A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Can art transform conflict?
Does art have a role in reconciliation? Does it help in healing trauma?
Can the creative power of arts be used as a catalyst for action –
especially among those who have been disenfranchised?
How do you document violence or curate memories?
These are questions that concern people who value creativity and democracy and want to explore the synergies between the two.
A group of scholars, researchers, activists and artists from 11
countries including Sri Lanka will discuss these questions and search
for answers while sharing their own work on the theme, Arts in
Reconciliation at an international conference to be held at the BMICH
from 7-9thNovember.
The conference will feature presentations, panel discussions
exhibitions, workshops and performances on a number of topics relevant
to the reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka and several other countries
where violent conflicts have taken place.
On the Art of Witness the highlights include cases from Bosnia, Lebanon, Kosovo and South Africa:
descriptions of museums and monuments from Sri Lanka, Germany and
Argentina; experiences from artists whose lives intersected with armed
conflict and how art helped one artist from Ambalangoda to transform
prison walls while another session examines the limits of art. Dancing
for reconciliation is a presentation from the Unites States on
expressing Tamil identity through dance while Beats of Dissent features
performance artists from Sri Lanka.
The forty conference- sessions spread out over three days are arranged under three dominant themes. Art of Witness deals
with historical trauma and memory which is one of the greatest
challenges facing societies in the aftermath of armed struggle. Research
suggests that there is a relationship between the ability to address
this legacy in a comprehensive manner and the potential to develop a
sustainable peace.
The Art of Connecting is about engaging youth as change
agents and advocates of peace. Youth has the potential to spearhead
creative change, harness technology and seize opportunities for
fostering democracy and shaping the future.
Art of Dissent relates to the ability to express
dissent through art; to expand civic space for dialogue and catalyse
actions in favour of the disenfranchised. Can art transform conflict?
The conference is about exploring these themes and seeking answers to
questions and also raising new questions. It facilitates learning from
experiences from around the world.
Exhibitions: There are several powerful exhibitions
which will be held at the BMICH parallel to the conference. Company of
Heroes deconstructs the hero archetype from the Sri Lankan conflict,
through visual art done by children of military personnel; Corridors of
Power brings together constitutional theory and architecture to examine
Sri Lanka’s constitutional evolution; Truth to Truth which explores
transitional justice through the medium of art will promote reflection
and discussion on modes of justice; artwork produced by children in 12
villages from both sides of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict will also be
on display as well as a Photovoice project where young people from
opposing sides of Sri Lanka’s conflict use photography to engage in
conversation with the other community.
The workshops include one in creative art therapy which will focus on
the therapeutic power of art to facilitate trauma healing. Another
workshop is on the chronology and geography of mass atrocity which will
discuss case studies from antiquity to the modern times to introduce
tools of prevention- it is especially important for policy makers,
public officials and civic groups. See more details on the workshops here.
Arts is a powerful way of celebrating diversity because it brings people
together on matters of social and personal significance and creates
space for dialogue. The scholars and artists, drawn from diverse
nationalities across the Balkans, Africa and South America, will join
their Sri Lankan counterparts to discuss a range of topics including
“Democracy in the Digital Age”, “Culinary Diplomacy” and “Music for
Social Change”. More information and registration for sessions is
available at www: wingssrilanka.com.
The WINGS festival is organised by the Office for National Unity and
Reconciliation (ONUR) and the Arts Council of Sri Lanka in collaboration
with Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
and CARE International Sri Lanka. It is financially supported by the
European Union. The festival is built around a three factors crucial for
appreciating the richness of diversity: Art, Food and Conversation.
Also at the BMICH in the evenings during the conference, starting on 8 November and continuing till 10th there
will be a festival of films on the theme of reconciliation. A food
festival showcasing the wide diversity of traditions, spices and tastes
of Sri Lanka will be held on Sunday 13 the November along Nelum Pokuna
Mawatha (Greenpath). Meantime, the cultural festival will continue from
the 6th to 13th at different venues in Colombo featuring performances by renowned artists.
The events are free of charge, but prior reservations are recommended to
avoid disappointment. For reservations or additional information please
call +9477 726 1757 or emailcontact@wingssrilanka.com.
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Editors note: ‘Corridors of Power’ will be showcased at WINGS. See original Facebook event page here, and a recent presentation on the exhibition at the World Economic Forum’s Shape South Asia 2016 conference here.
What is a constitution? What place and relevance, if any, does it have
in the popular imagination? Do citizens really care about an abstract
document most would never have seen or read, when more pressing
existential concerns continue to bedevil their lives and livelihoods,
even post-war?
Led by the input of Asanga Welikala and in collaboration with Channa Daswatta,
‘Corridors of Power’ through architectural drawings and models,
interrogates Sri Lanka’s constitutional evolution since 1972. The
physical exhibition, held first in late 2015, critiqued Sri Lanka’s
tryst with constitutional reform and essentially the tension between
centre and periphery.
The original exhibition output included large format drawings, 3D
flyovers, sketches, and models reflecting power dynamics enshrined in
the the 1972 and 1978 constitutions, as well as the 13th, 18th and 19th
Amendments.
Facebook event page at http://bit.ly/corridorsofpower
Note by Curator at http://bit.ly/corridorsofpowercurator
Full colour catalogue of exhibition at http://bit.ly/corridorsofpowercatalogue