Highlights
of CPArts Special Programmes
CPArts 40th Anniversary Celebration in UK
In 2005, 20 CPArts Centres inSri Lanka celebrated the organisation’s 40th Anniversary. To mark this event, England CPArts held a celebration on 11th December 2005, at Green Boatrown hall,Brompley,England. The event was titled ‘Kalai Pongal’, and various cultural items were performed by the England CPArts members.
The highlight of the programme was when Mr. Robert Evans, a Parliament Member of the European Union in England, honored Rev. Fr. Prof. N.M.Saveri, Director of CPArts with the ‘Kalaignana Vitthagar’ (Arts Proficient) Award. CPArts Deputy Directors also participated in the celebration which was organized by Mr.Basil Inberajan, Co-ordinator of England CPArts.
Thai Pongal [ Harvest] celebration at Panadura CPArts
Panadura CPArts celebrated ‘Thai Pongal’ festival on 14th January 2006. This was the second time they celebrated the festival. What made this particular celebration more significant is that it was organized in a traditional Tamil sense for an area that is predominantly Buddhist, therefore cultural understanding was promoted. As well as members of the Buddhist and Tamil communities, Muslim members also took part in the celebration which carried the message of peace.
Mr.James Thompson and Ms. Charlte fromManchester University took part in the occassion during their stay inSri Lanka for Drama and Theatre workshop. Mr.Mano Ranjithan, Programme Officer of CPArts participated in the festival and explained about the Pongal Festival to the audience. There were about one hundred people present at the celebration.
New School of Fine Arts Building At Jaffna Peninsula
‘Kalai Koottam’ College of Fine Arts, a building for aesthetic studies was opened on 14th January 2006 at 128, David Road, Jaffna. The building was ceremoniously opened by Rev.Fr. S.J. Selvarajan, the previous head of the Jaffna Diocese. The building utilizes modern technologies and facilities to give teachers and students the best opportunities for studies.
The purpose of the building is to help CPArts members, as well as outside students, learn Tamil, Sinhala and western dances and other fine arts subjects.
Whilst opening the Fine Arts building, Jaffna CPArts celebrated Thai Pongal at same venue. Representatives from other organizations, well-wishers and CPArts members, totaling 500 members participated in the event.
Finally, Rev.Fr.N.M.Saveri, Director of CPArts honored the carpenters and other workers and thanked them for their valuable service for the success of the building.
Sinhala CPArts Children’s Teacher’s Programm
The Sinhala teachers gathered for a special workshop on the 16th and 17th of June at St. Sebastian Hall in Colombo. Twenty teachers were present to participate in this effort to pursue excellence in our teaching styles and methods used within the CPArts community. Mrs. Marsha Danielle, from Lost Child Project Sri Lanka, facilitated the event. There was a particular focus on trying to build confidence within this community of teachers, as well as pursuing ways of enhancing the creative abilities of their students. The teachers were able to share their experiences with one another and gain further insight on how they could improve their programs and teaching styles. In this setting, the teams of teachers from across the Sinhala centres were able to create a common plan for the activities and programs to take place in their centres for the next 6 months.
Peace Camp at CPArts Avissawella
A one-day Peace Camp was held on 14th January 2006 at Meepe Training Centre, Avissawella, with members from CPArts Kandy, CPArts Matara and CPArts Panadura. The purpose of the peace camp was to better understand each others cultural and to develop a good relationship between the different communities. During the peace camp outside resources spoke about on traditional arts, law, make-up and peace. 120 members participated in the event.
Report by CPArts Team