Introduction of Villupattu Students understand what is Villupattu? Villuppattu is an ancient form of musical story-telling where narration is interspersed with music. Simple tunes and simple verses are adding along with the story.
What are the props used in this art form and experience them? The villu, a bow, the age-old weapon of warriors - paradoxically lends itself to be used as a primary musical instrument for the Villa Pattu artists.
When was it perfomed? They get to know the origin and on what occasion this style of storytelling was used. In Tamil villages, performers narrate stories ranging from mythological to social. The main storyteller narrates the story striking the bow. The bow rests on a mud pot kept facing downwards. A co-performer beats the pot while singing. There is usually another co-singer who acts as active listener to the narration, uttering appropriate oral responses. The local government sometime utilise this as a vehicle for social messages and propaganda.
Viewing of a sample Villupattu performance. Students learn how a villupattu is performed and how is it different from traditional storytelling methods.
Creating their own Villupattu. Students work as a group to come up with stories(could be fables they already know) on themes given. e.g. Patience, handwork, greed, love.
Performance Students put up their Villupattu confidently showing off their creativity.