With a new addition of performing arts, this year's edition of Madras Week will feature a number of lectures, heritage walks and exhibitions. The events, spread across a fortnight, are being conducted in various parts of the city.
Announcing the events lined up for the Week, from August 15, historian and the event coordinator S. Muthiah said that a large band of volunteers have come forward to organise different events in their places, highlighting the significance of the city.
“Interestingly, this year many new places are organising new events. Schools in places such as Tambaram, apartment complexes in Virugambakkam, and institutions in Nanganallur have planned quiz and lecture programmes at their venues,” he told media persons here on Wednesday. Though the core celebration of Madras Week is between August 15 and 22, many events have already begun and many others are planned till August-end.
Performance programmes, a first-of-its-kind for Madras Week, will be organised by Free Masons and Chennai Heritage, he added. The seating arrangement at many of the venues is limited and entry will be on first-come-first-served basis.
Apart from top-slot hotels that have been part of Madras Week celebrations in the past, smaller cafes and restaurants are also hosting programmes. Institutions such as the University of Madras, Government Museum, Anna University and the Archaeological Survey of India are involved in the celebrations. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is organising quizzes on the theme ‘Know your capital' in cities such as Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Madurai. Actor Mohanram and INTACH Chennai Chapter convener S. Suresh were among those who addressed the press meet.
Some of the events that are part of the Madras Week celebrations are: multimedia contest for schools, talk on Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar, musical narratives by Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil Gurucharan, Chennai's Broadway – heritage tour, walk at Kalakshetra, food festivals, photo walks, fancy dress competitions, project report competition, poster designing competition, Tamil lectures, quiz, oratorical contest and talk on films.
Those who want to organise programmes during the week may email to madrasday@yahoo.com. More details about the schedule are available on the website www.themadrasday.in.
