Cultural Connect

There’s a lot of art activity to look forward to in the new year!

New year,fresh beginnings,great starts and lots for the artistically inclined. All set to absorb people with a line-up of absorbing art treats is the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi,which has quite a line-up. Scheduled for this month is a lecture and slide show by artist Krishan Khanna,while the end of this month will see an exhibition of 15 painters in collaboration with the National Lalit Kala Akademi. The culmination of Dr M S Randhawa’s birth centenary will see a documentary film on him as well as other artists too on February 2,along with lectures by Dr B N Goswami and painter Gulam Mohammad Sheikh. “The idea is to get more and more people involved in art activities and encourage participation too,” quips Diwan Manna already involved in work! February will see an exhibition by young artists,who’ve received scholarships by the Akademi and also an exhibition of selected Chandigarh artists in Delhi. “We’re also emphasising on workshops this year and we plan to have a sculpture,miniature painting and restoration of art works workshop,” adds Diwan. An art book on Chandigarh artists,a retrospective on artist Brij,a workshop on painter,poet,musician,dancer,theatre person,film-maker and a dialogue between poet and painter…This year,the Akademi has added a number of art books to the existing collection,which will be sold at the counters!

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi is starting their schedule with a face-to-face with Atamjit Singh and also a kavi sammelan ,”we’re really excited about our plans,especially an international conference in February on literature and culture,post the ’80s. We will have as many as 250 delegates,25 from abroad and we have tied up with Panjab University. The third day will see a literary fest,with top writers like Geeta Hariharan,Manjula Padmanabhan,Surjit Patar and senior academics too,” quips Manju Jaidka. March will see a seminar on Women’s Day and release of several publications by the Akademi,including a poetry collection by city’s poets,an anthology of selective the who’s who directory of writers of Chandigarh,awards of recognition and creative writing workshops. “It all has to be intellectually simulating and absorbing,” smiles Manju.

March will also see Neelam Mansingh’s new play Little Eyolf open in Chandigarh. Sponsored by the People for Animals,”we’ve had just one show in Delhi,and it’s a spectacular production and we’re really looking forward to presenting it in Chandigarh,” Neelam’s upbeat about her tribute to B V Karanth,an evening of theatre music and the Department of Indian Theatre’s annual production,Jean-Paul Sartre’s,The Trojan Women. And yes,PFA will bring music to your ears,as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will play along with his sons in March too.