Sriranjani. She has worked with children aged 10-16 over a span of a few months, creating a 90-minute presentation that incorporates a myriad ideas.
“It feels very organic, the way it has all come together,” Sriranjani adds. Apart from the children she has instructed, the stage will also be held by fellow young artistes Apoorva Krishna, Heramba and Hemanth, Rakshitha Ramesh, and Sunaad and Vinod Anoor.
About the production that will be preceded by a percussion ensemble, Sriranjani says, the experience will go beyond one evening.
“We are richer, in terms of friends and memories. More than anything else, if this is what will encourage the children to embrace the art, why not?”
Jackfruit will be held on June 3 and 4 (7 p.m.) at MLR Convention Centre, J.P. Nagar
