THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 63rd Kerala State School Arts Festival, known as the Kerala School Kalolsavam, kicked off in Thiruvananthapuram on January 4, 2025. The event, which is one of the biggest school-level art competitions in the state, is being held at various venues across the city, with the Central Stadium serving as the main location. The festival is expected to run for five days, concluding on January 8.

In his inaugural address, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan highlighted the importance of such art festivals in promoting values like love, unity, and communal harmony. He stressed that fostering artistic talent should be an integral part of education, as it helps nurture creativity and awakens the hidden artist in every student. The CM emphasized that education must be a tool for personal development, enabling students to express their creativity through the arts.

Vijayan also addressed the challenges faced during the festival, urging participants and organizers to focus on celebrating talent rather than engaging in conflicts or rivalries. He pointed out that many students abandon their artistic pursuits after school, and called for collective efforts to identify and support these talents. The CM reassured the audience that his government would take steps to resolve these issues and provide more opportunities for students interested in the arts.

This year’s Kalolsavam sees participation from over 15,000 students from various state schools across Kerala. These students will compete in 249 events spread across 25 venues, named after the rivers of Kerala. The Central Stadium, which was originally named Bharathapuzha, has been renamed MT-Nila in honor of Malayalam literary icon MT Vasudevan Nair, who passed away recently.

The festival showcases a wide variety of traditional and classical art forms, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Yakshagana, Nadodinritham, Oppana, Thiruvathira, Kolkkali, Duffumuttu, and Chavittu Nadakam. This year, the festival features a special addition: five tribal art forms are included for the first time. These art forms are Mangalam Kali (from the Mavilan and Malavettuvan communities), Paniya Nritham (from the Paniya community), Malapulaya Aattam (from the Malapulaya community), Irula Nritham (from the Irula community), and Paliya Nritham (from the Paliya community).

The competition also includes individual and group performances, with points awarded to each district. The district with the most points at the end of the festival will be declared the winner. 

The Kerala State School Arts Festival traces its origins to 1956, when Dr. CS Venkiteswaran, the Director of Education at the time, initiated the first school-level arts festival at the SRV Girls High School in Ernakulam. The festival was inspired by the Delhi Inter-university Arts Festival. The Kerala School Kalolsavam has evolved significantly over the years. In 1986, it introduced prestigious awards like the "Kalathilakam" for girls and the "Kalaprathibha" for boys, further enhancing the festival's cultural importance. Although these awards were discontinued in 2006 due to disputes, the festival continues to be an important platform for student artists across Kerala.