School arts festival season is here: Dates & venues for this year's Kerala School Kalolsavam

The 63rd edition of the Kerala School Kalolsavam, Asia's largest school-level arts festival, will be held from December 3 to 7 in Thiruvananthapuram. This grand art and cultural festival, featuring students from schools following the Kerala state syllabus, will take place across 24 venues in the district.

Returning to Thiruvananthapuram after a nine-year gap, the district last hosted the event in 2015. Alongside Kalolsavam, two other festivals will also be organized: Samskritolsavam (Sanskrit festival) and Arabic Sahityolsavam (Arabic literary festival).

The school Kalolsavam began humbly in 1957 at the Government Girls High School in Ernakulam, where 18 competitions in 12 events were held in just a few classrooms. In contrast, this year’s event will feature 97 competitions in the high school category, 105 in higher secondary, and 19 each in Samskritolsavam and Arabic Sahityolsavam, totaling 240 events. Around 14,000 students are expected to compete.

Venues
The main stage will be set up at Putharikandam Maidan in East Fort, which will accommodate up to 15,000 spectators. Other venues include University Senate Hall, Nishagandhi Auditorium, Ayyankali Hall, Tagore Hall, and several schools within city limits. Meals will be provided at Police Ground, Thycaud, or Central Stadium.

Grading system
This year’s Kalolsavam will follow a revised manual, and all students earning an 'A' grade will receive a one-time scholarship of Rs 1,000. Approximately 350 judges, from Kerala and across India, will evaluate the performances. Any disputes will be addressed by a state-level appeal committee, and sub-committees formed by recognized teacher unions will ensure the smooth operation of the festival.

Prior to the Kalolsavam, school-level competitions will conclude by the first week of October, sub-district events by mid-October, and district-level contests by the first week of November.

Sports meet: Kerala School Olympics 2024

The State School Kayikolsavam, branded as 'Kerala School Olympics 24', will be held in Kochi from November 4 to 11. This year, "inclusive sports" will be introduced, allowing children with special needs to participate. Around 24,000 students will compete in 41 events across three age categories: under-14, under-17, and under-19.

Competitions will take place over seven days, during both daytime and night-time. With over 15,000 competitions scheduled, Kerala School Olympics is expected to become the world's largest sports event for teens, according to State Education Minister V Sivankutty.