As artistes, how many of us think of the world outside? We all have our own niches, fields in which we thrive and we showcase our artistry where we belong. And yet, the world outside the artistic realm still exists and it is our responsibility to be aware of the happenings and issues that surround us.
“What Do We Do With The Imaginary Spear?” was a conversation on identity, assertion, assimilation, and appropriation in the artistic world that was organised by Ranga Mandira Academy of World Dance/Performance & Indic Studies and, supported by T.S. Parthasarathy Education & Publication Trust, Krea University and Australia Council of Arts.
“The art world does not always look at the world outside. It draws from the world but I don’t know if it gives enough,” says Dr. Swarnamalya Ganesh, director, Ranga Mandira Academy of World Dance/ Performance and Indic Studies and Assistant Professor of Practice, Krea University
The conversation brought together three diverse artistes for an evening that was eye-opening, informative and by far one of my favourite evenings. Jacob Boehme, a Melbourne-based artiste of Narangga and Kaura heritage, Tenma, a music artiste hailing from North Madras and leader of The Casteless Collective Band and, Kalki Subramaniam, a trans activist and artiste who uses art to provide a voice without words for transgender victims of abuse.
“With what’s happening all around us, the kind of polarisation, the severe hate being spread not just in India, but across the globe, art becomes more and more relevant as a tool, a very powerful tool for communication in the hands of the peace-loving. Artistes bring to resistance what others cannot do because art has the power to unify,” says Radhika Ganesh, curator of this conversation and a founding member of Ek Potlee Ret Ki, a collective that works with cultural identities and the need to expand people’s political actions to preserve diversity.
“India is in that place where we are constantly questioning about who should be speaking about what,” continues Radhika. For artistes, the question of assertion is also parallel with appropriation. Because those who are from an indigenous community their representation is inherent but for those who want to stand in solidarity, they are always questioning their place.
Inspired by Goodes
The concept of the Imaginary Spear came from footballer Adam Goodes mimicking the imaginary spear being thrown. Given that Goodes hailed from an indigenous community, he faced a lot of racial discrimination for bringing something from his culture; asserting his own cultural identity in a sport that is dominated by whites. After continuous harassment, he was forced to give up his passion. This was when Jacob Boehme created his Imaginary Spears workshops inspired by Goodes, who is his cousin.
“Australia was colonised by the English around 230 years go and we aboriginals are still not acknowledged in our country's constitution We were given citizenship only in 1967, prior to which we were part of the Flora and Fauna Act, which meant we were relegated to the status of plants and animals,” says Jacob Boehme, the founding creative director of Melbourne’s YIRRAMBOI First Nations Arts Festival.
“In Imaginary Spears workshops aboriginal artistes talk about constitutional recognition and treaties with the wider community, raise questions that we based our artistic performances on, questions that needed to be answered,” continues Boehme. I remember how he admitted that as he is a white aboriginal, he sometimes feels guilty because he is allowed entry into places that most members of his community can only dream of simply because he was born fair. But, he also said that he looks at it as an opportunity to open the doors, to work on the inside to make way for the rest of the people in his community to gain entrance.”
India, as you know also faces a high amount of discrimination and a lot of it, is internal discrimination. Here is where Tenma brought in his experience. “Coming from North Madras we are widely considered to be ‘local’ and it is used as a slur against us. Many of us cannot speak English and we are looked down upon by those who can in the rest of Chennai. Speaking about my band The Casteless Collective, we have faced discrimination from even well-known people in the film industry who have told us to leave music, to leave art out of our expressions and the assertion of our identity,” says Tenma, when asked on what he has gone through.
I cannot truly say that I am surprised, a lot of the topics that came up at this conversation were quite sensitive and could easily be construed the wrong way. But what hope do we have for the world, when even art faces discrimination, where even it seems like sometimes art just might not be enough, a universal language that has the power to unite people but is blocked at every turn.
“For me, I had my parents to support me. My father might not have accepted it but he didn’t reject me and my mother loved me no matter what. Many of the others in my community do not have that support system and every year I lose at least one of them to suicide,” says Kalki Subramaniam, one of India’s well-known campaigners behind the Supreme Court of India’s judgment in legalising transgender identity.
Curbing violence
“Violence against transgenders is so much higher than even violence against women. We just cannot report it because we have no rights. So, we use art as a means to communicate our expressions and emotions. I turned to writing poetry because the pen and the paper could not judge me,” says Kalki, who launched the project ‘Stop Blaming the Victim’ to give a voice to the transgenders who faced abuse.
She speaks about how much ragging she went through, how she was sexually, mentally and physically abused and how the other people in her community face similar experiences. For them, art gives them the voice they need, art gives them the outlet to express themselves, art gives them the freedom to be who they want to be. I could write a lot more about this conversation, this enlightening event but I will stop with a final quote by Kalki which made an impact.
“If you see us transgenders on the road, we are easily recognizable because of the way we are dressed. We do not follow what is in vogue rather if we like something, we will wear it. Because for us, that is our art, our fashion is our art, our way of asserting our identity.”