Kollam district is all set for a cultural extravaganza as curtains go up on the Kerala University Youth Festival on Saturday.
More than 3,000 students from around 250 colleges affiliated to the University of Kerala will participate in the five-day festival. “Competitions will be held in 102 events at nine venues and the festival aims to restore the rhythm of art and culture on campuses after the long COVID-19-induced break,” said the organising committee officials at a press meet here on Friday.
The district had last hosted the festival four years ago, in 2018.
The main events will be held at venues in SN College, SN Women’s College, Sree Narayana Guru College of Legal Studies, Fatima Mata National College and TKM Arts College. The venues have been named after KPAC Lalitha, Nedumudi Venu, Latha Mangeshkar, V.M. Kutty, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Kainakiri Thankaraj, Bichu Thirumala, P.S. Banerjee and P. Balachandran in their honour.
“Special open forums will be conducted on various topics, including ‘Denial of entry to art and artists’ and ‘Cinema and women’ at the main venue at SN College at 7 p.m. on April 24, 25 and 26. Preparations to welcome the participants are in the final stages,” said members of the organising committee.
Thousands of students from eight colleges in Kollam city participated in a proclamation rally held on April 20. National award-winner and actor Suraj Venjaramoodu released the festival anthem at the closing ceremony of the proclamation rally.
The organising committee for the festival, with Mayor Prasanna Ernest as chairperson and district panchayat member P. Anandu as general convener, was formed at SN College, Kollam on April 4. Chavara MLA Sujith Vijayan Pillai released the festival logo on April 16 and Kollam district panchayat president Sam K. Daniel released the poster on April 19.
