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Training Institute
Introduction
Being the most important national organization for
the preservation of Tibetan culture, the Tibetan Institute
of Performing Arts has always emphasized the need for
sustaining Tibetan culture in the lives of the Tibetan
people themselves rather than maintaining it as a showpiece
exclusive to the Institute. We have attempted to fulfil
this important role by sending trained instructors to
various Tibetan communities in exile, and especially
to schools. But as only a token emphasis is being placed
on traditional and cultural education in the curricula
of Tibetan schools these days, the survival of the national
and cultural identity of the young Tibetans of the future
becomes very uncertain.
It is, of course, of vital importance that young Tibetans
be given a modern academic education if they are to
be successful in today's competitive world. Yet if these
young people are unable to retain and assert their Tibetan
identity, then the whole idea of maintaining separate
schools for Tibetans becomes questionable. We feel that
not only is it possible for a child to absorb a modern
academic education along with a traditional Tibetan
one, but that it is vital for the future of Tibet that
it be this way.
So, TIPA founded the CULTURAL SCHOOL/ACADEMIC SCHOOL in
1984 with the hope to produce well-rounded young Tibetans,
who will not only have good career prospects in the modern
world, but also have the capacity to contribute to Tibetan
society through their knowledge of its arts and culture.
Departments
In order to ensure smooth functioning of the institute,
Tipa is divided into various departments. Each department
plays a very important role in the achievements of overall
goals and of the institute. There is a very strong cooperation
and coordination between the various departments as Tipa symbolises
a huge family living under one roof, sharing each others joy
and sorrow while collectively putting their best efforts towards
fulfilling the goals of the institute.
Tipa is broadly divided into the following main departments
or sections:
- Administration
- Teachers/Instructors
- Research
- Tailoring/Carpentary/Shoe Section
TIPA Cultural School
In its pilot scheme, the school took about thirty children
aged between six and twelve. The children were chosen
for their intelligence and capacity for hard work, priority
was given children living in remote and backward areas
of Nepal and India, many of whom were orphans.
In order to limit any unhealthy influences, the children
lived in facilities detached from main Institute complex,
presided over by foster-parents. The Tibetan children's
Vilage had kindly agreed to accept TIPA's children as
day-scholars and provide them wih a normal academic
education to at least school certificate level. After
school, they received extra lessons in Tibetan language,
history, music, dance and art.
Today, Tipa's Culture School comprises of 23 students (11
boys & 12 girls), looked after by a foster mother. The students
live in the Culture School building constructed with the financial
assistance from International Bornejhaelp of Denmark.
This school went through a major transformation by the fall
of 1999. In order to provide them with proper education besides
being artistes-in-the-making, 12 students were enrolled into
Foundation Course (equivalent to Class VIII) of the National
Open School (NOS) educational programme of Govt. of India.
Rest of the students will also be enrolled for the said course
every year. The objective behind the introduction of NOS to
CS students is to enable them to procure recognised degrees/certificates.
On successful completion of the Senior Secondary Examination
of the NOS, they will be able to continue with the university
level education through Correspondence Course/ Distance Learning
Programmes while practicing Tibetan performing arts. Unlike
the actual nature of the NOS program where teachers and schooling
is not involved, Tipa CS has 5 regular teachers to teach and
guide them.
Urgent Needs of TIPA Cultural School
As an impetus to achieve the goals set behind the introduction
of NOS educational program, the need for a full fledged library
is very much felt where students can look for reference books
as an aid to their study materials. We request generous aid
organisations and individuals to support our library project
for Culture School.
The TIPA Shoton Festival
Due to the overwhelming success of the last Shoton Festival
in 1993 and the inspiring encouragement received from all
quarters, particularly from His Holiness who emphasised the
importance of preserving the operatic tradition, TIPA has
endeavoured to organise another festival of an even greater
magnidtude. Five opera troupes from India and Nepal are coming
to TIPA to perform their chosen Lhamo and to participate in
the cultural festivities. The Shoton 96 will be a week long
expose of ancient Tibetan cultural traditions of drama, music,
dance, comedy and history. To contrast with the tradition
and provide a reminder of culture as dynamic and ever changing
one evening during the festival, the Aa Ka Ma band will perform
a set of modern Tibetan songs. This year the Shoton is to
be held in late March rather than the traditinal April-May
period. This is in order to co-incide with His Holiness public
teachings and therefore to give more people an opportunity
to experience the ancient and joyous tradition of Shoton.
Not only will it provide foreign travellers the chance to
see this spectacular and unique event, it will give many people
from occupied Tibet who come to Dharamsala for the Losar (Tibetan
The Shoton 2001 As opera grew in popularity, so did
the number of troupes who performed it. By the nineteenth
century, opera was found throughtout Tibet, and each major
district had a permanent troupe which performed for the local
populace on a number of formal occasions during the year.
The actors consisted of monks and lay people who had a personal
love for the art form.
Drepung Monastery,founded in 1416 by a disciple of je Tsongkhapa,
was the place where the tradition of the annual Shoton or
the "Great Yoghurt Fesstival" was established. Mid-Augusst
was the time when the pastures were at their greenest and
the monks had ended their annual summer retreat. Offerings
to the monastery were made in the form of rich milk which
the dzomo and dri gave in abundance at this time of year.
The Shoton Festival became the annual feast of yoghurt dishes
at Drepung to which theatre groups were invited to perform
for the monks and their guests, and which rich and poor, noble
and ordinary men and women attended. The festival was organised,
planned and sponsored by the government in a very sophisticated
manner. It grew in popularity until it was soon followed by
another five days of operas in the garden of the Norbu Lingka,
the Dalai Lama"s summer palace.
By the time of the Great Thirteenth Dalai Lama at the turn
of the twentieth century, the Shoton Festival was a highly
polished and regulated affair that the entire population of
Lhasa attended with tremendous excitement. By the1920's, the
proceedings were opened with all twelve regional opera companies
performing a brief resume of their opera. Over the next four
days,operas were presented by the four principle troupes;
Gyangdhara, Chungpa, Shangpa and Kyormolungpa.These groups
performances were considered a form of tax by the government.
Instead of paying the usual grain quota, the groups had to
appear in Lhasa by a certain dat3 to present a set number
of performances under the supervision of the Tsechag Lekhung,
the Treasury office of the Central Government. This office
had complete control over the acting troupes during their
stay in Lhasa, evaluating the quality of performances and
appointing new actors and teachers.
The last group, the Kyormolungpa, eventually become the
first fulltime acting company which toured the countryside.
The group was soon considered to be the liveliest and most
interesting of the four. Since they were based in Lhasa, they
were modern and their performances were riddled with invective
and satirised interpretations of current issues within Tibet.
For interested observers of culture to be able to reflect
upon the Tibetan tradition of Lhamo and its place in the modern
world, there will be a two days conference following the festival
concerning, "Preserving the Operatic Tradition".
THE SHOTON 2001
Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts takes the pleasure
in informing to the public on our forth coming Shoton Festival
as follows:
- The Shoton Festival of 2001 starts on 27th March
at 9.00 am. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will bless
the inaugural function on the same day. And it will continue
for another seven days where the Lhamo association from
Bhandra, Orissa, Bylakuppe, Mainpat, Mundgod, Nepal
and Kamlinpong will present different opera performances.
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts will present concluding
Lhamo performance on 4th April 2001.
- The TIPA artistes and AaKaMa Band of TIPA
youth will present various cultural and contemporary dances,
music and plays.
We welcome one and all in this auspicious occasion to share
our ancient culture Lhamo performance.
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