Lucknow: With the WhiteSwan Art Festival due from March 22 to 25, the city is set to witness a unique cultural celebration centred on the message of world peace and sustainability.Founded by art patron Anjali Nigam, the international initiative aims to use culture as a powerful medium for dialogue in an increasingly divided world. The festival is built on three guiding pillars — Responsible Art, Responsible Music and Responsible Food — bringing together artists, musicians, students and communities to promote empathy, environmental awareness and cultural exchange, said Anjali. The Lucknow edition is being organised in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh state archives and will feature a series of interactive and community-driven events, including art exhibitions, live painting sessions, community art camps, music performances, panel discussions on art and sustainability and cultural interactions with artists and students. The programme will also include inclusive art workshops with children from govt schools, underserved communities and special needs institutions, encouraging creative participation and dialogue around the theme of world peace and sustainability. As part of the celebrations, art camps will be conducted with children from govt schools and underserved communities, where participants will paint on the theme ‘World Peace and Sustainability.’ The festival will also highlight responsible food, offering thoughtfully curated pure vegetarian cuisine that reflects sustainable and ethical food practices. The concept resonates strongly with Lucknow’s identity, as the city is recognised by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy, making it an ideal setting to promote mindful and culturally rooted food traditions. A special outreach initiative will take place on March 23 at Pyssum, an institution supporting children with special needs. One of the key highlights will be the creation of a 2.5-metre ‘Unity & Peace’ canvas, painted collaboratively by artists, students, special children, teachers and parents. “Nobody is listening to anybody any more. But art can change minds. Art can create that impact in the human mind, especially in the new generation,” said Anjali.
