Theyyam performances have been set up in Kozhikode’s Mananchira ahead of the 61st State School Arts Festival starting next week. , Photo credits: K. Ragesh
All arrangements for the 61st Kerala State School Arts Festival will be completed by December 31 and the city will welcome participants from January 2.
Education Minister V. Sivankutty said here on Wednesday that over 14,000 students are expected to participate in the festival, which includes Sanskritolsavam and Arabic Sahityotsavam. The minister said the festival would be organized in compliance with green protocols, adding that masks and sanitizers were advised as there was a global surge in COVID-19 cases.
The festival will be organized in 24 stages across the city, with Captain Vikram Maidan in West Hill being the main venue. Zamorins School and its grounds at Thali, Providence School at Nadakkavu, Gujarati Hall, St. Joseph’s Boys’ School, St. Antony’s UP School and St. Joseph’s Anglo Indian Girls’ School at the Beach, MM High School at Parappil, Government Ganapath Boys’ School and Achuthan at Chalappuram Girls School, St. Vincent’s Colony School in Ashokapuram, SK Pottekkat Hall in Puthiyara, Government Higher Secondary School in Karaparamba and St. Michael’s School in West Hill, Markaz School in Eranhipalam, Town Hall, and Physical Education Grounds in East Hill are other places.
Mananchira Square in Kozhikode is fully illuminated to welcome the New Year and the upcoming State School Arts Festival. , Photo credits: K. Ragesh
The stages are named after places with literary significance. All events will be recorded for documentation in case of appeal, and results will be available on digital screens at all locations. Help desks will be set up at railway stations and bus stands. The participants will be taken to their respective residences and stages in vehicles named ‘Kalosav Vandi’. There will be 30 such vehicles.
Accommodation will be arranged for participants from other districts in 20 schools in the city, 10 for boys and 10 for girls, with five in reserve. Students who opt for online registration can also apply for accommodation.
The food will be served at the Malabar Christian College School grounds under the aegis of veteran chef Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboodiri. The food pavilion will serve 17,000 people a day and will accommodate 2,000 people at a time. About 1200 teachers will be on duty in three shifts.
For the first time, the 117.5 Sovereign Gold Cup presented to the winning district will be displayed at the BEM School for public viewing. The cup, which is now in the possession of Palakkad district, will be taken by the Deputy Director of Education, Kozhikode, to Ramanattukara on December 31 and brought to the BEM School in a procession.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival at 10 am on January 3 and the programs will start at 11 am on the same day at all the venues. However, on the rest of the days the events will start from 9 am. All leading media houses will have pavilions at the main venue. Besides ‘Disha’, a career guidance expo for higher secondary students, an exhibition of over 40 stalls will be put up by government departments at the Zamorin School ground during the entire festival.