Kerala Folklore Academy to expand in UAE

Kerala Folklore Academy, the South Indian state’s premier art and cultural centre, says UAE could become the first country outside India where it plans to expand its activities.

In a media briefing held yesterday (Tuesday) in Dubai, the academy’s chairman B Muhammed Ahammed said it plans to tie up with cultural organisations in the UAE in the first such initiative.

The academy is an independent centre for cultural affairs, funded by the state government and was established in June 1995 with an objective to promote and project the traditional art forms of Kerala.

Recognised art and cultural organisations in from the Gulf have been told that they can send in an application for a formal tie up or an association.

“We first plan to introduce it in the UAE and then possibly expand to other countries in the region,” said Ahammed.

About 90 per cent of Keralites outside India live in the Gulf and UAE continues to remain the most popular destination for a Gulf aspirant.

“There is an acute shortage of quality artists who can train kids in traditional art forms in the Gulf. Most of the current generation who are born and brought up here have absolutely no connection to their roots except may be through television. More training centres with quality artists is always welcome and will help the expat community in a great way,” says Sindhu P K, a housewife, who sends her two children to a centre in Karama in Dubai to learn traditional dance and music.

The academy will support by bringing in the artists from Kerala and  also organise special performances and training programmes in the UAE.

Kerala has more than 500 varieties of traditional art. The academy also provides financial assistance to of folk artists.
 

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