A festival to focus on cultural legacies of three cities

A three-day festival will explore the idea of 'space as a place' through the cultural and architectural legacy of Lucknow, Kolkata and Delhi.

Curated by NGO CATTS, "The festival of Places", set to begin tomorrow, is about interpreting the fascinating bond that exists among people, places and memories.

"We have conceptualised the festival to focus on the cultural fabric and the memory associated with these places while creating a platform that provides an opportunity to people to share their personal narratives.

"It is all about experiencing these places as vital and meaningful connected spaces," says the organiser.

The festival, which is being organised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), is about rediscovering the lost art and creativity of these vibrant places and will focus on accessibility and the future of communities residing in the cities.

Senior journalist Saeed Naqvi will give a keynote address on cultural aspects of Lucknow, Indo-British author Amit Chaudhuri will discuss the heritage of Kolkata. Hindi poet and essayist Ashok Vajpeyi will focus on Delhi.

A special 'Dastangoi' performance by Sunil Mehra and Askari Naqvi will also be a part of the opening day.

Bengali folk singer Debalina Bhowmick along with artistes Sumanta Das Baul and Arijit Chakraborty will present a performance on 'Vibrant folks of Bengal'.

Sufi Kathak dancer, Manjari Chaturvedi will enchant the audience with a soulful performance on 'The lost songs of Awadh' at the closing day of the event.

The festival will culminate on April 9.