• The main event during the month was an international Festival of Mask Dances held in New Delhi and other cities. This festival, organised by the Council in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the Sangeet Natak Akademi(SNA) and the National School of Drama (NSD), also included a seminar and exhibition on "Mind, Man and Mask". Groups from seven countries viz. Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Japan, the Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe: joined artistes from Sweden (Michael Meschke) and India (Astad Deboo, M K Raina, Purulia Chhau and Seraikella Chhau, Krishnattam) in what was a unique and memorable experience.
  
  
• Performing arts groups from Bangladesh, Canada, Russia, Belarus and France also visited India.
  
  
• The ICCR had the honour to host this month distinguished artistes, scholars and statesmen from several countries including Canada, Hungary, Israel, ROKorea, Mauritius, the Philippines, Russia and the U.K..
  
  
• The Council sponsored/ assisted presentations by eminent artistes on its panel in various countries viz. Nepal, Mauritius, Oman, U.A.E., Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.A. Exhibitions sponsored by the Council were on display in Hungary and the U.S.A.
  
  
• The Retrospectives Series featured an evening of ghazals by Penaz Masani on Wednesday 4th February at Tagore Hall.
  
  
• The other series: Horizon, continued to provide a platform, on Fridays at Tagore Hall, to young artistes empanelled with the Council. Presentations in February included those of sitar, Manipuri, Bharatnatyam and Hindustani vocal (khyal and thumri).
  
  
• In collaboration with the Shakespeare Society which had organised an international seminar on the subject of productions of such plays in various countries, the ICCR staged two Shakespearen plays at Tagore Hall on the 5th and 7th : Othello (in Kathakali by the International Centre for Kathakali) and King Lear (by students of the Ahmedabad University).
  
  

Spur of the Month:

Events in New Delhi

• 2nd February : Siri Fort : Russian Ballet Performance
• 4th February : Tagore Hall : Retrospectives Series: Ghazals: Penaz Masani
• 5th February : Tagore Hall : Shakespeare's Othello (in Kathakali)
• 7th February : Tagore Hall : Shakespeare's King Lear
• 9th February : Teen Murti : Concert by group "Clear Voice from Belarus
• 12th February : Kamani : Mask Dances : Nepal
• 13th February : Kamani : Mask Dances : Bhutan
• 14th February : Kamani : Mask Dances : Zimbabwe
• 15th February : Kamani : Mask Dances : Indonesia
• 17th February : Kamani : Mask Dances : Krishnattam
• 18th February : Kamani : Mask Dances : Japan
• 19th February : Kamani : Contemporary Dances : <Annette Leday group from France>
• 20th February : Tagore Hall : HorizonSeries: Manipuri dance by Vijayantimala Devi , Bharatnatyam dance by Pooja Sriram
• 21st February : Tagore Hall : Folk Singers from Bangladesh
• 22nd February : National School of Drama : Mask Dances: M K Raina
• 23rd February : Sri Ram Centre : Mask Dances: Chhau
• 24th February : Sri Ram Centre : Mask Dances: Ivory Coast
• 25th February : Sri Ram Centre : Mask Dances: Sri Lanka
• 26th February : Sri Ram Centre : Mask Dances: Astad Deboo
• 27th February : Sri Ram Centre : Mask Dances: Michael Meschke
• 27th February : Tagore Hall : Horizon Series: Sitar recital by Partha Bose, Hindustani vocal (khyal & thumri) recital by Dr Soma Ghosh

Events in Other Cities

• Toronto Dance Theatre (Canada)
  Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai
• "Clear Voice" group from Belarus
  Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore
• Mask Dance Group : Bhutan
  Varanasi, Lucknow, Calcutta
• Mask Dance Group : Indonesia
  Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai
• Mask Dance Group : Ivory Coast
  Calcutta, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Shimla
• Mask Dance Group : Japan
  Mumbai, Goa
• Mask Dance Group : Nepal
  Trivandrum, Bangalore, Calcutta
• Mask Dance Group : Sri Lanka
  Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai
• Mask dance Group : Zimbabwe
  Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Chennai
• Annette Leday Contemporary Dance Group from France
  Bangalore, Chennai, Pondicherry, Goa, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta

Events Abroad

• Budapest, Hungary : Exhibition of Contemporary Graphics
• Chicago, USA : Exhibition of Cartoons
  
  
• Hindustani vocal/ bhajans: Sumitra Guha in Mauritius
• Sitar: Pt Ravi Shankar in Nepal
• Kuchipudi : Swathy Somnath in Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Tanzania
• Kuchipudi : Sarala Kumari in Oman, U.A.E., Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait
• Composite Group Kathak & Rabindra Sangeet/ dance : Sharmistha Mukherjee & Geetanjali troupe in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar
  
  
• ICCR travel assistance to
• **Kumudini Lakhia : Kathak ( lec-dem ) in the U.K.
• **Pt. Jasraj : Hindustani vocal in the U.S.A.
• **Karikudi Mani : Percussion ensemble in Australia

Distinguished Visitors

The Council's Distinguished Visitors during the month included :

• Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo (former President of Mauritius) and Lady Ringadoo;
• Prof. Ahmed Moustafa (Egyptian calligraphy artist from the U.K.);
• Prof Kim Hak-Joon, President, Inchon University, ROKorea;
• Hon. Monique Begin, P.C., Professor Emerita, University of Ottawa, Canada;
• Mr Manuel Baldemor, artist from the Philippines
• Dr Martin Kramer, Director, Moshe Dayan Centre, Israel;
• Prof Albert Belsky, Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences, Russia

Distinguished scholars assisted by the Council to travel abroad during the month included Dr Sushila Nayar, President, Sevagram, Wardha (to South Africa) and Dr.Haridev Sharma, Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (to South Africa).

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