New Delhi: Ryan International Group of Schools Host 13th Int’l Children’s Festival of Performing Art

Media Release

New Delhi, Dec 13, 2013 : The Ryan International Group of Schools hosted the thirteenth International Children’s Festival of Performing Arts (ICFPA) under the chairmanship of Dr A F Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto, at Talkatora Stadium, Kamani Auditorium, Little Theatre Group and National Bal Bhavan here.

 
The four-day cultural extravaganza revolved around the theme: A Brighter Tomorrow.  The festival brought together over 15,000 students from 21 countries.  The world has become a global village and the festival provided a perfect platform for young cultural ambassadors to come together to share their ideas and aspirations for a brighter tomorrow through dance, drama and music transcending all human divide.

 

 
The festival was graced by eminent personalities, ambassadors, bureaucrats, parents and stalwarts from various walks of life. Some of theme were Lithuanian Ambassador Laimonas Talat Kalpsa, Iceland Ambassador Gudmundur Eiriksson, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne, Nepal cultural counselor Manu Arya, Norwegian culture and public diplomacy advisor, Indian overseas affairs minister  Vayalar Ravi IPS officer Kiran Bedi, MP Jose K Mani, Minority Commissioner member A C Michael Haryana resident commissioner Mahapatra Helpage India CEO  Mathew Cherian, Ameti and Raebareli Congress in-charge K L Sharma among many others.

 
Kiran Bedi tweeted, ‘Ryan Festival is absolutely beautiful that promotes art, creativity and harmony amongst students internationally.  They are full of energy and vigor.’

 
The presence of the dignitaries gave encouragement to the young cultural ambassadors.  They felt truly delighted to associate themselves with this mega event.

 
Ryanites presented rich cultural heritage of India through dance, drama and a giant puppet show, while international participants from Bangladesh, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Iran, Latvia, Lithuania, Nepal, Norway, Morocco, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, and Zambia joined in with spectacular classical and contemporary genres of their own country.

 
While speaking about his experience, a parent from Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj said, ‘I felt there was a true amalgamation of cultures during this festival and all the children who participated really came back more learned and grounded as they interacted with students from other international schools.  Ryan has indeed created a wonderful platform for young students.’

 
The highlight of the second day of the festival was World Village, which provided an opportunity for students to pick up mementoes, souvenirs and artifacts from various countries.  The whole idea of World Village revolved around opening to the youth of the world, the doors to countries other than their own, so that the young minds open up and relate to other cultures too. Yet another novel initiative was White T-shirt Ceremony.

 
The performers adorned in pure White T-shirt scribbled messages of peace and harmony in different languages on the T-shirts to give and take home a message that there is no replacement for peace for a Brighter Tomorrow.

 
Commenting on the event, Grace Pinto said, ‘Theater is a powerful medium, it binds people and brings out the best in them.  The four-day festival brought together children from 21 countries, instilling in them a sense of respect for each other and deepened international bonding, broaden their cultural horizons.’

 
A delegate from Happy Childhood, Russia exclaimed, ‘India is extremely close to our heart. We love the extraordinary vibrancy, love and warmth that we receive from people here.’ All the international delegates had the similar experiences to share.

 
The festival that was spread over four-day had its Grand Finale on December 8.  The theatre was a perfect blend of cultures.  Many schools hosted children from different countries; the center of attention was cultural interaction, art and craft workshops, improvisation, play and discussion among the international participants and Ryan children.

 
ICFPA is a pioneering endeavor of the group that provides an international platform to bring the children of the world together to present aesthetically appealing, visually delightful and skilled works of art, creating an amalgamation of cultures and values.  For both Indian and International participants about 15,000 of them, Ryan’s ICFPA will remain an unforgettable experience where they made new friends, learnt new cultures and together expressed their desires for a Brighter Tomorrow.