New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- The India International Centre (IIC) will hold the 22nd edition of its annual festival, 'The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts', from October 29 to November 3. This year's theme is 'Prakriti: Ecology and Existence'.
According to the IIC, the theme reflects global concerns such as climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and pressures on traditional livelihoods.
The festival will begin on October 29 with the exhibition 'Prakriti: Harmonising Inner and Outer Worlds in South Asian Texts and Traditions' and a keynote address by art historian Naman P Ahuja. IIC President Shyam Saran will formally inaugurate it on October 30 at 6:30 pm. Alarmel Valli will follow with a Bharatanatyam recital.
Other performances include a solo recital by Maa Parvathy Baul, a Rudra Veena recital by Ustad Mohi Bahauddin Dagar and a Hindustani vocal recital by Pt Ajoy Chakrabarty. Exhibitions will cover Kerala's manuscript heritage, pastoral communities and Company paintings of Indian birds. A stainless-steel wire tree sculpture, 'I Am Within You', by Lalit Kala National Award winner Dhananjay Singh, will be displayed near the main building's fountain.
Panel discussions on wildlife conservation, Kerala's literacy, urban landscapes, pastoralism, nutrition and climate change will be held from October 31 to November 3.
The film segment, 'Stories on Screen', will show 13 films, including 'Jurassic Park', 'The Red Turtle', 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'. A few titles deal with ecological themes, but the selection is largely for entertainment and not all films link to the 'Prakriti' theme.
The food festival, 'Journeys Across India', will feature cuisines from Kalinga and Jharkhand, Afghan and Jain vegetarian fare, a French evening and Konkan-to-Malabar coastal food. All food events require prior reservation.
Life Trustee N N Vohra will release the 'IIC Quarterly: Autumn 2026' on November 2.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.