When the Sea Rises

In 2004, the Tsunami swept into Cochin as a surge, an ominous portend for the city’s archipelago like structure. Cochin’s many barrier islands are low lying regions facing open water, and hence vulnerable to the scenario of rising ocean levels. When the Sea Rises is a performance on the Fort Cochin seawall in the historic district of Fort Cochin — a major port in the sixteenth century maritime imaginary, and hence an ecumenical crossing point for world cultures. Vasco da Gama, Fort Cochin’s most famous resident, lived here during his last days and was buried here, before posthumously being sent back to Portugal.

When the Sea Rises is a performance exploring both Fort Cochin’s cosmopolitanism and its ecological vulnerability. It was a collaboration between local Fort Kochi performers trained in the Theyyem and Kalaripayyati movement traditions, and May Joseph, an environmental theater director trained in the Bharata Natyam dance tradition.