The pangs and pain of growing up in Punjab during India's partition in 1947 have been brought to life by a British Asian theatre company at a major arts festival in Wales starting today.
The play, titled a Lifetime on Tiptoes, is a joint venture of the Cardiff-based Gwanwyn Festival, artiste Mazhar Tirmazi and the renowned tabla player, Kuljit Bhamra, and tells the store of life in 1940s India.
Gwanwyn coordinator Phillip Thomas said: "A Lifetime on Tiptoes is based on an older woman's account of her experiences of growing up in India during the partition in 1947. Older people have a lifetime of knowledge and experience and it is important to realise how lessons from the past can have a positive influence on the future".
He said: "The play teaches us, through these experiences, how we need to involve people from every different sector of our communities in society. We are hoping that this project will inspire older people from our different communities to celebrate their heritage through the creative arts."
The play will be broadcast by the London-based Asian community radio station Desi Radio and be available from the Gwanwyn website.
Dominic Rai, artistic director of the Mán Melá theatre company and the main driving force behind the project, said, "The story of the partition of British India in 1947, that is recounted by A Lifetime on Tiptoes, definitely has connections with modern Wales".
He added: "The play touches on experiences which we hope will resonate with communities right across modern, multi-cultural Wales. I'm hoping that bringing to life experiences from 60 years ago about dividing society in a hi-tech podcast will bring modern audiences from different backgrounds closer."
The play will be available from the Gwanwyn website in Punjabi with English translation in the summer.
A Lifetime on Tiptoes will be translated into Welsh by the poet Menna Elfyn for performance in 2011.
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