Telangana International Kite Festival transitions to major state event

The Head of Academy, Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, and External Relations & Partnerships lead, Mrs. Leigh Fisher attended the closing ceremony of the 3^rd Telangana International Kite Festival held at Tourism Plaza Hotel on Monday 15^th January.

Telangana International Kite Festival and its predecessors, KITE 2016 and 2017 is the result of a longstanding partnership with the Telangana State Tourism Department to create a fun, family and social cause festival in celebration of India’s newest and emerging state. Secretary of Tourism, Mr. Venkatesham IAS publicly thanked the Academy for its vision and support in bringing TIKF 2018 alive. For the last two years, the Academy has designed, planned and implemented this pioneering event during Sankranthi, a regional harvest celebration. With a social agenda of promoting the cause of girl child education, KITE 2016 brought thousands of visitors to the Academy campus to watch national and international kite flying teams, experience a regional food fair and local performance arts on stages around the grounds.

The Academy KITE 2017 festival team enhanced the original concept in scope and profile, attracting 75+ kite flyers from 17 countries. A special night kite flying launch took place at People’s Plaza, downtown in Hyderabad City. Remote-controlled dragon kites were flown by a team from Singapore for the first time in India, a special treat for the gathered crowd of 5000. A dedicated Government Schools Program brought 5,000 state school students to the Academy prior to the weekend program to share the experience of watching giant kites float in a blue sky, and take part in kite-related arts and crafts activities. Tagged “more and different, bigger and better,” the festival was attended by 15,000 visitors to the Academy over the two-day Sankranthi weekend in January last year. KITE 2017 then took to the road, and 50 kite flyers travelled and flew their kites in Yadagirigutta, Warangal, Karimnagar and Mahabubnagar over the course of the following week.

2018 Sankranthi has marked the formal transition of the now annual Telangana International Kite Festival to the State Tourism Department. This year the Academy continued its support as their official knowledge partner through members of the core events team directed by Leigh Fisher who worked closely with the Commissioner of Tourism, Mrs Sunita Bhagwat. Our efforts and contributions over the last three years were warmly acknowledged by Mr. Venkatesham at the Closing Ceremony and formal dinner on Monday 15^th January. The Academy is proud and privileged to have been part of the creation of such a special cultural event, which has put Hyderabad, and Telangana, on the international kite flying map while raising the flag of girl child education to highlight one of our key social development purposes as a network.