The fourth edition of Shiv Nadar School Noida’s annual international arts festival- Kaafila concluded after a successful three-day run of enthralling performances, workshops and talks. The multidisciplinary festival saw participation from 18 schools across the country and was themed around – ‘ Taking Pride in Love’. The theme sought to recognize love as a human emotion that is both innate and natural and aimed to motivate young people to think beyond the limitations imposed by caste, race, gender, and sexuality, as well as other societal structures.
Eight competitive events and thirteen collaborative events were held across three days of the festival. While “Bread & Circuses” comprised of one-act plays, “Rhythmic Ringers” showcased various dance styles in one performance. “Fabric of Hue” a first-of-its-kind fashion competition explored sustainability in fashion. The festival hosted a variety of events for aspiring art enthusiasts in the form of contests and workshops. Some of the interesting workshops were Decoding Latin Merican Music by Mr. Carlos Heredia, Clowning Techniques and History by Mr. Sagnik Chakraborty, Candle Making by Ms. Lavanya Jain and Film Appreciation by Mr. Sandeep Chatterjee.
The festival highlighted a special virtual interview featuring popular actor Kalki Koechlin, as part of its ‘In Conversation With’ series where she applauded the students for taking up this theme at such a young age and engaging in valuable conversations around it. She shared interesting anecdotes from her childhood and how she fell in love with art and theatre.
There was also a special video podcast with YouTuber and social media sensation MostlySane aka Prajakta Koli wherein she interacted with and encouraged students to pursue their artistic passion. She shared with the students about how ‘love’ has been a constant part of her journey. The love she gets from her friends, family and fans has pushed her to pursue her passion and she is extremely grateful for it. She also talked about the importance of self-love, which removes the need to seek validation from others.
Along with workshops, competitions, and captivating installations in both offline and online formats, the festival featured engaging panel discussions on “Bollywood and Love” and “Love and Technology.” Theatre, music, dance, and visual arts are among the many artistic forms represented at the festival. In this edition, Kaafila also aimed to explore sustainable fashion and food as elements of art. “Strings Attached” a bouquet of music competitions, attracted registrations from seven schools across India.
Under the banner of ‘Bread and Circuses,’ Kaafila also presented the staging of theatrical productions. Attempting to use theatre as a platform for high school kids to display their ability and take a stand on subjects that pique society’s interest. A monologue festival was held as a part of the event that showcased the artistry of the words and stage presence of solo performers.
Winning teams from various schools were honoured with awards. A unique aspect of Kaafila was that it was a zero-waste event, and kids were urged to make decisions that would protect the environment. No use of plastic, use of recycled paper for posters, invites and brochures were some of the key practices during the festival.
