Telling their stories
Taking an in depth look at how patriarchal values continue to affect the present generation is V Day 2018 : PatriANarchy, presented by Grassrooted on April 1, 2018.
V Day 2018 brings together stories centered around female genital mutilation, alcohol and women, sex work in the North, entitled misogynists, and gang rape. As in previous years, the performances are based on interviews, discussions and conversations with victims, survivors, and perpetrators, and stories covered by the national press.
Hans
The plays are written by Paba Deshapriya, Dharini Priscilla and Hans Billimoria. Here, Hans tells us about the writing process and the inspiration behind the work.
On the earliest scripts
A: We have been writing scripts for V Day since 2012, after we first performed “V Day – A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer,” in 2011 as part of the global V Day movement. As evocative as those scripts were, we felt that we needed to tell our stories, in our language, and that’s why we do performance pieces in Sinhala, Tamil and English. This year Dharini joined the writing team, and did a wonderful job with the Tamil scripts.
On the writing process changing over time
A: The first year we wrote original scripts, we had to go looking for stories, but after that…Over the last few years we’ve often thought – will we have scripts for another V Day, and then, sadly, we do…We no longer limit our scripts to violence against women and girls alone. The trans community, those of diverse sexual orientation, including heterosexual men, all have gender-based violence perpetrated against them. The justifications for and responses to violence in Sri Lanka as a people, are often ridiculous. They point to a need for fundamental changes in the way we treat each other. This goes beyond respecting women. We need to have more human discussions. We need to ensure equal opportunity and possibility for all. And that’s what continues to inspire us to write about or even ridicule, our current approach to human interaction.
On having scripts approved by the censor board and leaving out a segment as a result
A: This year one of our scripts was rejected. It was a piece on abortion. Freedom of expression is what we all fought and voted for in recent years, but somehow we seem to have to continue our struggle to speak our minds. And we will.
On PatriANarchy
A: We’re not anarchists, but we do need to challenge the patriarchal values that seem to continue to stifle us in Sri Lanka. The sense of entitlement that men have in our country, the acceptance of blatant misogyny and sexism, the apparent biological imperative of the man, all these aspects need re-evaluation, because it can and does lead to violence. We must disrupt this patriarchal narrative. It won’t happen in an evening, but we must begin a discussion on why we need to move forward and make opportunities and possibilities for all, a reality.
V Day 2018 : PatriANarchy is directed by Jith Peris and Hans Billimoria and will take place on Sunday April 1, 7pm at IdeaHell, 45/6, Alwis Place, Colombo 3. Suitable only for adults (18+). Tickets are priced at Rs. 1000, with 25% off for students, and are available at the Barefoot Gallery.
For student ticket reservations email
trust@grassrooted.net