- The EU’s series of activities at the Independence Arcade concludes tomorrow
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
As part of the broader campaign titled “EU Support for a Peaceful and Inclusive Society”, the European Union (EU) delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, together with its implementing partners, organised a series of activities at the Independence Arcade, Colombo 7.
The programme commenced on 26 October and will conclude tomorrow (11). The exhibition space will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and an art workshop for all ages will be held tomorrow from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitors can view the “Art for Peace” children’s virtual art competition winning entries and shortlist – the competition was held in June as part of Europe Day celebrations. The exhibition was complemented by art workshops conducted by three renowned and talented artists.
The venue also hosts the EU-funded photographic exhibition “Thé Kahata”, organised by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA). The collection features creative visual images captured by youth from the plantation community. “Costumes Speak” is an exhibition that explores different social influences on rookada puppetry and the role that different communities play in shaping artistic traditions.
Visitors can also drop by the interactive digital library consisting of audio and visual materials on the numerous initiatives of the EU-funded projects.
Past events
The EU also organised a few events leading to the exhibition, with the campaign commencing with a jazz music tour across three key cities in Sri Lanka in celebration of European Day of Languages, which fell on 26 September. The tour was held in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland, the Embassy of Italy, the Embassy of France, Alliance Française, Goethe-Institut, and the British Council.
The inaugural concert was held in Colombo at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on 24 September and followed a workshop conducted with the University of Colombo earlier that day. On 26 September, a jazz evening was held in Kandy, with the final concert on 28 September taking place in Jaffna.
The event featured performances by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Eliane Amherd and bassist, bandleader, composer, and producer Amanda Ruzza in German, French, Italian, Portuguese, and English.
‘Threads on Threads’
The campaign also included the “Threads on Threads” international conference on textiles in Sri Lanka, South Asia, and Europe, organised in partnership with the Threads of History Museum and Lanka Decorative Arts, as an initiative of the EU Cultural Heritage Series.
The conference was held on 15 October, and had three segments – “Textile heritage and the challenges of preservation”, “Confluences: a regional and global perspective – South Asia and beyond”, and “From tradition to modernity”.
A two-week exhibition on the textile heritage in Sri Lanka, South Asia, and Europe was also held by the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka and the Maldives together with the Threads of History Museum. Curated by Deshika Van Haght, the exhibition was held from 9 to 22 July at Barefoot Gallery, with free walk-in entrance and primarily featured Somanas and Chintz textiles, their making, and their trade.
The exhibition showcased the longstanding trade relationship between Sri Lanka, South Asia, and Europe. Visitors experienced the history of modern-day Sri Lanka’s textile heritage through exhibits consisting of 19th and 20th-Century fabrics made in Sri Lanka and India, as well as European cotton textiles made for the Sri Lankan market, as well as text and high-resolution image panels.
Promoting peace through art
Speaking about the campaign, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Denis Chaibi said: “For the European Union, inclusion, solidarity, and human dignity are fundamental values, because they serve peace, our ultimate goal. Thus, an inclusive and peaceful society is one of the two priorities of the EU’s co-operation with Sri Lanka from 2021 to 2027. We hope this campaign, through art and dialogue, will foster an enabling environment that promotes peace, solidarity, and unity in diversity.”
Art for Peace
Art for PeaceThe EU organised a virtual art competition in June as part of Europe Day. The winning entries and shortlist from the “Art for Peace” competition are displayed at the Arcade Independence Square.
The competition was held online for children in three age categories: six to eight years, nine to 11 years, and 12 to 15 years. Contestants were given the opportunity to submit one entry of original, unassisted, hand-drawn artwork, created without using digital tools. The contest generated a lot of interest and over 750 entries were submitted by children across Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Three winners were selected from the list of 30 participants who were shortlisted from each of the three age categories. An award ceremony was held on 2 June to acknowledge and recognise the winning artists.
Thé Kahata
As part of the activities organised for the “EU Support for a Peaceful and Inclusive Society” campaign, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) organised the “Thé Kahata” photography exhibition, which is funded by the EU. The visual images captured by youth from the plantation community can be viewed at the Arcade Independence Square.
The up-country Tamil community have played a crucial part in Sri Lanka’s society, economy and politics, the EU states, adding that “Thé Kahata”, meaning bitter tea, provides a visual narrative of the lived realities of this community, including persisting marginalisation and inequality that have impeded social cohesion and inclusion.
The photography exhibition builds on the collaboration between youth, their families, and communities to tell their stories. Centre for Policy Alternatives, Uva Shakthi Foundation, and Suya Sakthi Foundation developed the exhibition in partnership with Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE), co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office.
Photos Krishan Kariyawasam
