All set for a virtual Avurudu celebration
Avurudu is here, but the Sinhala and Tamil New Year will be somewhat different from the joyous community celebration that Sri Lankans usually look forward to. Mindful of the current constraints, yet eager to celebrate through new avenues, the Ministry of Education along with the Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) is presenting “Virtual Avurudu 2020” – an initiative to “stay happy, be positive and enjoy the season with your family.”
This initiative is presented with the assistance of Gateway College and in collaboration with the Soul Sounds Academy, the Workshop Players and the Lionel Wendt Little Stars Workshop Players in association with Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel.
Introduced in March, this digital festival aims to bring the spirit of Avurudu to all from within the comfort of their homes.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Chairman of the Gateway Group, Dr. Harsha Alles explained the concept. “Sri Lanka should and will always be proud of the country’s culture so we thought we needed to do something around Avurudu.” The idea was conceptualized after considering how children would be affected this month as they are unable to celebrate as they usually would in school. “We thought we needed to do something for their mental wellbeing more than anything. Second, Avurudu season is something all schools and all children really look forward to.”
Through the use of the application “Flipgrid”, children were encouraged to submit Avurudu themed videos under the categories of Music, Theatre, Dance, Games; under which they could develop and submit their own playable app or computer games. A fifth category allows the public to vote online for Avurudu Kumaraya, Avurudu Kumari, Funniest Laugh and Fancy Dress.
To help make the event a success, the support of leading personalities in music, theatre and dance was enlisted. Soundarie David Rodrigo of the Soul Sounds Academy, Jerome De Silva of the Workshop Players and Dr. Channa Wijewardena of the Channa-Upuli Performing Arts Foundation amongst others will be on the panel judging the entries.
Dr. Alles said that it was important to truly capture the essence of Avurudu with this initiative. “We can’t forget that we get this opportunity just once a year. It’s not just Sinhala New Year, it’s Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a time where the entire country comes together.” To reflect this, the competition was opened to children across the nation as well as Sri Lankans living overseas.
Since its announcement, Virtual Avurudu 2020 has amassed entries from around the country and the world. “I believe that Sri Lankan children are naturally creative. At a time like this, when the whole world has changed and when you have time in hand I think you can’t find a better time for creativity,” Dr Alles added.
Children who participated were able to do so with only a mobile phone to record and upload their creations to the app where they could see their performances as well as the performances submitted by others.
Attractive prizes for winners and early applicants include 1GB Mobitel/SLT data bundles, a one month free SriFlix subscription offer, Mobitel wifi routers with 5GB bundle, SLT Peo TV connections with a package of the winner’s choice and many more.
Those interested in joining the virtual celebrations can view the submitted videos on Flipgrid through the following link – https://flipgrid.com/virtualavurudu2020
For more please follow the Facebook event page – Virtual Avurudu 2020.