How a unique community theatre in Kochi has set art and artists free

When actor and storyteller Manu Jose was looking for a space for his community-oriented theatre activities in Mulanthuruthy, a southeastern suburb of Kochi, he found an old lathe workshop, which has been rented out as a godown for more than ten years. The concrete structure, however, had the right dimensions, especially the height needed for a theatre space.

Manu and his wife Sanitha Sathyan spent their entire savings to redesign the space which they called Ala Centre for Culture and Alternative Education. Today, Ala has been instrumental in touching the lives of people in Mulanthuruthy. Artists, musicians and actors from various parts of the country and abroad come to Ala and perform and it has created a sense of cultural awakening among people in Mulanthuruthy and its neighbouring areas.

Manu Jose during a theatre training programe for children.

Manu believes that art is integral to human existence and that it has the potential to touch the hearts of people and transform the very fabric of our social ecosystems. “Ala is envisaged as a space for ‘community theatre’ in the broadest sense. We believe in the power of theatre to transform the lives of people through the possibilities provided for change in perception about the self and the world by using the tools of body, voice and mind,” said Manu, a storyteller-theatre artist.

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What makes Ala different from other theatre spaces is its continuous interaction and experiments with the people around it. In the corporate-driven fast-paced life in India and Kerala, social change through art is a challenging goal. There are many experiential theatre spaces in Kerala but Manu wants his space to be more open and community-friendly.

There are challenges of maintaining an exclusive space for theatre in a sleepy, scenic suburb of Kochi. Manu’s formula is simple. He invites people from every walk of life to Ala. There are children, Kudumbashree workers, homemakers, health volunteers, teachers and senior citizens. The list never ends. He then makes each one an inevitable part of the whole theatre process. And it makes Ala a happening place throughout the year. The Ala Centre for Culture and Alternative Education has a 900-sq feet acoustically treated black box theatre space with well-designed green rooms, outdoor stage, a multifunctional mandapam and a guest house.

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Manu has conducted more than 1,500 personality development and communication workshops using theatre as a tool. He has also conducted 600 story-telling sessions, which evoked tremendous response among the children in various schools. The idea of a community theatre, however, clicked while he was working with an NGO in Gudalur in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. After he graduated from the School of Drama & Fine Arts in Thrissur, Manu did his MA in performing arts at Pondicherry University in 1993. He then went to Gudalur and joined an NGO that was primarily working for the welfare of the tribal people in the rural pockets.

Ala Centre for Culture and Alternative Education turned six years in January

“There were engineers, architects and doctors in the team. They were all doing well in their respective areas. But then why did they come to Gudalur to help the tribal people? I asked myself this question a couple of times. The more I worked with them the more I realised that it was a sense of commitment towards society that brought them here,” said Manu, who is director of Ala Centre for Culture and Alternative Education.

In Gudalur, Manu documented songs of the tribal communities, and brought out cassettes on ‘Mullakurumbarude Vattakalipattukal’, ‘Bettakurumbarin Padalgal’, ‘Paniyar in Kurathi Nataka Padalgal’, ‘Mullakurambarude Kalipattukal’, ‘Putheri: Songs of the Adivasi’. It took a couple of years for Manu to approach members of the tribal community and record their songs. Even though documentation of tribal songs is widely done today thanks to technological advancement, it was in the early 1990s that Manu climbed the Nilgiri hills in search of the music of the tribal community. “My stay in Gudalur was a turning point in my life. It helped me take a close look at the tribal communities out there. It was after this experience that I started using the elements of theatre to enrich the social and cultural spaces of people,” said the 56-year-old.

Manu Jose during a storytelling session for children.

Even though Manu has acted in many theatre productions headed by masters like S Ramanujam, BV Karanth, Kavalam Narayana Panicker and Indira Parthasarathy, he always wanted to create a space of his own. In 1994, he anchored a children’s show called Chirakukal (wings) which was broadcast on Asianet TV channel. “The show evoked tremendous response and it made me popular. It was during the production of this show that I got a great opportunity to know more about children and their behaviour. But I was looking for a more democratic space where I could use my skills in theatre and storytelling together. Ala was the answer to it. Today, people see Ala as a space where they can come and do something of their own,” he said.

However, Manu feels that the teachers in today’s schools are not doing the jobs that they are supposed to do. And that’s why he didn't send his son to school. “My son is 12 years old. I didn't send him to school because I know what he would be getting from the school. We have a hopeless system of education. The teachers are not doing their jobs. My son learns things from Ala. He is very passionate when it comes to cooking,” said Manu.

In November, 2024, renowned puppet-maker and performer Andrew Kim conducted a workshop at Ala. The ten-day giant puppet workshop at Ala was a great experiment in this format. At least 12 theatre practitioners and artists lived and worked together to create two giant puppets under the guidance of Andrew. When Andrew left, he donated the two giant puppets that he made to Ala. It is difficult to maintain giant puppets in Indian climatic conditions. But Manu took it as a challenge. In January, when Ala turned six years old, Manu and his team conducted a tour of these two giant puppets. Manu renamed the puppets as Madan and Marutha (folk deities of Kerala). “The giant puppet tour evoked tremendous response. Many who joined us didn’t leave after the show. They stayed back, and discussed a lot about puppets. It was a great experience,” said Manu.

Running a theatre in a place like Mulanthuruthy is not easy and Manu often takes care of the expenses from his pocket. His wife who runs an eye hospital, thankfully, has great fascination for theatre and art.

“As of now, our sole funding comes from personal resources and the money we collect from ticketed events. Our inability to raise funds has been a stumbling block in our journey. We are looking for possibilities to overcome that,” said Manu, who strongly believes that there is a place for art in a layperson's life and the artists have a responsibility to create art that engages with the community.