Ritual, Community Preservation, and Environment in Theyyam Performance

Abstract

Theyyam is a uniquely pantheistic art form, and its performance has endured the threat of environmental change and cultural displacement. The perspectives of Theyyam performers has undergone a paradigm shift in recent years. Theyyam artists today are compelled to perform in a way that is not limited to local spaces but that can reach more mainstream audiences. The COVID-19 pandemic, too, has had an adverse economic impact on performers, whose principal livelihood is farming. Hence, contemporary performers have been seeking variations of practice that do not give up Theyyam's sociocultural essence.