LoreKeepers
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LoreKeepers is a collective gathering of oral traditions of our land using smartphones. It brings together the old and the young to share and build an open online folklore archive.
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Our oral traditions are dynamic in form and texture. They are playful, funny, cautionary and mysterious. They take the form of songs, tales, riddles, hearsay, and everything in between. They contain much cultural value and inform us of a way of life.
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The LoreKeepers archive is accessible to all, anywhere in the world.
The LoreKeepers Project is supported by the Faizal & Shabana Foundation
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Educational institutions are key collaborators in this project. We conduct workshops on the importance of oral traditions and folklore, the basics of mobile videography and digital archiving.​​​
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LoreKeepers will be open to public participation in its second phase.
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ARPO has a proactive in-house drive for this project, where our associates work with our networks of folklore communities in Kerala.
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School Camp Update
Training of Teachers at Kozhikode
10 October 2023
A total of 109 teachers from 108 schools in Kozhikode participated in a one-day camp organised under the LoreKeepers programme on October 10, 2023 at the Krishna Menon Museum and Art Gallery in Kozhikode. It aimed to acquaint the teachers with the work of ARPO Lorekeepers and how they could contribute to its mission of preserving our oral traditions.
Introductory sessions
To introduce LoreKeepers initiative to school children, introductory sessions were held at GHSS Pandi of Kasargod; TRK AUPS, Vengad of Malappuram; Kalppathur AUPS, Vilayathur Elampilad MUP School and Cheruvannur AUPS of Kozhikode. Students were briefed about the project and the way to be a part of this program. They were also introduced to basics of folklore and mobile videography in the two-hour long programs conducted by ARPO team.
TRK AUPS Vengad
26 May 2023
The state-wide launch of LoreKeepers camps was held at TRK AUPS Vengad, Malappuram on May 26. Sessions on introducing local folklore, mobile videography and illustration were part of the camp. LoreKeepers of the community were invited to the school and made to interact with the students. As a follow up of the camp, students will visit their localities with smartphones to collect local folk songs and tales, which will also be compiled into a book format.
Thaniyayude Thirandukalyanam
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Vimalesh (39) and others perform a song traditionally sung by the Paraya community of Koottalida, Kozhikkode during Thirandukalyanam, the menarche ceremony which notes the celebrations for the special day, specifically for Puthiyara, daughter of Imbichi Thaniyaayi, including all the preparation that makes it memorable.
An Onam song
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R N Peettakandi, 76, from Punnasserry in Kozhikode District, sings a song about the joyous festivities of Onam, the most significant festival of Malayalees. The song captures the essence of the celebration, filled with vibrant colors, delicious food, and traditional dance forms, bringing people together in a spirit of unity and happiness.
Song against feudal oppression
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Bhaskaran Kottakkal (65) of Punnassery, Kozhikode District, shared a protest song sung by Pulaya community farm laborers. The song denounces landlords who beat laborers for wearing clothes below the knees instead of the traditional 'thorthu mund', narrating a past of caste-based discrimination.
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Once you have identified a ‘lorekeeper’, simply use your smartphone to record their song or story as audio/video.
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Be sure to get consent from the participants before recording.
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Recordings must be of high quality, ideally shot in a well-lit, silent environment.
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In addition to the song or story they share, ask your ‘lorekeeper’ on camera some details about it, where they heard it from, whether it belongs to any particular community, and its meaning and context.
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Do not forget to note down the name of
the person, age, and PIN code of the
place.​​​​
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Title your file in the following format: YourName_Story/Song Name_YourPlace. Example: Sundar John_Chillupattu_Thrissur.
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Along with the video, include in the message the info you collected: the name of the person, age, PIN code – along with your name and contact number
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Share your find with us on WhatsApp/
Telegram/ Instagram OR via email.
WhatsApp / Telegram: 9061495795
Instagram: @arpo_lorekeepers
email: arpo.india@gmail.com.