 at a workshop by artist John Baby (left) at the art room of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in December.jpg.image.160.84.jpg)
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Artist Sujathan. Photo: Divya PStage setting (or the lack of it) plays a major role in drama. And Artist Sujathan - the name that has been synonymous with stage setting for over five decades in Kerala, is also the force behind an artists' guild in Kottayam, Aatma.
Aatma or Artist’s Association for Theatre Music & Arts is credited with bringing Soorya Festival, a cultural event held across the globe, to the 'Land of Letters'. For the third consecutive year, Aatma has been successfully setting the stage for Soorya Festival in Kottayam.
“We are really happy that a global event such as Soorya let us be their organisers in Kottayam. Our workings are limited to this small district. This is a huge boost,” says Artist Sujathan, Aatma's president.
A task that Atma has been executing to perfection with no complaints about the 5-day event that began on October 5. Supporting Aatma and playing hosts to the dance and musical festival is CMS College, Kottayam, who waived off the auditorium charges.
Acknowledging the CMS' kind gesture, the veteran of the stage said that many of Aatma's members were former students of the college and it was a special honour to showcase the event in the campus.
Aatma – The beginning
When artists from this land found support and encouragement lacking from outside, they decided to stand together for one another – that led to the formation of Aatma at Veloor, a small village in Kottayam.
Six years since its inception, Aatma continues to stand for the ideals that led to its formation and doing its bit for art and artists of Kottayam. Apart from promoting art through musical festivals such as 'Rakendu', they also provide pensions to ailing artists.
They have little help from outside that come in through small sponsors and for the rest of the money, the members chip in.
Well-wishers and artists from across the state came forth to pay tribute the great man at the event, which even saw Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in attendance. Photo: Divya PThe guiding force
For this noble initiative, Aatma members give full credit to Artist Sujathan, who has been the president of the organisation right from the beginning.
They all lauded the artist, who despite working with some of the stalwarts of the professional drama stage and winning numerous awards, stand rooted to his humble beginnings.
And Aatma used the cultural stage of Soorya Festival to pay tribute to veteran, who was awarded the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi's SL Puram Sadhanandan Drama Award recently – the highest honour for a theatre artist in Kerala.
Sujathan, who despite working with some of the stalwarts of the professional drama stage stood rooted to his humble beginnings. Photo: Divya PWell-wishers and artists from across the state came forth to pay tribute the great man at the event, which even saw Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in attendance.
One after the other, people trooped on to stage with shawls and bouquets to honour the artist. Prominent among them was 94-year-old Sankunni Chettan, who had closely worked with Artist Sujathan's father Artist Keshavan.
And true to their ideals, Aatma ended the felicitation programme by presenting a 'Gurudakshina' to a former keyboard artist Babu Augustine, who was forced to shun limelight after a stroke.
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