An Ode to Creativity!

META: A dream, the seeds of which were sown 11 years ago. A new dream in the same old land nurtured by the hard work and inextinguishable passion by those who visualised it earnestly.

META is not merely a 5-day theatre festival. It is not just a festival that demands people turning up in larger numbers and filling the seats for each show. These 5 days were the countless stories unravelling each day about the efforts that went into making this a successful and a pleasurable experience for the audience.

These 5 days held close to us the different faces of reality we are surrounded with. Issues which are prevalent but unspoken. Characters that are endearing but unaccepted throughout. Themes that seem whacky but they provoke your thoughts in a single bout.

META, as I saw it, from the eyes of a volunteer who has the privilege to observe every department in the event, is a benevolent stage.

It is a forum that gives a unified voice to diverse languages emerging from a common root: the power to make people think. The voices are not a tool of propaganda rather the performances thrive on only one thing: Free expression. Expression of one’s thoughts freely, regardless of his/her social standing, caste and language is a dream that is still unfulfilled for many people. It is a forum that lends new insights to the audience by giving them fair access into the minds of the directors who are conceptualising their projects. How can you justify the story of a nun who gave birth to a baby claiming the child as an immaculate conception? How can you bring out the disguises of people living in our society? Where else does one find a forum that gives space to discuss the problems of Palestine, inland refugees in India and the tragic story of an Iranian girl under one roof?

Making everyone happy sounds impossible, right? You can’t make everyone happy, but what we can do is achieve the best in our efforts to cater to the needs of each and every person associated with the festival. More than the act, it is the intention which deserves applause or condemnation. From hospitality to providing technical support, Teamwork Arts and The Mahindra group achieved high standards of excellence. The excellence is not merely the result of simple hard work put in by the organisers, rather it is a fruit of their Labour of Love. A common thread that binds together each and every member who was involved in organising the event is the intense, powerful passion throbbing in each heart to assist the artists in their storytelling in the best way possible so that their stories travel far and further to the places and people for whom it has been made.

One line that I always remember is — Success is not what you create, it is what you leave behind. The talent of various artists has been recognized, but more than that META has provided a platform for the newer, budding artists to blossom their talents with the essential technology and the instant audience feedback.

What began on a note of fervour at Hotel Taj Mansingh on the 5th of March ended with the same sentiment of festivity at Taj Mansingh on the 11th as well. The 11th edition of META concluded on a note of admiration for those who won, appraisal for those who reached the nominations and a sense of wonderful celebration for the organisers. An end is simply a blessing in disguise and what ended this year would come again and grow to the magnificence of 12th in the next year.

— Samridhi Roy