The Delphic Games is to art and culture what the Olympics is to sports.
Started a 100 years after the modern edition of the Olympics, the youth edition of the Delphic Games will be hosted in India for the first time, from February 1 to 14, 2016, in Goa.
The Youth Delphic Games are held every four years and are aimed at participants in the age group of 15 to 25. The motto of the 2016 Games is ‘Celebrating Arts and Cultures.’
It will include competitions in six categories — musical arts & sounds, performing arts, language arts, visual arts, social arts and ecological arts & architecture.
Globally celebrated Indians such as Alyque Padamsee, Sonal Mansingh, Shiamak Davar and Pahlaj Nihalani will be associated with this edition.
Culture connect Speaking to The Hindu , J. Christian B. Kirsch, founder and secretary-general of the International Delphic Council, said: “The Delphic Games is a cultural movement that brings different cultures on a unified global platform and creates a window of opportunity to express, explore and imbibe new ideas. Our aim is to celebrate global unity in the form of arts and culture. Development of intercultural content and values is the main focus of the Delphic Games. It helps in the strengthening of identity in a money-driven world.”
Asked why India was chosen to host it, Mr. Kirsch replied: “India is a country with an exceptional cultural heritage and cultural awareness, with an unbroken spiritual impact, which the so-called industrialised countries are increasingly lacking. There is a sensitivity in the political leadership to promote the real power of India – its culture. Goa has a history arching over thousands of years and is a true mix of culture and faith. There are so many elements which are thrown together — there is the vibrancy and the noise that you expect from India, but there is an element of Latin America and the Mediterranean warmth also, which makes it so amazing.”
On the logistics of organising such a large-scale event, Mr. Kirsch said, “Rajeev Sethi, South Asia’s leading scenographer and art curator, has done a recce of Goa and has shortlisted venues. We have approached open and closed stadiums, auditoriums, public spaces, parks, historical churches, monuments, beaches, public squares, colleges, schools, and villages. We expect to attract 125 countries with over 7,000 participants for the 2016 Games.”
The Delphic Games, touted as the twin sister of Olympics, came into being over 1,000 years ago in Delphi, Greece, to praise the gods and honour peace. They were so momentous that even wars and conflicts had to cease during the Games, which were subsequently banned in 394 AD. The International Delphic Council (IDC), founded in 1994, revived the Games.
