KOCHI: Samanwaya, a 10-day arts and culture fest of artists from neglected groups like the transgender community, Dalits and Adivasis, will kick off at Durbar Hall Art Centre on Friday.The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi is organising the event, which will be inaugurated by filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
Around 250 artists, including 40 from the transgender community, and 18 Dalit and tribal artists, will participate. Artists Pandi Ram Mandavi, Venkat Shyam and Basanth Uikey and contemporary artists from Kerala, including B D Dhethan and G Rajendran, are among the participants.
The fest will encompass camps on painting, wood carving, photography, phad painting and portrait demonstration besides programmes like film screening, painting exhibition and cultural programmes.
The inaugural function will get under way with the screening of anti-fascist documentaries, ‘In the shade of fallen chinar’ and ‘The unbearable being of lightness’. It will be followed by a ‘panchavadhya’ concert.
Writer NS Madhavan, former MP Rajeev, CGH Earth Group CEO Jose Dominic, actor-writer V K Sreeraman and others will attend the inaugural function following which a ‘Dhrupad’ concert by Pelva Naik from Ahmedabad will be staged.