Colombo: A Cultural Melting Pot

Colombo may be a small city, but it is one that has a rich and varied culture. On a recent trip to Sri Lanka, I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days just relaxing and enjoying this seaside town. What really struck me about this capital city in Asia was how readily Sri Lankans embraced all walks of life, from different people to varying architecture, nothing seemed taboo or out of place here.

One of its kind

It is probably this culture of acceptance that also makes the Colombo International Theatre Festival so unique. In only its second year, this celebration of international theatre has attracted productions from 10 countries around the world including India, Iran, Austria and the USA. The event is a platform for multicultural interchange and boosts Sri Lankan heritage on the world stage, which will be held from March 27 to April 3. The program has three sections; main performances, solo performances for individuals and experimental theatre and local performances to showcase regional talent.

The main objective of this Sri Lankan Festival is to bring together international theatre with the many different cultural identities within Sri Lanka. This international festival in Sri Lanka also provides an opportunity for local audiences to experience and learn about international theatre, and develop their own performing arts. Although the festival is held in Sri Lanka, uniquely there is no restriction on the language to be used in any of the productions, with the tongue of preference being an important part of the artistic medium and reflecting the multicultural focus of the event.  The event is both ground breaking in the international arena in this regard, and also a turning point for theatre within Sri Lanka, giving it exposure to new styles and artistic forms.

A chequered history

Sri Lanka is not new to different cultures. Having been inhabited by the Dutch, British and Indians at different points in time and places, there are remnants of each culture throughout the country. The lively streets of Galle, feel like a small European village with their interesting crafts and mosques that sit comfortably next to old English churches.  It is like a seaside escape caught somewhere in between Asia and Europe.

In the centre of Sri Lanka, you can be forgiven for thinking you have stumbled into England circa 1850 in the hill station of Nuwara Eliya.  With grand old country homes now serving as hotels and stunning verdant tea estates lining the surrounding hills, this town is like an English rose in the middle of Asia.  A short drive away is another quaint town, Kandy.  Famous for being the home of the Temple of the Sacred Buddhist Tooth Relic, this Buddhist town confusingly looks like it could be in central Wales. With its lake set amongst rolling hills, it is a stunning place of tranquility.

No matter where you go in Sri Lanka, you can experience the way this island embraces different cultures and takes the best from them. The Colombo International Theatre Festival will no doubt do the same, making it an event to be experienced for anyone who wants to explore and learn from other cultures.

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