Thursday Jul 04, 2024
Thursday Jul 04, 2024
Saturday, 25 January 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
variety of venues scattered across the city, participants from across the world, overlapping events and topics ranging across the spectrum of history and remembrance, the festival is a chance for the city’s culture club to immerse themselves. Ranging from discussions with the intelligentsia, book readings and talks to experiential theatre and film to classical music evenings under the stars, the events have been carefully curated and positioned across the city.
The venues include various spots, some well known such as the New Town Hall, the Sri Lanka Foundation and GOH, other more obscure architectural gems such as St Peters Church and Old Town Hall, and some structures just dripping with history and atmosphere, like the Whist Bungalow and Rio Hotel.
The emphasis was put on historical value and architectural glory rather than paint jobs and air conditioning when the choice for the venues was made. An intentional choice by the organizers, the plan was to ensure the “Making History” theme was apparent at all times, along with the juxtaposition between past glory and fresh ideas.
With Colomboscope from 31 January to 2 February, the Colombo Art Biennale on 31 Jan to 9 Jan, Kala Pola on 25 and 26 Jan and the Sri Lanka-India Artists Week rolling around about the same time, Colombo’s going to be a great place to be towards the end of January!
By Kinita Shenoy
Old Town Hall
Situated in Pettah’s bustling Main Street, the versatile Old Town Hall has sheltered and hosted everyone from vegetable vendors selling heads of cabbage to mayors hosting heads of state at different stages in its history.
The original plans for the Town Hall suggested reclaiming land on St John’s River and boasted domestic Gothic architecture and grandiose arched sections including a museum, library, magistrate’s court, offices and chambers. Eventually these plans were scrapped due to the immense cost and replaced with more feasible blueprints proposed by the architect J.G Smither. The new structure boasted a cruet-like top and elaborately carved windows and doors, with furniture to emulate the woodwork and lace-like valance. The foundation stone was placed by His Royal Highness, Prince Alfred the Duke of Edinburgh in April 1870 with a price tag of 7000 GBP. The Town Hall was eventually declared open in 1873 by the erstwhile Governor Sir William Gregory, but fell into disuse when the offices moved to the current Town Hall in 1928.
On the 16th of December 1984, the building was renovated and reopened as a museum, and reception/ exhibition hall, with the aim of becoming a “cultural and recreational complex for the city” according to the presiding Mayor at the time of relaunch. The ceremonial re-opening was graced by then President J.R Jayawardena and Prime Minister R. Premadasa, who stated that: “I have no doubt that the opening of this complex will lead to a resurgence of national identity and cultural values in the minds of our people.” He further expressed his views on the city’s architectural “accidental history”, explaining that “the majority of the buildings in Colombo which are of historical and architectural value do not reflect indigenous features.”
Despite its varied repurposings and makeovers, the Old Town Hall still retains many of its original features, down to the lighting in the first floor chamber and the carved windows. The old council chamber contains wax replicas of the original council members in 1906 – eerie but worth a look! It now hosts a fire department on the ground floor and a few resident bats, but should really lend itself to the atmosphere of the discussions and debates held there during the Colomboscope festival in reflection of the city council debates held almost a century ago.
On the 31st, the Old Town Hall will host two ‘History-Scopes’ back to back, Aaron Burton’s ‘The Village of My Mother’ at 3pm and an excerpt from the 1986 concert ‘Nidi Nathi Nadiya’ in tribute to Sunila Abeysekera at 5pm, followed by a discussion, ‘The Other Voices: The Truth in Art’ featuring Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke, Pietro Ruffo, Sunil Wijesiriwardena, and moderated by Sunila Galapatti. On the 2nd, the Hall will feature a discussion, ‘Sri Lanka: What If’ with Deshamanya Bradman Weerakoon interviewed by Deshal de Mel, and a book several book readings including Joanna Kavena and Adam Foulds at 1:15pm, Abbas Khider and Donal McLaughlin at 3:45pm moderated by Ashok Ferry, and a comic reading of the Professional by Savithri Rodrigo and Francesca Muddanayake at 4:45 also moderated by Ashok Ferry.
Rio Cinema & Hotel
One of the few existing tangible examples of the violence that ripped through the city during the Black July riots, the Rio’s peeling facade stands in bleary, disused defiance. Like an elegant debutante in the early ‘80s now forced to turn tricks to get by, the Rio Cinema & Hotel’s atmosphere is steeped with tragic history and faded glory. Once Sri Lanka’s premier cinematic experience, featuring glittering political elite such as Governor Sir William Gopallawa, Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake and the Bandaranaike sisters at its opening, the cinema now provides seedy midday respite as Slave Island’s daylight purveyor of American blue films.
However, its ambience is undeniable. Both structures were fuelled by the passion and capital of A. Navaratnam, who razed his former business and used the land to make his castle in the sky a reality. The cinema was launched with fanfare in 1965, and was an immediate entertainment darling of the city’s elite. Building on this success, Navaratnam opened the hotel adjoining the cinema, a sensational seven story structure boasting a swimming pool and the Eagle’s Nest rooftop nightclub. Just four years later, mobs looted and destroyed the hotel – and its doors have been shut ever since.
That is however, until the Mind Adventures experimental theatre group used it for an iconic performance of their original piece, ‘Paraya’. And once again, the abandoned Rio Hotel will be open to the public as the location for two of the Colomboscope festival’s most experiential and unique performances. Both experiences will vary on the audience’s choices, energy and engagement and are vastly different from the typical static theatrical/film viewing. The cinema will also play host to a few History Scope events and screenings over the weekend.
Super Night Shots, the unpredictable “product and process” multi-screen film experience by the Gob Squad will perform on the 1st and 2nd at 8pm at the Rio Cinema, while Paraya will take place at 9pm on the 2nd and at 8pm on the 3rd at the Rio Hotel. As part Sunday the 2nd’s History-Scope screenings, ‘5 Broken Cameras’ co-directed by the Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi will show at 1:30pm and ‘Diaspora Stories’ by Thanuja Thurairajah will show at 4:30pm.
The Grand Oriental Hotel
The affectionately abbreviated GOH has seen a parade of eminent personalities and historical figures figuratively waltz in and out its doors (the literal waltzing probably took place in the ballroom). It is rumoured to have once been a Dutch Governor’s mansion, and confirmed to have once been the British Army Barracks. Due to a disappointing lack of visitors’ records and hotel archives, many interesting details as to the hotel’s history and distinguished temporary residents have been lost. Yet, some bits are verified: the hotel was in existence in 1837, and it did cater to Queen Elizabeth II as well as the illustrious Filipino national hero, Dr Jose Mercado Rizal Y Alonzo.
Anton Chekov also stayed at the GOH for a few days in November 1980, when he was a relatively unknown author. According to his brother Mikhail Chekhov in his biography ‘Anton Chekhov- A Brother’s Memoir’, this is when he both fell in love with a beautiful woman under a moonlit palm tree and started writing one of his early novels – ‘Gusev’. He also described Sri Lanka as “Paradise on Earth-an exotic fairy tale setting”, although it is unclear whether it was the woman or the literary inspiration that caused this elation. A bust of the dramaturge still holds pride of place in the hotel lobby.
The political theorist and author Leonard Woolf was another personage who resided at the GOH. It is a hopeful speculation that his wife Virginia’s deep admiration of Chekov may have had something to do with his choice of accommodation! The hotel’s interior has long since lost its original furnishings and touch, but the exterior retains its original early 19th century facade, seamlessly fitting into the lovely colonial Fort district. The Harbour Room also retains an exceptional view of the port and harbour.
The GOH will host each evening’s ‘Festival Lounge’, a relaxed space for festival goers and participants to mingle and listen to music, which kicks off by 9 on the 31st, 1st and 2nd. Apart from this, all the GOH discussions will take place on Sunday the 2nd.
‘If Walls Could Talk’ with Debbie Philip at 10:30, ‘Changing Landscapes-Changing Minds’ with Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Dr Markus Hawel and Madhura Prematilleke moderated by David Porter at 11:30, ‘Social History and the Rise of the Citizen Historian’ with Lara Baladi and the work of Jasmina Metwaly moderated by Mirak Raheem at 2:15, ‘Clothed in ideology: Dressing the female body in history’ by Asoka de Zoysa interviewed by Shermal Wijewardene at 3:30, ‘Whose Narrative Is It Anyway?’ with Abbas Khider, Donal McLaughlin, Shyam Selvadurai and Prajwal Parajuly moderated by Anush Wijesinhe at 5:30.
The Whist Bungalow
Despite the Whist’s vibrant history and proximity to main Colombo, it is generally unheard of, possibly due to its current purpose as a National Housing Development Authority wedding hall. The Colomboscope crew, including Nihara Fernando on interior decor will be transforming it from tiled and whitewashed and CFL-lit to a reflection of its former class. They plan to bring in period furniture, inspired frames, and a general picnic atmosphere featuring Good Market stalls, games of whist, cocktails and musical events under the picturesque Araliya trees overlooking the Mutwal beach.
In conversation with history and research enthusiast Deborah Philips (also a Colomboscope participant covering the history of the bungalow and the GOH), she explained that while the Whist’s exact date of origin is unknown, the first documented reference was in an English Chaplain, James Cordiner’s book describing Ceylon published in 1807. His writings refer to it as a private gentleman’s club- perhaps the first in Colombo. Described as a “convenient retreat for those roistering Sabbath-breakers”, the bungalow was situated in Mutwal, the city’s elite residential area before people started moving south of the fort because of the pollution from steam ships.
The bungalow’s most illustrious resident was the Burgher lawyer Richard Morgan – the first Asian in the British Empire to be knighted. As a former assistant to the Supreme Court judge of the time, Morgan was also appointed to the Queen’s Council, served as the lead prosecutor for the crown against the infamous bandit Saradiel and was an advocate for peoples’ rights until his death in the late 19th century. Philips promises to reveal a certain direct descendant of Morgan’s, responsible for breathing life into the modernist art movement in 1930’s Sri Lanka during her ‘If Walls Could Talk’ session. However, supernatural enthusiasts would be far more interested in Morgan’s son who is fabled to haunt the halls of the Whist.
The majority of Philips’ information was derived from Arnold Wright’s book ‘Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources’, a source she terms “invaluable” for those trying to better understand colonialism and delve into concepts of ethnic identity as she is. Her sessions will focus on the relationships and lives of the owners of the Whist and the neighbouring Elie House, and how the residents and visitors of these two houses affected the political and intellectual landscape of Colombo at the time. Whist relates to the festival’s theme by addressing an alternative history that “strays from the grand narrative”, according to Philips.
The Whist will host the majority of Saturday’s sessions: ‘Walkabout’ with Asoka De Zoysa at 10:15, ‘If Walls Could Talk’ with Debbie Philip at 10:30, ‘South Asian Dilemmas: Violence, Democracy and the Politics of Language’ with Dr Pradeep Jeganathan, Joanna Kavenna and Dr Surendra Munshi moderated by Ruhanie Perera at 11:30, Lunctime Music: 19th Century Salon Music by the Chamber Music Society of Colombo’s String Quartet at 1pm, ‘Memory and Remembrance’ with Dr P Saravanamuttu, Dr Markus Hawel and Shyam Selvadurai moderated by Sunila Galapatti at 2:15, a Reading Corner of Prajwal Parajuly’s ‘Land Where I Flee’ by Smriti Daniel at 3:45, History’s Lenses with Shehan Karunatilaka, Adam Foulds, Abbas Khider and Donal McLaughlin moderated by Ashok Ferry at 4:45, followed by History Scope: Land of Silence by Vimukthi Jayasundara at 6:15, and ‘Music Under the Stars: No More Marx’ with Ajith Kumarasiri at 6:45.
St. Peter’s Church
Converted from the Dutch Governor’s banquet hall, the archaic building served as an Anglican church since 1821. Despite being virtually inaccessible for years due to the amped up Harbour security and its proximity to the police HQ during the war years, the church has retained its original arched wooden ceiling and a variety of plaques and artefacts. It is truly beautiful and well worth a visit, as is its upstairs neighbour – the Mission to Seafarers. Unfortunately, the church’s opening hours are fairly erratic during the work week.
St. Peter’s will host a rather lovely event at 1pm on Sunday, Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ as part of the ‘Lunchtime Music’ sessions by the Chamber Music Society of Colombo. It is described as a “semi-aleatoric composition, one of the first minimalist works”.
Pix by Lasantha Kumara and Sameera Wijesinghe
