14th April – 24th April, 2023 @ Auroville
THE MIME OF THINGS is a ten plus one day (full day) course from 14th to 24th April, 2023 with Drupad Gaonkar (a.k.a Blip) on the subjective aspects of objective THINGS that we encounter in our day to day life and how Mimes use them as Metaphors to create A Poetry of the PHYSICAL.
This is part of the ongoing Non – Verbal Adjectives: an exploration of Silent & Non Verbal Art-forms project by Mooladhvani In Movement & Expression and Auroville Film Institute.
We are surrounded by things that seem inanimate in nature but hold some strange value in our lives not necessarily due to their general use and function but due to some subjective association we have attributed to them in course of our day to day interactions with those items. Sometimes they hold a fascination right from our first
interaction and may continue to grow with the passage of time eventually dictating our interactions with everything else. Mimes know this all too well and use this as part a of their invisible world, giving what could be a cup, or a pen, a wall or to that matter a hammer; a life and an expression that is all hidden within us.
PARTICIPANT PROFILE:
for Actors, Directors, Dancers, Clowns, Choreographers and Movement based
Performing Artists.
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION:
English
WORKSHOP DIRECTOR PROFILE:
DRUPAD GAONKAR
A Multi-performing Artist, two time World Record Holder and TedX Speaker Drupad a.k.a. BLIP has amalgamated his knowledge acquired in the fields of Performing Arts, Education, Information Technology, Advertising and Hospitality, of which he has more than two and half decades of experience, into the Silent Art-form of MIME.
Director of Mooladhvani Institute of Movement & Expression (M.I.M.E.); and Founding member of Bharatiya Mookadbhinaya Natya Maha Sangha (Indian Mime Federation) and the professional Mime groups IMIMEGINATION (all India) &; MAUNAM (Auroville), Drupad has worked on creating new methods of training not only Mime but also using Mime to train other forms of performing arts. Apart from having been credited to give a commercial angle to Mime he is known to coalesce various performing and visual arts to create new forms and expressions.
Drupad is renowned to perform various aspects of Sri Aurobindo’s Epic Savitri in Mime since 2008 in and out of India and is currently working on documenting the same.
The two world records to his credit are 50hrs Non- Stop Mime Marathon done by an Individual, on the occasion of Auroville’s 50th Birthday Celebrations and 12hrs 12mins Non-Stop Mime Living Statue depicting Dr. Abdul Kalam, on the 5th Death Anniversary of the 11th President of India.
His book titled “Non-Verbal Adjectives – A Silent Stroke” is expected to be released in December 2023.
As an artist, Drupad is experimenting now with Calligraphy with remarkable projects like “Non-Verbal Adjectives” and “Quotes on Silhouettes”, His artworks exhibited at festivals in Goa, Gallery Carpe Diem; he has to his credit a solo exhibition at Aurodhan Art Gallery in Pondicherry.
Drupad continues to work as a performing artist in traditional as well as new media environments; he continues to work as a trainer for students, professionals, teachers, corporate managers, leaders among others in the Field of Mime and related Artforms.
Originally from Goa, Drupad is now based in Auroville, in Her service.
FEES:
For Ex-Participants of Auroville Film Institute: INR 3000
Indian nationals: INR 4000
SAARC National: $60
International participant outside of SAARC : $200
Voluntary Contribution for Aurovilians / Newcomers
ACCOMMODATION :
Outstation participants may book accommodation via Auroville Guest Accommodation Service. Feel free to reach out to us if you need recommendations based on your budget and other preferences. We’ll gladly assist. Please note, baseline rates for standard accommodation on sharing basis can be about Rs. 400/day with breakfast.
Mitra Youth Hostel, Serendipity Guest House, Atithi Griha, Center Guest House, Arka Guest House, Creativity Guest House are some of our recommendations. There are many other options available – in and around Auroville.
TRAVEL GUIDANCE & LOCAL MOBILITY:
The closest Airport to Auroville is Chennai. With respect to Trains, Auroville is about 15km from Pondicherry railway station; about 75km from Villupuram and about 165 km from Chennai railway station. There are some weekly trains directly to Pondicherry, while regular trains from all parts of India to Villupuram and Chennai. There are several options of local buses and passenger trains from Chennai to Auroville; it takes about 3-4 hours approximately. For those preferring to travel by taxi, we recommend Auroville based taxi services as they can pick up from anywhere you are and drop straight to the respective Auroville guest house. Please check Auroville Shared Transport service.
We recommend renting bicycles/ e-cycles/ motorcycles for mobility within Auroville periphery. The Guesthouse may facilitate booking. Standard Rentals are anywhere between Rs. 40 to 150/ day depending on the kind of 2-wheeler.
Please visit www.auroville.org for orientation and additional information on Auroville.
CERTIFICATES:
All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
QUERIES:
For any queries, please write to: support_filminstitute@auroville.org.in or call / message +919969879319 (whatsapp and telegram only).
Further details of the workshop can be shared upon request.
APPLY BY: 13th March 2023
filminstitute.auroville.org 