Broadening PKF’s horizon

May 23, 2013: Yesterday evening I had a meeting with Jeffrey K Reneau (picture), the Director of American Centre in Kolkata at the Taj Chambers. The meeting was to work out the possibilities of forging an alliance between Prabha Khaitan Foundation and the American Centre in Kolkata to work towards promoting art and culture and related artistes.

It was a very encouraging first step on our part. Thinking broadly, it is my desire to organize cultural exchange programmes and events in which artistes, local and from different countries, would come together in Kolkata especially in areas such as performing arts, painting, handicraft, literature, journalism, environmental awareness and so on.

The local hospitality for all the artistes would be extended by Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) to the visiting and guest artistes from abroad for which their shortlisting and air travel would be taken care of by the cultural centre of the respective country. Similarly, local artistes could visit that country for which PKF would take care of air travel etc.

This idea is not entirely new since PKF has already signed an MoU with the Alliance Francaise du Bengale – forging a Kolkata-Paris link – whereby Indian and French artistes would come together in events organized by PKF in Kolkata. A similar tie-up with the British Council is also in the process of being formalised.

The idea is to broaden the horizon of PKF’s activities and also add some more to the thriving cultural life that is Kolkata’s cachet. This would expose the city to various cultural activities of the West and also provide a forum for local artistes to express their talent to the West.

I am anxious that the tie-up with American Centre should happen soon as it would involve a great degree of deliberations and careful planning for working out an annual calendar of events for PKF.
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