A stage to shine
Weeks of rehearsals, improvisation exercises, and music sessions culminated in performances that blended creativity and resilience. Marking a remarkable milestone of 25 years of promoting disability inclusion through the arts, Sunera Foundation proudly presented Samanalayaya 2025, its flagship drama festival showcasing the extraordinary talents of differently-abled youth. The grand finale was held on November 4 [...]
A family heritage built to last
It’s the turn of the 20th century, the year 1900 to be exact, and the Paris Exposition is underway. The event is visited by throngs of people; millions in total. Amidst the 216 hectares of the exhibition, a familiar name at home – ‘H. Don Carolis and Sons’. This name would appear again and again, [...]
SLDF 2025: Discovering Colombo through design, creativity and storytelling
“What’s your Colombo?” It’s the question that the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) has been asking – not just of designers and artists, but of everyone who calls this city home or has passed through its streets and stories. Because Colombo isn’t just one city; it’s many, each layered with its own rhythm, memory and [...]
Appreciations
A life of quiet strength and loving guidance CELINE PERERA From the very inception, Celine nanda was someone who embodied both kindness and resolve. As a teacher at Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena prior to her marriage, she nurtured young minds and offered a gentle, caring presence to her students. That early vocation of teaching speaks [...]
The Tudawe Children’s Home: Equipping the girls for life beyond
Laughter rings across the spacious halls, the dining room and dormitories; for some 30 girls, this is ‘home’ while some 200 former wards have known camaraderie and warmth here before going on to their various niches in the wider world. The Tudawe Children’s Home is housed in a former residence of the Tudawe family in [...]
If music be a therapeutic means play on, play on
The famous phrase ‘where words fail music speaks’ by Hans Christian Anderson captures the therapeutic essence of music therapy – an emerging creative arts therapy in Sri Lanka. Music sessions and music therapy sessions differ in purpose, technique and overall approach. The way someone plays a musical instrument for a performance, or the methods by [...]
No time to moan
There is a great quotation in Ernest Hemingway’s classic The Old Man and the Sea that I believe is most relevant to folk of my vintage. “Now is no time,” it reminds us, “to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.” As I get older [...]
A magical revival of the Nutcracker ballet
There are few things as heart-warming as watching a new generation of dancers take the stage in a ballet you once performed yourself. The Deanna School of Dancing’s (DSD) production of The Nutcracker Ballet, staged from October 31 to November 2 at the Bishop’s College Auditorium, was just such an occasion—a vivid reminder that the [...]
Now on, The Land Sings Back, Colomboscope’s first international collaboration in the UK
“The land knows you, even when you are lost.” This poetic invocation by Robin Wall Kimmerer anchors The Land Sings Back, an exhibition presented by Colomboscope, Sri Lanka’s leading interdisciplinary arts platform, in collaboration with Drawing Room, London. Curated by Natasha Ginwala, Artistic Director of Colomboscope and co-curator of Sharjah Biennial 16, the exhibition which [...]
Colombo Philharmonic Choir pays tribute to its heritage with Haydn’s ‘Nelson Mass’
The Colombo Philharmonic Choir (CPC), in association with the Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC), will present Haydn’s ‘Nelson Mass’ at 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 16 at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Polwatte, Colombo 03. “I chose Haydn’s Nelson Mass because its message of faith, resilience and hope in troubled times [...]
Exhibition on textiles from around the world
‘The World of Textiles’ presented by the Threads of History Museum is now on at the Curado Art Space on Park Road, Colombo 5. Curated by Deshika Von Haght, the exhibition presents wearable art from indigenous cultures from around the world, collected by Deshika on her travels. The exhibition ends on November 14.
Authentic tastes from around Italy
The tenth edition of the Worldwide Week of Italian Cuisine begins in Colombo on November 15. Organised by the Italian Embassy in Colombo, the culinary week will feature four 5-star hotels and five renowned Italian restaurants, showcasing artisan menus reflecting the authentic tastes and regional specialties that define Italian cuisine. Participating venues and chefs include: [...]
A talk on importance of art as conservation
Art for Conservation: A Journey Through the Wild, a presentation and discussion by veteran artist Gamini Ratnavira on his mission to inspire environmental action will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12 at Genesis – Dilmah Centre for a Sustainable Future, 52 Maligawatta Rd, Colombo 10 For over fifty years, Gamini has traversed [...]
Untamed by six wildlife artists
It’s a foray into the wilds – Sri Lanka’s many natural terrains from scrub jungle to rainforest, sea to villu –when six well-known wildlife artists come together for Untamed, an exhibition of their work. Each, Lester Perera, Prasanna Weerakkody, Vasantha Perera, Jayantha Jinasena, Vishi Dharmasiriwardane and Sasitha Weerasinghe, is an authority in his respective field [...]