David Bolland Kathakali collection

This material is held atRose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance - Special Collections

Scope and Content

The collection contains some seventy hours of film (on video,then DVD, now on the College's Vimeo site). It includes documentaries (including Malabar Masque), recordings of plays, material on training, chutti (make-up), and melappadam and purappadu (music and dance) and fourteen hours of Choliyattam as well as material of other types of dramatic and ritual performance from Kerala. It also includes 35mm and 12mm slides (on the College's SWAY platform), 3 albums of photographs, books, journals and performance notebooks.

Administrative / Biographical History

Access Information

Access is available to bona fide researchers and theatre professionals by appointment. A password to view online material can also be given.

Acquisition Information

The material in the archive was gathered over five decades through long association and friendship with performing artists and educators in Kerala. No fees were paid and all recordings were undertaken by David Bolland at his own expense and as a labour of love for the art of Kathakali. It is a condition the donation of the collection that it should not be reproduced or used for commercial purposes, and should be made available to artists, students, researchers for personal study.

Conditions Governing Use

Every attempt has been made to identify the individual artists in the performances recorded. There are detailed attributions listed on the website

Bibliography

Bolland, David. A Guide to Kathakali. Third edition. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pty., 1996.

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