KOCHI: Many things have fallen prey to the vagaries of time. Among the victims are traditional art forms like Njattupattu and Thekkupattu. Lack of patrons and stages forced the art forms to fade into oblivion.The absence of opportunities has made a large number of artists to look for greener pastures. However, there are some who don’t want this to happen. Artchemy. an NGO, was founded by such three like-minded people.
On September 3, it organised a Poothanum Thirayum performance in Kochi, with artists from Palakkad providing an otherworldly experience to spectators. The event also included a Chakyar Koothu performance by artist Elavoor Anil. This was the third event that the one-year-old team successfully organised in Kochi.
“We found the NGO to uplift performing arts. The primary focus is empowering and educating the youth who have drifted away from these classical arts,” says Adarsh Suresh, co-founder and director of marketing of the NGO.He is joined by Saif Yousuf as executive director and Vijo Varghese as director of finance.
Artchemy uses Indian performing and indigenous art forms as a tool to achieve its mission. “We will create opportunities and provide platforms and support for innovation and learning,” Adarsh adds.Artchemy — The Alchemy of the Arts was registered as a not-for-profit organisation in 2022.“We work to preserve Indian classical and folk dance and empower the artists and musicians across India through the use of proper event production, technology, and marketing,” Adarsh explains.
Artchemy believes in following a holistic approach where innovation is key. “And when we talk about innovation, we will be continuously exploring ways to enrich the youth by bringing technology, contemporary approaches and experiments while respecting the authenticity of our traditions,” he adds.
“This helps to elevate both the art forms and the artists, bringing them to mainstream art platforms and generating substantial income for the artists and their support staff. We host numerous cultural events in schools, colleges, and public spaces,” says Adarsh.
Recently, the NGO started providing training in Carnatic music to students of the School For The Blind in Aluva. “We will hire a teacher to train the students. We plan to extend the project to 10 more blind schools in Kerala,” Adarsh says.