Mannat
Mannat was a 2-week intensive residency by artists and sisters Nimra Bandukwala and Manahil Bandukwala that took place at Jumblies Theatre as part of the Jumblies Artist In Residence Programin June 2023.
Mannat منّت is a word with Persian and Sanskrit roots that roughly signifies a wish, intention, or hope in the Urdu language. It is a coloured fabric that connects the past to the future. It is a symbolic gesture of exchange and reciprocity that involves tying colourful strips of cloth to trees near sacred places of Sindh.
The residency shared folktales from Sindh, Pakistan, and invited community members to share their cultural, ancestral or contemporary folktales through arts and storytelling workshops, art drop-ins, and an exhibition. A central part of the residency was the creation of a 9 ft. by 9 ft. paper-maché Mannat tree, in collaboration with community members, and having hundreds of participants tie their mannat to the tree.
Three workshops took place, where community members explored the themes of supernatural creatures in folklore using gathered materials and creating scenes from folktales using reclaimed fabric and wedding invitations. Each material was lovingly transformed into a story, scene, or a question for us and future generations.
The residency culminated in an exhibition that featured a performance by the all-abilities Gather Round choir of a Sindhi folk song Lal Meri Pat, a performance of the folktale of Sohni and Meher, and an exhibition showcasing sculptural pieces created during the residency.
More about Reth aur Reghistan can be found on the project website at sculpturalstorytelling.com.
The artist residency was generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts: Concept To Realization Grant, the Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grant, and the Jumblies Artist In Residence Program.
