Government accords priority for promoting folk arts

February 21, 2010 08:48 pm | Updated 08:48 pm IST - TIRUCHI

A. Mani, Commissioner, Department of Arts and Culture, Chennai giving the certificate to a student at the annual Graduation day of Kalai Kaviri School of Fine Arts in Tiruchi on Sunday. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

A. Mani, Commissioner, Department of Arts and Culture, Chennai giving the certificate to a student at the annual Graduation day of Kalai Kaviri School of Fine Arts in Tiruchi on Sunday. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Tamil Nadu Government is taking keen interest and according priority in promoting various types of folk arts and its form in the State, A. Mani, Commissioner, Department of Art and Culture,Tamil Nadu Government, said here on Sunday.

Delivering presidential address after distributing Bharathanatyam and Mohiniyattam certificates to 66 students (62 Bhrathanatyam and four Mohiniyattam) at the 23rd graduation ceremony of Bharathanatyam and 10th graduation of Mohiniyattam certificate courses of Kalai Kaviri School of Fine Arts here, Mr. Mani said that the Government had identified one hundred folk arts in Tamil Nadu and issued orders approving all these folk art varieties.

He pointed out that the Government had created an exclusive Folk Arts Welfare Board in the State in 2007 with a corpus fund of Rs. one crore to revive and save the dying folk art. He said that there were now 20,000 members in the Folk Arts Welfare Board and the Government had so far disbursed Rs. 25 lakh as welfare assistance like marriage and education grants, etc to the needy folk artistes in the State.

Mr. Mani said that five music colleges were functioning in the State, of which four were Government music colleges at Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district (offering three year diploma courses) and pointed out that the Kalai Kaviri School of Fine Arts in Tiruchi was a Government-aided institution.

The Commissioner appreciated the KalaiKaviri School of Fine Arts for rendering very good service in promoting music, dance and folk arts and pointed out that the institution had been catering to the needs of the students belong poor and downtrodden and also economically weaker sections of the society.

He said that the main objective of the Government was to promote our traditional art and culture and also to save our traditional art forms like Bharathanatyam, Tamil music, instrumental music, folk arts including dances. There are 21 district music schools in the State and are working well, he said.

Earlier, Rev. Fr. Anthuvan, Director and Sister Margaret Bastin, Principal of Kalai Kaviri School of Fine Arts spoke about the growth of the institution from its inception and the various fine arts courses being run by the institution. Rev. Fr. Thomas Paulsamy, Vicar General of Tiruchi Diocese, spoke about the yeoman services rendered by the institution.

The students performed a colourful Bharathanatyam and Moniniyattam and thrilled the audience.

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