Canadian Gharana Festival – Ottawa, Canada June 22-24, 2012

CANADA’S FIRST INDIAN ARTS FESTIVAL LAUNCHED IN OTTAWA:

Canadian Gharana Arts Festival: A Celebration of Indian Arts

Background

The first “Canadian Gharana Arts Festival: A Celebration of Indian Arts” will be held June 22-24, 2012 at the Shenkman Arts Centre and Centrepointe Theatre, in Ottawa.  Spanning from Nepean to Orleans, the National Capital Region will host artists from across Canada and Internationally.  The Festival will feature classical Indian music, dance and theater performances, art exhibitions, flim screenings, and literature contests. Panel discussions with renowned Canadina artists and lecture demonstrations will also highlight this years programming. This inter-communty festival aims to showcase classical arts from all regions of the Indian Sub-Continent.

The Festival will promote appreciation for Indian classical arts amoung Canadians of Indian and non-indo origin and specifically offer opportunites for youth participation and performance. The Festival also aims to showcase the creativity and flexibility of Indian classical art forms in our multicultural society while maintaining their traditional teachings.  This will be the first event in Ottawa where classical Indian artists from a variety of diciplines can perform, network and collaborate.

Hosted by Gharana Arts (www.GharanaArts.com), the Canadian Gharana Arts Festival brings the artistic traditions of India to a new generation of Canadians and cultivates a passionate environment for the development and progression of these art forms.  Local vocal, and instrumental schools and artists will be featured; as well as artists from across Canada including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Canadian Gharana Festival: A Celebration of Indian Arts

Dates: June 22 – Richcraft Theatre (Shenkman Arts Cnetre

June 23 – Centrepointe Studio (Centre pointe Theatre)

June 24th – Harold Shenkman Hall (Shenkman Arts Centre)

Ticket Pricing, and Festival Packages – Visit www.Gharana.Arts/CGFTicketing

Festival Program – Visit www.GharanaArts.com/CGFProgram.
Program Highlights include:

• Music and Dance – Featuring  professional national and international artists performing  the many classical traditions of Indian dance and music. Also highlighting the newest dance drama by Gharana Arts entitled “DashAvatar”
• Theatre – A modern interpretation of the opera “Lakmé” with orignial music and choreography
• Visual Arts – A special exhibition of works centered on Indian artistic themes with a special focus placed on works by youth.
• Literature Contest – An open competition soliciting entries of short stories, poems and prose.  The winning piece will showcased at the Panal Discussion dedicated to this artistic disipline.
• FilmFest – Showcasing short films including international films on a wide range of topics including Indian child labor, and Kathak dancing in contemporary India.

For more information about this event, or to schedule an interview with Ravi Singh, please contact:  Tanuja Kulkarni at (613) 266-2247 or email Tanuja at tanujakulkarni@hotmail.com