THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The arts festival venues are breeding grounds for religious harmony and brotherhood, said Transport Minister Antony Raju. He was inaugurating the district school arts festival at Government Girls HSS, Cotton Hill, on Tuesday.
The minister said even art forms that are alien to Kerala will be presented in art festivals, and art of any religion can be presented here to children irrespective of caste and creed. District panchayat president D Suresh Kumar presided over and Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil delivered the keynote address.
The four-day festival will conclude on Saturday. The arts festival is back after two years due to the pandemic. About 7,000 children from 12 sub-districts will be participating in the festival. In the art performances held before the inauguration, the mime show performed by the students of Government VHSS for the Deaf enthralled the audience.
The mime’s leader was Roshan of Rajaji Nagar, who was given a new hearing aid by the mayor after his hearing aid was lost. The mime was presented by an eight-member group with consequences of drug abuse as the theme. The performances by the children of Carmel Girls HSS, PPTTI Cotton Hill, and Pattom Government GHSS were also applauded.
Ministers Antony Raju and G R Anil honoured them with awards. On the first day, along with writing competitions, Thiruvathira, Vanchipat, Chenda Melam, Panchavadyam, Padyam Chollal, Koodiyattam, Kathakali, Aksharaslokam, Kavyakeli, Katha Parayal, Chakyarkoothu, and Nangyarkoothu were staged.
A strict green protocol will be followed on the school premises to make the arts festival eco-friendly. Green protocol committee members are stationed outside the school gate.