Sabrida is the name of the woman who will be the face of the Brave Festival this year. She is a Hindu ascetic who roams India's countryside. Her picture was taken in Kathmandu by Laurent Auxiette
Sabrida has roamed the country since the death of her husband. In India, such persons are called ("good person" in Sanskrit). Sādhu is a travelling ascetic who chose to live on the fringes of the society so as to focus on spiritual practices. He or she strives to gain liberation or, to use another word, enlightenment by meditating and praying. Sādhu enjoys respect of the local community and helps the locals, blesses them, and resolves conflicts in families. Women hardly ever decide to live such lives. Sabrida has been on the road for 17 years; since then, she has not cut her hair and has lived a holy life. She impersonates to a great extent what the next edition of the Brave Festival will focus on. Its subject will be "Holy body".
The previous editions of the Brave Festival focused on music, rituals, and theatre. This year, it will be different. "Work on the body, especially dance, leads to liberation. Technique is the most important. Nothing else is needed", said Grzegorz Bral, the director of the Brave Festival. "This simple and, to a degree, magical relation will become evident during the upcoming festival", he added.
The programme of the upcoming edition will focus on the human body, with all its contexts: from obvious corporeality through symbolic merge of body and soul. It will make strong references to the traditions of theatre. The spectators can expect amazing dance shows and rites, as well as authentic ceremonies in which body plays a particularly important role, unlike in other situations.
10. The Brave Festival will be founded on both tradition and the contemporary contexts. As a link to the original assumptions of the festival, its jubilee edition will present both the perishing cultures of the artists and the contemporary art that benefits from the old rites and transforms them into a new language. A large part of the festival events will be dedicated to the culture and tradition of India.
In July, Wroclaw will be visited, among others, by masters of one of the oldest Indian theatrical dance forms, the mudiyett. In 2010, this tradition was included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Another extraordinary event will be the performance of one of the best Bharatanatjam dancers. A novelty at the festival will be art confrontations during which artists from different cultures will improvise a joint performance or will take part in a discussion about their art. Additionally, the audience will be able to participate in special art workshops.
Opr.ak
The 10th edition of the Brave Festival will take place on 4-17 July 2014 in Wroclaw.
