The Director of Art and Culture in Manipur, Mrs. Sobita Devi addressed the participants of the Manipur Animation Workshop (currently taking place at the Manipur Film Development Cooperation) in the morning session, encouraging them to contribute their best efforts to the animation film project, and reassuring them that the film will find support for its completion from the Manipur Government.  She expressed enthusiasm for the project and announced that the co-directors and producer for the film have already been identified; she also urged the group to proceed to the production phase as soon as possible, with the hope that at least a minute of the film could be completed in the workshop.  This new approach is now being incorporated into the workshop, with the emphasis now on animation film production. 

Following the initial discussion and scripting session led by two young animators from the National Institute of Design, the team is now ready to finalize the script and create the storyboard for the short film “Tapta”.  They will be working to capture the essence of the story and to incorporate amusing gags to captivate the target child audience. 
Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh (co-director of the Manipuri animation film) gave his approval for the ending of the film, omitting several lengthy scenes to allow for more time to be spent on developing the characters.  The story has plenty of potential for amusement in the chaotic scenario of misidentification and the subsequent imaginations about the appearance of the scary non-existent “Tapta”.

Participants will be referring to ancient illustrated Manipuri manuscripts for the design of the characters and it has been further suggested that two dimensional cut-out puppets can be animated using software such as Flash or Toon Boom, with hand painted backgrounds to give a painterly look.  “The Monk and the Fish” a masterpiece of 2D cel animation in the watercolour style was screened to the group to provide further inspiration for the style of the Manipur animation film.

Press Release 28 February 2012

A story has been chosen by participants of the Animation Workshop currently taking place in Imphal to represent the state of Manipur in the “Tales of the Tribes” animation project.   “Tapta” is a story about primordial fear - and perhaps the idea that fear is imaginary.   A childless couple prayed to God for a child and at last a son was born to them.    As an only child the baby was quite spoilt and would cry a lot.  Mother was at her wits end and she threatened her child with various ferocious animals, but to no avail.  At last she declared that the fearful “Tapta” would come, and instantly the child was silenced.   By chance there was a cattle thief and a tiger stalking in the barn and both of them overheard the mother’s threat of the fearsome Tapta.  A chaotic, slapstick comic situation arises as a result of misunderstanding and the mythical, nonexistent Tapta gains an even greater presence.      “The story is very popular here and it may have wide appeal.  It is full of drama, has plenty of scope for gags that will be enjoyed by children and we all identify with this story here”, explains Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh. 

The story was chosen democratically from sixteen that had been related by the participants. It originates from the majority Meitei community of Imphal, and it was felt that it could best be brought to life with authenticity by the Meitei participants of the workshop.  The next task will be to write a script for the film and then to create the storyboard.  Meanwhile the two students from the National Institute of Design will be helping the participants to explore experimental techniques of animation to give an “organic” feeling to the film.   

In the afternoon Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh guided the group in techniques of sketching to create interesting lines.   The participants took turns posing for quick life drawing exercises and the day ended with a screening of experimental animation films by renowned masters of animation including Ishu Patel, Ryan Larkin, Michael Du Wit and Yuri Norstein. 

Folktales related during the workshop:

Tapta (Meitei, comic suitable for children)

Artuite (Hmar, comic, suitable for children)
Uchek Lanmeidong/Guileng (Meitei/Rongmei, tragic-comic, animation film already done on Meitei version)
Kei-Onba Pukhri (Tribal, horror/drama, not for children)

Tonjao and Pheijao (Meitei, fantasy adventure)
Hui and Houdong (Meitei, animal fable)

Khujao (Thangkhul, fantasy adventure)

Emoinu (Meitei, mythological)

Pebet (Meitei, comedy/drama)
Thanghou-Lian-Dou (Paite)
Rongmeikai and Langbum (Rongmei)

Laikutsangbi (Meitei, horror)

Jamlud (Aimol, heroic fantasy comic)
Pikhra (the bat) (Mao, animal fable)

The Promise (Zeliangrong, man-nature-spirit)

Press Release 27 February 2012

The Animation Workshop currently being held at the Manipur Film Development Corporation in Imphal is gaining momentum on the second day.  Participants have come armed with folktales and the group is delving deeper into Manipuri culture.  The young animators from the National Institute of Design are advising the group to choose a story that will have appeal to both adults and children; “While children seem to prefer cheerful funny entertaining cartoons, adults will be attracted by the mature wisdom underlying the story”, points out Sephin, adding,  “the film can be funny and intense”.  Rahul also agrees that the story should express emotions that a child can connect with.  Many of the stories offered by the Meiteis are long with complicated relationships that would require considerably more than the target of five minutes to communicate and understand.  There are also a few stories with versions that are common to the Meitei and some of the tribal groups and there is a feeling that somehow the tribal communities that are not represented in the workshop should still be included in the production in some manner, though how this is to be done is much less clear. 
The way of telling stories certainly determines the interest and engagement of the listener.  One of the participants, Beeshantam Yumnam was able to bring an audio recording of his grandmother telling a mythical tale of the Goddess of Wealth (Emoinu) and just by the tone of the storytelling it is easy to recognise that the older generation has lived with the oral tradition that is now fast getting lost in this part of the world;  In contrast to the grandmother’s tale, the young participants in the workshop struggle to read out stories that they have documented for the first time, and in the course of it, the essence of the tale is missed.

Dr. R.K Joykumar Singh, local coordinator for the project is also an art and animation expert in Manipur.  An afternoon session was given by him on the basic principles of classical 2D animation.  

A visit to Shri Gurumayun Shyamsunder

The research team for the Animation Workshop that has just started in Imphal made a visit to the accomplished master artist Shri Gurumayun Shyamsunder to gain inspiration from his outstanding sculptures. Shyamsunder began learning to sculpt at the age of ten, from his grandfather and he has devoted his life to the art.
All his sculptures are carved out of a single root incorporating its natural shape into the design. The themes of his work are derived from nature, the mythology of Manipur and reflections on its turbulent history. Indigenous deities are often depicted, such as Wangpurel, the God of Birth and Death, and Phouibi, the Goddess of Wealth. “She is the daughter of Koubru (a hill that is sacred to both the Meitei and the Kabui communities). She was sent to by her father to spread fortune on the land, but a deer misled her. She met with an accident and she was drowning in the great river: It was the insect Noushek who was able to bring her up from the depths - and then there was a bird who helped to save her”, explains Shyamsunder, relating the story of Phouibi.

Shyamsunder has exhibited in Singapore, Mumbai and Delhi. He attributes everything to God - the inspiration for his work and the skill that it takes to make these large detailed wooden sculptures. In 2011 he presented one of his largest sculptures, the Taoroini Throne to the Manekshaw Centre and at present he is working on a throne which he plans to present to the Prime Minister of India. He has already been working on the throne for over eight months, and he anticipates that it will take a further three months at least to complete. “On the left side is the Pakhamba of the moon, and on the right, the Pakhangba of the sun. On the back of the throne is the life-giving Pakhangba and on the reverse side, a Pakhangba for protection is depicted”, he explains. (Pakhangba is a serpent-dragon deity and an important symbol in traditional Manipuri culture).
Shyamsunder prefers not to sell his work. Many of his sculptures take years to complete, and he would like this cultural documentation to be available to the public in his gallery, which is a tribute to the theme of three mothers: The natural mother, mother earth and the mother tongue. He also reveals that he prefers to work peacefully at night and he does not make any preliminary design sketches but ‘sees’ the sculpture in his mind first. Sometimes he even works with a blindfold he reveals. He would like to teach the younger generation his art, but at present his students are exclusively from his family as he does not have the means to provide for more students.

Press Release 25 February 2012

The first workshop in storytelling through the animation medium to be held in Manipur began on 25 February at the Manipur Film Development Corporation in Imphal East.  Participants from the Meitei community have joined the workshop and will be exploring the cultural heritage of Manipur for content for a short film to be part of the “Tales of the Tribes” collection in development by the Adivasi Arts Trust, a UK based organization dedicated to the preservation of indigenous art and culture of India.

Tara Douglas from England is leading the daily programme of the workshop, which began with introductions and a screening of a series of tribal animation films from Central India, “The Tallest Story Competition.”   Tara revealed that this project is also a case study in her research work to find a way of making cultural animation films in India, where animation production is dominated almost entirely by the commercial industry.  She went on to mention that the animation young people are exposed to in India often has little cultural relevance.    The aim of the workshop is for the group of participants to choose a favorite story that will also appeal to children in other parts of India and beyond, and then to complete the preproduction phase of turning it into an animation film.  They are getting help from two visiting animation students from the National Institute of Design in Ahmadabad.  Of the students, Rahul Laishram is from Manipur and Sephin Alexander from South India.   They are here to share their experiences and exposure gained at NID, where the focus in animation is on content and story development. 

On the first day, participants did not know what to expect, and few had come prepared with any local folk tales in hand so Tara encouraged them to do research over the weekend and bring more stories on Monday.  The choice of story is crucial as the production of the animation film will go on for many months beyond the duration of the workshop and the story has to sustain the interest of the animators. 

The Animation Workshop in Manipur will continue until 17 March.  The workshop is supported by Government of Manipur (Department of Art and Culture), Manipur Film Development Corp. and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust. 

For more information contact: tarapurnima@hotmail.com

Discussion with Prof. Gangmumei Kamei

Prof. Gangumei Kamei is a historian and writer.  He was born at Imphal, in Manipur and he was educated at Imphal and Guwahati.  He has taught at JNU and he is a retired Professor of History of Manipur University.  He is also a social and political activist concerned with the development of tribal communities as a whole.   His works are:
“Anal:  A Trans- Border Tribe of Manipur”, “The Koirengs:  Their Socio-Economic Life”, “A History of Manipur Vol. 1, Pre-colonial Period”, “Ithai Barrage: A Boon or Scourge for Manipur”, “On History and Historiography of Manipur”, “Ethnicity and Change: An Anthology of Essays”, “History of the Zeliangrong Nagas: from Makhel to Rani Guidinliu”, “Federalism and Autonomy for Manipur”, “Essays on Primordial Religion”, “Tamenglong:  A Brief History” and “Jadonang:  A Mystic Naga Rebel”.

Prof. Gangmumei is currently a National Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.

On 23 February 2012 I met Prof. Gangmumei at his residence in Imphal.  Introducing himself as a historian, he points out that his knowledge of folklore is as a source of history for illiterate and non-literate society.  In response to questions about indigenous tribal art of Manipur he observes its primitive nature and explains that in the Rongmei community the only significant example of art is seen in the decoration of the ceremonial Taraangkai building, although some rudimentary wood carving also exists.

The Taraangkai traditionally belongs to the individual who performs the appropriate ceremony but nowadays only two genuine Taraangkai still exist in Manipur – one in Tamenglong village and the other in Khoupong Valley, and both are in a state disrepair.  “It is a very costly ceremony” explains Prof. Gangmumei, “lots of man power is required in the construction of the Taraangkai.  It is a process that might take a year to complete and throughout this time the builders must be fed”.  Looking at an illustration of the Taraangkai, he identifies tribal designs representing dog’s teeth and diamond shaped patterns that are also used in cloth design, while at the bottom there are figures representing Kuki heads.  Prof. Gangmumei also has information on the origin of the Taraangkai, and he explains that the first building of this type was constructed by the cultural hero Tengpu Rensongang, a primeval figure who built a dormitory where man and spirit could meet each other and where the sun, moon and animals were also represented.  “According to the story, man wanted to construct a house in imitation of that.  40 years back there were a lot of Taarangkai, but the requisite ceremonial practices have stopped with conversion to Christianity.  Without the ceremony, the Taarangkai would be superficial”, he explains.  Some people still know the procedure for the expensive ceremony, described by anthropologists as “distribution of surplus wealth”.  The Taarangkai ceremony could only be carried out by a married man, though a widow was still permitted to perform it.    “These days the essence of it is glossed over.  There are lots of traditions involved, for example rules of maintaining purity that has to be practiced and so on”. 

Regarding stories for animation, Prof. Gangmumei indicates sources for folktales at the Manipur University, with additional suggestions of people who would be able to relate some tribal stories.  He went on to mention a Man-Tiger story that has also been adopted by the Meitei community, and on seeing the short film from Nagaland “Man Tiger Spirit” Prof. Gangmumei remarks that the connectivity of the three brothers has been depicted well and that the visualization and music are good.

“I tell my son that synthesis between indigeneity and modernity is required.  The Government of India is allergic to the word indigeneity with the idea that it implies pre-Hindu or non Hindu, and in government institutions folk art is the preferred term”.  

Discussion with Sephin Alexander, animation student from Kerala

(Sephin is a Post Graduate animation student at the National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad, Gujarat.  He will be joining the Animation Workshop in Manipur to share his experiences in the animation medium with participants.)


How did you get interested in animation?
I was always interested in cartoons and I've been drawing since childhood, as I grew up, my interest increased. When I realised animation was a viable career option, I went for it.


Are your parents encouraging?
My mother was always supportive but started seeing it from my perspective as the years past and my work improved.


How was it to join NID? - how was the selection process etc. and what are your feelings about being an animation student at NID?
I wanted to come to NID because it is one of the few places in India that animation is taught as it should be. Here more emphasis is placed on being conceptually strong. In other places its more about techniques which is not a bad thing, however for me concepts are more important.The entrance wasn't easy. In fact I met a lot of people who seemed a lot better, but now that I'm here, the journey has been really interesting. We have a very supportive and dedicated HOD.


How do you feel about being an animator?
Animation is unrestrictive. As an artist, it's very gratifying. There are no limits to your imagination.


What need is there to preserve the art and folktales of Manipur?
India has a wealth of traditional knowledge be it in science or arts. Most of which is dying out very fast, if we dont act fast, we stand to lose this knowledge forever. Preserving the art forms of Manipur will also create a sense of pride for the state in its people.


What do you expect from the workshop?
Im looking forward to interacting with other animators, getting fresh perspectives, new ideas. This is a chance for me to share my knowldege with interesting people.


How do you feel the film will be - 2D, 3D, what art style is suited to Manipur?
2D mainly because we're dealing with a traditional art form, but it should also include some elements of 3D as every art form must to an extent reinvent itself to survive. There have been great examples of works where both have been used to good effect.


Do you think we should do a version of the film in Manipuri language?
Of course it should, preservation must start at the root.


Where can we screen the completed film?
The scope for the film will be quite large. Screenings can happen in schools, colleges and during various diplomatic exchanges.


Do you think that there is potential for animation in Manipur?
Yes


Do you think a tribal story will be best, or a Meitei one?
A tribal story will be best


Links to Sephin's work:

Short Picture Story "The Story Of Soko & Koko"
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.311591991330.155175.687916330&type=3&l=b9c8f210fd

Artwork Album - "Artsy-Glitsy"
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.99294706330.102401.687916330&type=3&l=24eb9b928f

Online Portfolio on 'Coroflot'
http://www.coroflot.com/Sephin_Alexander

Youtube Channel with Animation work 
http://www.youtube.com/user/SephinAlexander

Selection of the participants for the workshop.

Over thirty people responded to a recent advertisement for the Animation Workshop in the local “Sangai” newspaper and the final selection of participants took place at 11.30am on 22 February at the Manipur Film Development Corporation Complex in Imphal.

The organising committee for the workshop assembled and the interviews began. Some of the applicants were not able to attend and ultimately it was unanimously decided that all those interviewed would eligible to join the workshop, which starts on Saturday.

23 participants are now confirmed; I was disappointed to observe that not a single female had applied, and that all the applicants are from the Meitei community –so there is currently no representation from the 33 tribes in Manipur. Speculating on the reason for this - Perhaps the advertisement implied that applicants needed to be experienced animators and artists, as most of them already have impressive CVs; I am told that art is a new subject for the tribal communities and as I become more familiar here I notice the formal artistic sensibilities acquired through art school training and exposure – and that this may have been intimidating.
The attitude to the workshop is serious. With the existing technical experience of the group, participants may be impatient to plunge straight into the animation, created through various 2D and 3D software. The style of the film will be their decision; will they be able to move away from the aesthetics of commercially produced animation and be ready to experiment? And what if they were to work on a tribal folktale as a group of Meitei participants?

I am encouraged that Samson S. Meitei has already worked on “Illustrated Folktales of Manipur” (2010, Imphal, published by LInthoingambi Publications,in Meitelon language), that others have worked on "Keibu Kei-oiba", (a Meitei folktale about a tiger-man), and that Debdatta Heikrujam has already animated a sequence of the mythical Pakhangba python that seems to be all important in Meitei culture.

How I became involved in Manipur

(by Tara Douglas, Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust.  Tara will be a resource person for the Animation Workshop in Manipur).

In a couple of days time the three week long Animation Workshop in Manipur will start. It feels like a momentous occasion, that has come a long way from my first interaction with Manipuris, back in June 2008. At long last the first Animation Workshop for Tribal Artists was granted support by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, in Delhi; by now the initiative had grown from a modest idea of inviting ten Gond artists to come and learn about animation, to becoming an event for 40 participants from several parts of India. In addition to the Gond artists, arrangements had been made for participants to join the workshop from the Santhal tribe of Jharkhand and West Bengal and, with the workshop falling under the Janapada Sampada Northeast Division of IGNCA, six Manipuris were also invited, through the Manipur Films Division.

It was a very busy two weeks, with the three groups choosing folktales from their own regions to develop through preproduction for short animation films. Unsurprisingly, the participants gravitated towards their strengths: The talented Gond artists plunged straight into painting characters for their short story “The Squirrel’s Dream”, the Santhals kept assembling for intense discussions choosing a story of their own, “A Cold Breeze” and the Manipuris (mostly from the Meitei community, though there was also one Kuki in the group) wasted no time in choosing a story called “Man and Monkey” from their own tradition. I could not fail to notice that the Manipuris were highly focused. They did not seem to require any supervision and were easily able to allocate tasks to the members of their team. One of them, Satya Hijam, clearly had advanced artistic skills and in an offhand manner he revealed his nature as that of a “workaholic”. Quickly and efficiently, Satya designed characters for the Manipuri story and when it came to sound recording Satya once again revealed a hidden talent for mimicking sounds. Before I knew what had happened, the Manipuri team had managed to write the script, create character and background designs and they had already assembled an animatic with dialogues in Meitei language and a scratch musical track featuring the Pena!

Before returning to Imphal, the Manipuris expressed their enjoyment of the workshop and they politely asked me when I would be visiting Manipur to organise a local Animation Workshop over there. I smiled equally politely, but had no serious expectations of visiting Manipur in the near future.

But of course this would not be the end of the story. The Manipuris kept in touch with me via email and Satya in particular relentlessly kept repeating wish for an Animation Workshop to be organised in Manipur. By chance, this Manipur link was further strengthened when I met Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh at an Indo-Canadian symposium on indigenous art held in 2009 at the National Museum in Delhi. I mumbled on about Manipuris participating in the animation workshop and all of a sudden it was as if a light bulb had been switched on – R.K. Joy also happened to be an animation enthusiast, and he also began insisting that I had to come to Manipur and arrange an Animation Workshop in Imphal. But funds would be needed, and so I prepared a project proposal for a three week long introductory animation workshop and by more good luck I was able to visit Manipur for the first time in December 2010, armed with the elusive and hard to obtain Protected Area Permit that would allow me to cross the border from Nagaland.

The Manipuris continue in their persistence and their hospitality brought me back to Manipur a second time a year later, in December 2011 to follow up with the proposal that had been submitted the previous year to the Government Department of Art and Culture. It was a lucky moment; We have now added a local cultural expert, Mr. Mutua Bahadur to our team, and his distinguished reputation has brought us to the Commissioner of Art and Culture, Mr. R.K. Nemei, who was able to provide his crucial signature to the document that will ensure the support we required for the workshop.

Two months later and I am now back in Imphal for the momentous event, and I continue to be overwhelmed by the relentless determination and enthusiasm of the Manipuri team that has now clearly proven that persistence really does pays off.

Discussion with Rahul Laishram, animation student from Manipur

(Rahul is a Post Graduate animation student at the National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad, Gujarat.  He will be joining the Animation Workshop in Manipur to share his experiences in the animation medium with participants.)

How did you get interested in animation?
I used to doodle a lot in my notebooks. Most of them were spontaneous and I didn’t give much thought or importance to my doodles. It was later that my friends found them interesting. They realized they could use my skills for their biology drawings, physics diagrams and text book decorations. So, I helped them get good marks by making their books and projects look awesome. On the other side, I was getting worried as I knew good grades/marks are not in my fate. I thought of the most challenging thing that can be done with drawing skills. Animation fitted just right. The fact that you have to draw around 24 frames for a second of animation made me go crazy and then I said, “This is it. I’m in.”

Are your parents encouraging?
There was a bit of a friction when I told my parents that I wanted to do animation. They wanted me to look into other usual options. I took my stand to not stray away from animation. I was then enrolled into an animation-software learning programme. At the same time, I was preparing for the entrance tests for NID. I got through the preliminary written test and then to the studio tests. I didn’t get through the interview but at least, it made my parents believe that there’s a future for me. From then on, my parents have been very encouraging and supporting. Be it either in monetary or emotional terms.

How was it to join NID?
NID has always been a dream for me. Every time I visited there, I felt a sense of calm. I had interactions with the students before I joined. Those sessions really opened my mind and taught me to see things from more than a single perspective. Many unanswered questions have been answered since the time I joined NID. It has given me even more questions to drive me ahead.

The selection process at NID starts with a written test (the format changes every year). Then, after the preliminary selection, the candidates are called over to the institute for Studio tests and the interview. The candidates are graded on their cognitive skills, awareness, attitude etc. There are 15 intakes every year in the Post-Graduate programme. For the Under-graduates, they have to go through an year of foundation and from the second year, they are given their disciplines according to their performance and preferences.

Being an animation student here in NID has made me more open to ideas. It has steered me towards realizing the potential of animation-film making. The interaction with students from other disciplines makes it more possible to open our minds wider. It helps us break away from a tunnel view and look at opportunities that are already there.

How do you feel about being from Manipuri  at NID, and as an animator?
I feel very privileged to be one of the few Manipuris here in NID. At the same time, it’s kind of sad because I know there is a lot of potential talent back home. On top of a lack of awareness, there is also a lack of support from parents or families. People normally rely on the success factor of others to decide their future. I would like them to know that learning Animation Film Design or any other design course won’t go waste as long as they put both their feet in.

I would not call myself an animator yet. It’s an awesome feeling though. Imperfections and mistakes happen time and again. Sometimes I feel like, I should just quit. Patience runs out of hand, again and again but when you see your drawings come to life in the end, it’s a total high. That apart, being an animator/film-maker -to-be, I feel it a responsibility to keep alive a culture that’s my own.

What need is there to preserve the art and folktales of Manipur?
It’s okay to have a taste of different cultures but what is homegrown would always be the nearest to grab. It reinforces the identity of the community from where the folktale or folk art is. People feel powerless when their existence is not recognized. The impact is more prominent when people travel to other places, when they meet different people and when they discuss their cultures. We can’t pity ourselves by saying we are a minority in the country. These stories represent us, so, when they die , we die too.

What do you expect from the workshop?
I’m expecting the workshop to be a two-way learning experience for both the participants and also the people taking the workshop. Three weeks is quite a short time for coming up with a 5-minute animated film but enough time to come up with enough ideas to share and start working on them. Also, for me it’ll be a nice opportunity to recollect all the stories that have gone blurry in my memory.

How do you feel the film will be - 2D, 3D, what art style is suited to Manipur?
Normally and usually, I decide the medium after having a look at the script. The other mediums apart from pure 2D or 3D can be considered. Claymation, paper-cutouts (or other indigenous materials), Stop-motion in general can also be nice mediums for maintaining an earthy appeal.

Where can we screen the completed film?
A lot of community centers have been built around Manipur. The screenings might be appropriate there. Also, there’s the “Lai Haraoba” festival. It would be an appropriate time to screen it.

Do you think that there is potential for animation in Manipur?
Animation has a potential to change things if taken in consideration with the right mind and energy. Of course, it might sound impossible as one might say there’s a small market there. The truth is that if the production quality is good and the story clicks, it can cut across markets or political boundaries.

What do you know about the tribes in Manipur?
There are about thirty tribes in Manipur. It is surprising to hear that. If you ask me to name them, I will only be able to name a few. This is a problem for me. It’s like I don’t know some of the members in my family. The reasons for why I don’t know them might be many but personally, I feel that by telling stories from different parts of the state and communities, through the medium of Animation or Cinema would be a great help to bridge the communication gaps and create awareness.

Do you think a tribal story will be best, or a Meitei one?
A story will stand for itself. It’ll have to face the audience. It cannot be judged upon whether it’s of this community or that. So, let’s wait for the stories to gather and then, we can choose accordingly.

Animation Workshop in Manipur

Bringing the art and culture of Manipur to life through animation.

Join us and become part of the team to produce a short animated folktale from Manipur.

The Government of Manipur (Art and Culture Department) is collaborating with the Adivasi Arts Trust (UK) for a three week long Animation Workshop, also supported by the Films Division (Manipur) and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust. The workshop will provide an introduction to storytelling through the animation medium to include scriptwriting, storyboarding, character and background design and various animation techniques. There will also be a daily screening of animation films by international masters of the profession.

Visiting British animator and Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust, Ms. Tara Douglas will guide the team through pre-production for a short animation film from Manipur. The team will also be joined by animators from the National Institute of Design (Ahmadabad, Gujarat) who will share their experiences of the animation medium, and the short animation film from Manipur will be a part of the “Tales of the Tribes” collection of animated folktales from the Northeast.

The workshop will be held from 25 February – 17 March 2012, at the Films Division Complex, Imphal. Interested participants are required to show commitment for the entire duration of the workshop. They will have basic computer skills, artistic ability and interest. Participants are also requested to bring along their favourite folktale from Manipur to share with the team, and the best story will be chosen for the animation film.
Complimentary lunch, tea and snacks will be provided daily during the workshop.

Participants will be admitted on first come basis.