WINGS 2016 – ‘A festival of arts on reconciliation’

by Husna Inayathullah

WINGS, a festival of Arts focusing on reconciliation will take place in Kilinochchi, Ampara and Colombo. It is a celebration of art, conversation and food that will bring citizens from all backgrounds to contribute to an imagining of reconciliation as a multifaceted, participatory process. The festival begins in October in Kilinochchi, and then travels to Ampara in November, culminating in Colombo with a festival that showcases a range of artistic work, an academic conference and an open air food fair.

WINGS initiative was announced at a joint press conference by the organisers: the National Arts Council, the Office Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), CARE International and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. WINGS festival is being supported through the financial contribution made by the European Union (EU) to its implementing partners GIZ and CARE International. It aims at promoting a culture of reconciliation, social integration and inclusive diversity in Sri Lanka. The financial support provided by EU is for the duration of three years and has a total budget of EUR 1.7 million (280 million rupees).

The organisers expressed hope that Sri Lankans will attend the public events in large numbers and share in the festive mood. The website www.wingssrilanka.com was launched at the press conference by the panel of WINGS festival implementing partners at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo.

The festival in Kilinochchi will take place from 21-23 October at the Kilinochchi Central College and Kilinochchi Co-Operative Hall. The festival in Ampara will take place from 27-29 October in partnership with Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies (SVIAS) of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. The regional events will include short film screenings, folk art and forum theatre performances, book readings, stage plays and discussions by artists, performers and experts.

The academic conference in Colombo will take place from 7-10 November at the BMICH. It will feature presentations and panel discussions on the theme of ‘Arts and Reconciliation’. The cultural festival from 6-13 November in Colombo will include dance drama and theatre performances, visual art and short films from around the country.

A highlight which all those in Colombo can look forward to is the open air food fair to be held at Nelum Pokuna Mawatha (Green Path) in Colombo on November 11. It will showcase Sri Lankan cuisine rich in spices, flavours and influences in addition to culinary traditions from around the country.

Artists working in both contemporary artistic disciplines and traditional forms have and continue to play an important role in addressing critical issues impacting people everywhere. While some issues remain community or country specific, other issues transcend geographical boundaries affecting what has come to be known as a global community, not only interconnected by modern telecommunication and media but interdependent economically, socially, and politically.

Dealing with conflict, its aftermath, and mapping out a process to reconcile communities and individuals, is a challenge facing many governments and communities. While there must be a robust commitment to equality, and to meeting the specific challenges of post-conflict democratisation, much remains to be done if Sri Lanka is to move towards a sustainable peace.

In this context, the work of artists in the area of reconciliation and peace-building has garnered more academic interest. Artists continue to explore the healing potential of art and its ability to bring people together. This can take different forms, including creating works that expose the different communities to each other’s cultures. Art can help people to appreciate each other’s humanity, to relate and listen to each other’s stories, and to develop a more nuanced understanding of each other’s cultural identity.

The difficult conversations around loss and suffering, acknowledging the existence of multiple truths, dealing with individual and collective memories and memorialisation are all part of the healing engendered through this process.

An overview of regional level festivals

WINGS festival Kilinochchi

The WINGS festival Kilinochchi takes place on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of October at the Kilinochchi Central College and Kilinochchi Co-Operative Hall. Organised in partnership with the Kilinochchi District Secretariat, the District Cultural Federation and artists of the Northern Province, the line-up will include folk art performances, short film screenings, forum theatre performances, seminars, book readings and stage plays. Established artists from the South and North will perform at the event in Tamil and Sinhala. The festival will be the first of its kind in Kilinochchi since the end of the armed conflict.

WINGS festival Ampara

The WINGS festival Ampara will take place from 27th – 29th October in partnership with Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies (SVIAS) of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Artists, performers and experts will discuss diverse cultural practices of the different ethnic communities. Handmade products, photographs and films related to reconciliation and co-existence will be featured at the event. A food festival using traditional ingredients and cooking techniques from the region will be one of the highlights of the festival. The stalls used at the festival showcase local architectural styles.

An overview of WINGS festival Colombo

Arts Festival / Academic Conference / Open Air Food festival

Celebrating Diversity: Arts Festival

WINGS festival travels to Colombo on November 6. The line-up of events includes dance drama, and theatre performances, short films, visual art and literature by artists from around the country. The artwork featured in the program also celebrates Sri Lanka’s diverse communities. There are different festival locations including the Lionel Wendt theatre, Ramakrishna Mission, Tamil Sangham Hall, University of Visual and Performing Arts - Panibaratha Theatre, J. D. A. Perera Gallery and Punchi Theatre will be easily accessible to the public with a free shuttle service that will transport people from one venue to the next.

Meeting the change-makers - Feature event - Young artists and young activists working on peace and reconciliation will engage in a conversation with policy makers to identify potential priorities for national reconciliation mechanisms and inform policy makers of the work being carried out at the national, regional and village level. The event aims to create an open space in which youth change makers and policy makers can share ideas and concerns around advocacy and reconciliation.

Venue: Suhurupaya, Battaramulla.
Date 11th of November, 2016
Time: 9 – 1pm

Culture Now - Feature event - Wrapping up the three day conference, the Art and Culture Policy Desk will share its progress on formulating a National Cultural Policy. The event is also designed to field ideas and suggestions on policy development. The ACPD hopes to begin a discussion on cultural rights and development using a working group, a panel discussion, devised theatre, short workshops and presentations.

Venue: BMICH
Date: 10th of November, 2016
Time: Full day
Kaleidoscope - Feature event: a program of rare cultural performances and rituals by Burgher, Malay, Muslim, Kaffirs, and Adivasi communities.

Date: 11th of November
Time: 6 pm to 8pm, 11
Venue: Green path, Colombo

Walking Tours – Feature event: “Reflect” consists of a guided walking tour along Galle Road (Colpetty - Galle Face Green) and the Pettah diversity walk. The tours will be led by well-known historians, anthropologists and tour guides and will be offered in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

Date: 6th of November
Venue: Galle Face Green and Pettah
WINGS academic conference

The WINGS academic conference will bring together scholars, speakers, activists and performers from Sri Lanka and the international community represented by Germany, Rwanda, Nepal, South Africa and Argentina, to present papers and hold panel discussions on the following themes: Art of Witness, Art of Connecting and Art of Dissent. The goal of the conference is to explore the dynamics of the relationship between the Arts and Reconciliation processes and to learn from how other societies deal with their own difficult pasts.

Dates: 7th, 8th and 9th of November
Venue: BMICH
Time: 9am -5pm
A Taste of Harmony: Food fair

Celebrating the flavours of Sri Lanka, ‘A Taste of Harmony’ will present diverse cuisines and traditions in one culinary fair. With over 100 stalls, the food fair will feature cuisines from different ethnic groups around the country, showcasing not only the food but also the diversity of lifestyles and beliefs.

Date: 11th – 13th of November
Time: 11 am to 10pm
Venue: Green path, Colombo