September 13, Colombo (LNW): Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya has highlighted the importance of art and culture in building a society where people can live meaningful, connected and fulfilling lives, saying economic development alone cannot guarantee happiness.
Speaking at the opening of a week-long educational and cultural exhibition and festival in Kurunegala on Saturday (12), the Prime Minister said Sri Lanka must protect its cultural identity while also developing the openness and adaptability needed to cope with a rapidly changing world.
The event, jointly organised by the Wayamba Janakala Foundation and the Siyapatha Kala Sangamaya, seeks to showcase and revive the artistic traditions of the Seven Korales while encouraging greater public engagement with the arts.
The festival is being held at the Wayamba Janakala Centre from 12 to 18 September, with programmes running daily from 10am until midnight. Schoolchildren, teachers, young people and members of the wider public are among those being invited to take part.
The Prime Minister formally opened the Department of Education’s exhibition stall at the venue and launched the Janakala Foundation’s new website.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Amarasuriya said a thriving country should be measured by more than the construction of roads, buildings and housing.
She argued that while physical development was necessary, it could not by itself create a society in which people experienced happiness, sensitivity and a sense of fulfilment. Art, culture and opportunities for people to interact with one another, she said, were equally important.
The Prime Minister also stressed the value of engaging with people from different backgrounds. She encouraged participants to step outside familiar social circles, speak with people they had never met and learn about different languages, religions, cultures and ways of life.
Such encounters, she said, could broaden people’s understanding and help create a stronger sense of social harmony.
Dr Amarasuriya further pointed to the ability of books, films and other forms of creative expression to help people understand experiences beyond their own. She said exposure to the arts could allow individuals to see the world from perspectives that might otherwise remain unfamiliar to them.
She also cautioned against responding to social change by becoming increasingly isolated. As technology transforms society at a rapid pace, she said, people need to learn how to navigate public spaces and interact safely with others while retaining a strong sense of their own identity.
The Prime Minister welcomed the range of activities planned during the festival, including film screenings, educational sessions, workshops and performing arts events, saying they could enrich the cultural life of people in the North Western Province.
She expressed appreciation to those involved in organising the event and wished for the seven-day programme to give visitors an opportunity to discover, appreciate and experience the region’s artistic heritage.
The opening ceremony was attended by North Western Province Governor Tissa Warnasuriya, Deputy Ministers Namal Karunarathna and Namal Sudarshana, MP Dharmapriya Dissanayake, other parliamentarians, the Mayor of Kurunegala, Pradeshiya Sabha chairpersons, Janakala Foundation Chairman Anil K. Senadheera, government officials, students and members of the local community.
Several veteran artists from the North Western Province were also honoured during the ceremony for their contributions to Sri Lankan art. Those felicitated included Professor Mudiyanse Dissanayake, Nibiriyagama Bandara, Anton Coorey and Charitha Wickramasinghe.
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