The curtains will go up on the 59th State School Arts Festival here on Friday. That is one line you almost would not have read this academic year: the government had decided not to conduct the festival after the mighty floods of August that devastated the State. But that decision was reversed. The government resolved to go ahead with the festival, though on a considerably reduced budget.
For, this is one remarkable festival of arts that has grown, over the last six decades, as the pride of Kerala. Besides, a show as spectacular as this could be a relief to a region that is still struggling to limp back to normality.
It is therefore fitting that Alappuzha is hosting – as was decided a year ago – the festival (there were suggestions to move it to another town, as the district was among the worst hit by the floods).
It is just as fitting that Leo XIII HSS is the main venue: three months ago, it was a relief camp for the flood victims and had sheltered over 2,000 people.
Record number
Competitions will be held in 29 other venues – that is a record. That was necessitated by the reduction in the number of days. As many as 188 events will be staged in three days (the last edition, held at Thrissur, had five).
What will not be reduced is the quality of the programmes. The State festival has always thrown up some outstanding talents. The list includes singers K.J. Yesudas, P. Jayachandran, K.S. Chithra, Sujatha, G. Venugopal, actors Manju Warrier, Vineeth, Kavya Madhavan, Navya Nair...
You could very well come across singers, dancers and actors of tomorrow here too: nearly 10,000 students are taking part. You would also be spoilt for choice more than ever before, with too few days and too many stages.
Classical dances like Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, folk and group dances, drama, mimicry, mono-act, and light and folk music should once again be attracting the biggest crowds.
But, for the more classically inclined, there are also events like Carnatic music, Kathakali and Koodiyattam.