As we welcome the New Year, we would like to recap the year gone by, capturing a select few insights. Twenty twentyfour was fun, diverse, enabling.

Early on in 2024, we got to understand a little bit about bookbinding and had some initial discussions on the subject with Anusha Andersson and Ruhi Tyson, our Swedish friends in the arts for many years.

The Sinhala theatre performance of The Brothers Size (original English by Tarell Alvin McCraney) in December 2023, was reviewed in Colombo Telegraph, prior to its final local performance in January 2024.

Throughout the year, British Council offered us many wonderful theatre and opera experiences, at least once as a live telecast, and then as recorded screenings, all of great significance: Frankenstein (Directed by Danny Boyle, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller); Lyndsey Turner’s Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, unforgettable for its sheer magnitude of presentation and wonderfully fresh interpretations that interestingly raised eyebrows; Sleeping Beauty; Wuthering Heights; The Nutcracker; The Motive and the Cue (by director Sam Mendes, bringing Richard Burton and John Gielgud’s infamous Hamlet rehearsals to the big screen), The Best of Enemies (inspired by the documentary by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon); Dear England (a ‘gripping examination of nation and game’ directed by Rupert Goold with Joseph Fiennes as England manager Gareth Southgate); Carmen and Madama Butterfly operas; Creature by choreographer Akram Khan with awe-inspiring body movements weaving together a futuristic tale while capturing raw emotions. The list goes on, and continue to inspire us, having initiated new discussions and thoughts on art, visuals, photography, capturing theatre on film, fiction into theatre/film conversion, apart from the superb and nuanced acting, theatre craft and presentation that they embody.

As the Batticaloa Conversations with Prof. Sivagnanam Jeyasankar continues, there are several sessions lined up to be explored in 2025!

The Naming of Names by Shash Trevett and A Web of Grass Across Earth by Kamala Vasuki have, in their individual approaches explored our blood-drenched recent past, as the memories linger and trouble us, even as new days dawn. Translations of some of Shash’s English poems into Sinhala, and Vasuki’s original Tamil verses in their English incarnation have already taken form in Sinhala, and need an abode to occupy.

Just in the past 3 months, the books we have received from across the seas from dear friends are much valued, for the inspiration and insights they provide.

Among the many books we received, particularly noteworthy are books presented by Sharmaine Gunaratne & Suresh Fernando and also by Nadie Kammallaweera. As Steven King says, ‘a uniquely portable magic‘!

The ‘Total Landscaping’ exhibition, Rotation 1, by The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) brought us together with Swedish video artist Jesper Nordahl after many long years. Also the discussion with Jesper, Anomaa Rajakaruna and Padmini Weerasuriya centered around women in the Free Trade Zone, Katunayake. Nordahl’s publication, Anticapitalist Feminist Struggle and Transnational Solidarity: Chandra Talpade Mohanty is a welcome addition to our library.

In December 2024, the George Keyt Foundation organized a Charity Auction: Modern and Contemporary Sri Lankan Art, conducted by Sotheby’s. Editing the auction catalogue was an insightful and educational experience and an opportunity to re-visit local art history. Appreciate the opportunity provided by the George Keyt Foundation and Dr Priyantha Udagedara.

Another December event, a full-day of discussion on writer Ajith Thilakasena at the University of Ruhuna. Ruhuna also focuses our attention on (its architect) Geoffrey Bawa and local architectural heritage, a subject to re-visit, as also the Kalutara Public Library building, which we hear is another Bawa design.

A menteeship with Rowayat – a literary journal, also strengthens our focus.

We have been holding scripting workshops throughout the past months and here’s our latest writing exercise, open for your creative input. Deadline: 15 January 2025! Feel free to share and send in your thoughts!

The activities, conversations and stories, are many many more and growing and expanding and multiplying. Several exciting items lined up already!

We are thrilled to note that we are now listed on the The Routes We Take and look forward to further collaboration.

While we thank everyone, we would like to invite YOU to read with us, to write, engage, collaborate, initiate, and send in your suggestions for new beginnings and further expansions.