THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Setting the stage for the week-long festival, the logo for the 63rd State School Arts Festival was released on Saturday. Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday said that all necessary preparations have been made to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, scheduled from January 4 to 8 in Thiruvananthapuram. He was speaking at a meeting at Shikshak Sadan with conveners and officials of the organising committee.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival at 10 am on January 4 at the Central Stadium, the main venue.
The opening ceremony will feature a welcome song of the festival and a dance performance choreographed by Kalamandalam. Students from Vellarmala School in Wayanad will present a special dance during the event.
The Golden Cup, starting its journey from Kasaragod, will be ceremoniously welcomed at Pattom St Mary’s Higher Secondary School when it enters Thiruvananthapuram city limits.
Competitions in 249 categories will be held across 25 venues in the city, with over 10,000 students expected to participate. Food items for the participants will be collected at the school level on December 30 and 31 and handed over to BRCs on January 1 in the presence of MLAs.
These items will be delivered to Putharikandam on January 2 and received by Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, who chairs the organising committee.
The kitchen at Putharikandam will be inaugurated on January 3 by Minister V Sivankutty and food distribution will begin the same evening.
Finance Minister K N Balagopal will serve breakfast on January 4 to mark the official start of the dining arrangements.
Accommodation for students will be provided in schools across the city. Twenty-five primary centres and 10 reserve centres have been set up to ensure comfortable lodging. A barcode system will allow participants to access details about their accommodation, including location and contact numbers.