For over four decades, the Bank Employees Arts Movement - Ernakulam (BEAME) has stood as a beacon of cultural and artistic zest in the city. What began as a modest initiative by a group of art-loving bank employees in the early 1980s has today grown into one of Kerala’s most active cultural collectives.
On November 17, the collective will mark a remarkable milestone — its 500th monthly cultural programme. Set to be held at TDM Hall, the event promises to be a unique celebration of BEAME’s journey.
“The 500th programme is not just a number for us. It is a big feat, something that started in 1983 is continuing even after 42 years. It’s a celebration of people coming together for the love of art,” says K S Ravindran, the president of the collective.
The highlight of the evening will be ‘MT: Ezhuthinte Aathmavu’, a unique visual presentation bringing together a blend of theatre, music, and dance.
Presented in collaboration with the Ernakulam Karayogam, this audio-visual production has been brought to life by Sabarmathi Theatre Village, Perambra, Kozhikode.
The presentation pays tribute to the legendary writer M T Vasudevan Nair. It has been written by Amsis Muhammed and directed by Preman Muchukunnu, a recipient of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award. About 30 artistes, including 8 dancers from Kerala Kalamandalam, will take part in the performance.
Characters such as Velayudhan from ‘Iruttinte Athmavu’; Ola, Bapputty and Zainaba from ‘Olavum Theeravum’; Vimala from ‘Manju’; Pallival and the glowing field from ‘Kaalchilambu’; Bhima and Draupadi from ‘Randamoozham;’ and Judas from ‘Akkaldamayil Pookkal Vidarumbol’ will be seen engaging in an imaginative dialogue with MT, who also appears as a central character in the performance.
Since its inception in 1983, BEAME has been a cultural forum that has brought artforms from across India to audiences in Ernakulam. Their first programme, Samanvayam, set the tone for what would become a remarkable tradition.
Since then, every month without fail (except during the pandemic), BEAME has presented an event celebrating diverse forms of art — classical music, contemporary theatre, folk dance, poetry recitals, visual arts….
Over the decades, BEAME has hosted some of India’s most illustrious artistes, including M Balamuralikrishna, K J Yesudas, Sonal Mansingh, Meenakshi Seshadri, and Shobhana.
One such event, held in 2000, brought together three Bharatanatyam icons — Padma Subrahmanyam, Sudharani Raghupathy, and Chitra Visweswaran — in a rare recital.
Ravindran adds that it is not just established names that have been hosted. “Recently, I saw a Mohiniyattom performance by Jamsheena Jamal, an MA student at RLV College. She was magnificent. We offered her a slot for another upcoming programme,” he says.
Notably, BEAME has transformed into an organisation run by art lovers from various backgrounds. “We have over 1,000 members, and offer public membership now. Anyone interested can join us,” he smiles.