With every sexual assault case that’s reported in the news, comes seething bouts of anger, outrage, and posts on social media venting the resentment. Individuals take on the power to cultivate a discussion about women’s rights, and against policing of women’s bodies or what they wear. While such posts do spread awareness, they reach only a limited audience — the kind who are literate and can afford a television set or an internet connection.
How must the others be made aware that a girl who is wearing a short skirt is not inviting trouble and that just because a woman goes out at night, it does not make it okay for men to eve tease? Using art, theatre and films, individuals can reach a wider audience to spread their word.
Awareness through art, is also possible and organisations like The Fearless Collective have taken to street art to illustrate the fearlessness that women must posses and not bow down to societal norms
Nishumbita, a Theatre and Ballet group from the city run by Ram Mohan Holagundi, swears by street plays to spread social messages. Ram Mohan says that he has seen its impact unravel right in front of his eyes. “Street play is one form of performance art that can reach any corner of the world. We have staged many street plays and mime acts about this issue in semi-urban areas such as Shamirpet, Ravirala and Medchel. People have shared their stories and asked us to help them out with martial arts classes to defend themselves,” he says. Srinivas Pedulla, who rose to fame for the condom anthem written and performed by his socio-cultural organisation, Nrtiyanjali, also took theatre to rural areas to spread awareness. “The issues that we dealt with were about consent, HIV and others,” he says and adds that it had to be shut down due to lack of funds.
Films are being used by documentary filmmaker Stalin K, and his organisation Video Volunteers to involve people from the rural districts. “We conduct discussion clubs in 70 districts across 17 states. During the sessions, films that citizens make are shown and together, we try and expose patriarchy in everyday life. For example, why are signs and symbols of marriage like the mangal sutra or the mang tika worn only by the women?”
