A poetic fiesta, a celebration of emotions, expressions, lyricism, and the beauty of words! Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) presented a beautiful evening titled ‘Poetry for all Seasons’ on 14th July, curated by Ipsita Ganguli, a poet herself.
The evening at KCC began with a keynote address on ‘Poetry as a Performing Art’ by Dr. Sreemati Mukherjee of Presidency University and featured captivating poetry readings by 15 leading poets of Kolkata including Ashok Vishwanathan, Mrityunjay Kumar Singh, Julie Mehta, Sekhar Banerjee, and Prabal Kumar Basu.
Apart from the readings, the evening’s highlights included two performances that combined poetry with other art forms. The first performance was a mesmerizing duet of poetry and dance, presented by Akash Chakrabarty and Srabasti Ghosh. They showcased their signature style, delivering a beautiful fusion of poetic expressions and graceful movements. The evening ended on an enthralling note with the musical poetic presentation of Sandipan Dey and Ipsita Ganguli. A mind-blowing performance by this duo to their own script on Monsoon and Love.
While Ipsita read her own poems in her usual captivating style Sandipan presented a beautiful rendition of very well-chosen Tagore songs .
Performance poetry has deep connections to the age-old tradition of embracing a multidisciplinary approach by combining various art forms. This was evident in the dance and poetry presented by Akash and Srabasti, which accentuates the age-old tradition of storytelling through movement. Similarly, the jugalbandi of music and poetry by Sandipan and Ipsita showcased the fusion of two expressive mediums. We also welcomed transgender activist Anurag Maitrayee and feminist poet Devinder Kaur to present their poems, representing the seasons of change and inclusion.
Reena Dewan, Director, KCC aptly said, “Poetry has an extraordinary ability to weave emotions, stories, and the essence of seasons into a rich tapestry of words. With ‘Poetry for all Seasons,’ we aim to curate an experience where poetry enthusiasts can delve into this timeless art form.”
