Unrestricted, a discussion series created by Tamil Students Initiative, is a platform for open discussion challenging the taboos that are rife within the Tamil society at large. Hoping to bring together perspectives of people from all corners of the Tamil community and provoking frank conversations amongst students - Unrestricted: LGBT, the first of TSI’s discussion series kicked off last Thursday at King’s College London as part of LGBT History Month. Dozens of students gathered to hear Living Smile Vidya speak about her journey as a transwoman. From Saravanan to Smiley, Vidya’s story of...
‘Raise Your Voice’, an event held by the Tamil Student Initiative (tsi) to showcase and empower emerging creative talent, proved to be an apt reminder of the growing creative versatility within the Tamil student community. Run as an open mic competition by the London School of Economics (LSE) Tamil Society, last week, the event saw singers, rappers, spoken word artists, poets and musicians take to stage to win the hearts and minds of the audience. Though there was one overall winner, the crowds were astounded by the vast array of creative performances. Students were treated to powerful...
The cast enter on the red carpet Independent Tamil film, A Gun and A Ring opened to a full-house on Saturday at the newly opened Cineworld Wembley. Cinematographer Suresh Rohin and director Lenin M. Sivam The event, organised by Echo8 Productions, began with the cast and crew of the film entering on the red carpet, led by musicians playing natheswaram and melam , in the style of a traditional Tamil procession. A Gun and a Ring was played simultaneously in two screens to accommodate the number of spectators attending the premiere. The film is an art-house thriller that explores the effect of...
The Tamil Sangam Rwanda held celebrations earlier this month, paying tribute to their Tamil heritage in an evening of cultural performances and traditional cuisine. Taking place in Kigali, dozens of Tamils gathered to participate in traditional festivities, which included bharatanatyam dance performances and koothu-style drama re-enactments.
A Gun and a Ring Touching upon controversial social issues that affect the Tamil diaspora, independent Canadian-Tamil film ‘A Gun and a Ring’ has been impressing audiences in various film festivals around the globe. ‘A Gun and a Ring’ premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2013, and was nominated for the Golden Goblet Award at the festival. It has since been screened at film festivals in Montreal, Louisville and Hamilton, and the Cinerockom International Film Festival where it picked up four awards. With the film set to premiere in London this weekend, Tamil Guardian...
British students from across the country came together to watch a variety show that masterfully blended Tamil culture with glitz and glamour at ‘Mega Maalai XIV’. Photograph courtesy of Bee Sounds
Tamil youth took part in Thai Pongal festivities this week, celebrating the ancient Tamil harvest festival, in locations all across the world.
The Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA), held its 4th annual ‘Top Talents Awards Gala', in December to conclude a successful 2013 for Canadian Tamil youth. Photo:Ninaivukal The CTYA committee carefully selected members of the Canada Tamil youth community who had excelled in various fields such as music, business, arts, sports, academia and many more. Speaking to Tamil Guardian on the importance of celebrating youth success, the Vice President of CTYA, Tarchini Vallepuram, said, “Investing in our youth is essential for the overall growth of our community and broader society. Through recognition and inspiration, our youth will get motivated to pursue their dreams and reach even greater achievements.” Full list of awards winners below.
After a successful Breaking The Silence genocide awareness campaign, Barts Tamil Society held a screening of the Channel 4 Documentary, 'No Fire Zone' , followed by a question and answer session with director Callum Macrae. The documentary left a fully packed lecture hall stunned into silence for minutes after the end of the film. Responding to questions on what the outcome may have been for Tamils in the North-East if the LTTE had retained control of Vaani, Macrae said, "The peace process of 2002 was relatively successful, and the Tigers themselves were successful in improving in a number of human rights issues for their people, including eradicating caste, improving women's rights etc. However it is questionable if peace talks could have been successful considering the impact of 9/11. The event swayed the balance of support and the military campaign against the Tamils was seen as a 'war on terror; which allowed Rajapaksa along with complicit members of the international community to go on, with this rhetoric enabling what was seen as the final solution."
Taking place for the second year in a row, the inter-university competition ‘Kings of Gaana’, hosted by King’s College London Tamil Society, provided an explosive finale for the UK Tamil student calendar. Photograph - One One 7 Resonare