TRAVEL & VOLUNTEERING IN SOUTH EAST ASIA | KERALA, INDIA

After an intense six month period creating the costumes for The Olympic Torch Lighting Ceremony, I decided to spend my summer in South East Asia combining two things I love: travel and volunteering.

The first leg of my journey was spent in Kerala, India. I spent my time relaxing and soaking up the sights before setting off on my volunteer programmes.

In Kerala I visited both The Folklore Museum and attended performances at The Kathakali Centre. Both complimented one another in understanding costume design in this stunning part of India. In The Folklore Museum I saw elements of the costumes up close, including costume jewellery & headwear, performance anklets, bracelets, belts and my favourite: makeup designs. On an array of heads was a display of various makeup designs used in performance.

And then in The Kathakali centre itself I watched shows which included ‘makeup’, whereby you view the actors applying their makeup on stage before performing. So I got to see costumes and props similar to those of the museum, being worn in practice. As in many cultures, actors in Kerala traditionally were always male even when playing the roles of women.