"Science, economics and politics will be crucial (to building climate resilience) but so will new thinking and new ways of expressing the challenges and opportunities to both leaders and the public — something arts and culture can do in fresh and fundamental ways," Nick Nuttall, director of communications for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said at a seminar earlier this year.

'Ekonama' by Sapphire Dance Creations, is an example of such creative expression towards climate advocacy.

Sapphire Creations, an Indian dance company is promoting awareness about climate change particularly among young people through their production, 'Ekonama'. The dance drama shows a community suffering from the consequences of climate change and finding ways to adapt – all portrayed with amazing choreography, vibrant masks of Hindu gods, and traditional martial arts.

 

"Ekonama: The Beginning in the End", an environmental dance performance in Kolkata is a contemporary dance work that seeks to challenge audiences to climate action by portraying a tribal community's life before climate change threatens their future.

 

The hour long show depicts how damaging the environment can affect the fate of humanity. The creators hope to elicit an emotional response from the audiences through a combination of dramatic choreography, folk dance, vivid costumes and music, to raise awareness and compel viewers to become climate change activists.

 

The performance depicts a tribal community reliant on their masked gods to protect them. A storm exposes them to the throes of extreme weather brought on by climate change. The dance depicts a future where hurricanes, droughts, floods and pollution have turned the last survivors into half-naked creatures scrounging, fighting, scavenging and even killing for food, water and shelter. Even their gods have lost their dignity.

 

Featuring the folk martial art Chhau from the interior of West Bengal, 'Ekonama' seeks to spur the public to fight climate change and protect the planet for future generations. 

All of the costumes for the performers are made from waste or discarded fabrics, collected from suburban garment industries, and hand knitted into chunky cocoons and layers of deconstructed wraps and masks worn by the dancers. This further emphasises the need for reducing and recycling waste.

 

Following Ekonama's international premiere at the Seattle International Dance Festival in June, the UNFCC newsroom also has publicised the piece, noting the contribution of art and culture in raising awareness about climate change. The producers are also looking forward to more performances around the world.

 

The real world backdrop to the art project is serious. Pollution, mounting waste generation and ineffective waste management are serious concerns. Furthermore, India is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, from unprecedented heat-waves and drought to more intense extreme weather events and rising sea levels. Proximity to the equator makes India vulnerable to dramatic sea level rise, putting millions of people living in its densely populated coastal cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai at risk.

 

Please click on the link below to view the dance on the Youtube link.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh1HljiOOqY

 

More about the dance from the Event Facebook page.

 

 

Sources and References:

https://www.timeout.com/kolkata/events/ekonama-the-beginning-at-the-end

http://newsroom.unfccc.int/climate-action/dancing-for-the-climate-in-india/