Lucknow, September 2026 : Uttar Pradesh is set to host three major art workshops and camps in Ayodhya, Lucknow and Varanasi, bringing together artists from across the country to showcase the state’s rich artistic traditions, cultural heritage and living traditions.
The programmes will explore the cultural legacy of Lord Ram and the Ramayana, folk and traditional painting traditions, and the spiritual and cultural heritage of Kashi and the Ganga through art. The events will be organised with the support of the State Lalit Kala Akademi and various educational institutions, providing young artists and art students an opportunity to learn and interact with established artists.
In Ayodhya, the ‘Ram, Ramayana and Ayodhya’ National Workshop and Lecture Series will be held from October 22 to 26 in collaboration with Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University at Ram Ki Paidi/Guptar Ghat. The event will bring together 25 artists and 10 experts. It will seek to present the cultural heritage associated with Lord Ram, the Ramayana and Ayodhya, while helping the younger generation understand the city’s living cultural traditions through interaction with artists and experts.
In Lucknow, the State Lalit Kala Akademi will organise the ‘Lokdhara’ Folk and Traditional Art Camp from November 18 to 22. The initiative aims to provide a platform for India’s folk and traditional art forms, bringing together renowned artists, young students and art enthusiasts to understand, practise and promote these traditions.
Around 35 to 40 practitioners of folk and traditional art are expected to participate, including Padma Shri awardees, national award-winning artists and senior practitioners. Twenty-five selected senior art students from institutions in Lucknow and surrounding areas will also take part.
The five-day ‘Lokdhara’ camp will focus on live art creation and demonstrations, direct interaction with senior artists, technical learning, practice and mentoring. Artists associated with Gond, Bhil, Godna, Pithora, Rajasthani, Kohbar and Madhubani traditions are among those proposed to participate. Senior artists including Padma Shri Durgabai, Padma Shri Bhuribai, Padma Shri Shivam Paswan, Padma Shri Paresh Rawal, Padma Shri Mahavir Swami and Padma Shri Shyam Sharma are also expected to participate along with artists from different parts of the country and young artists from Uttar Pradesh.
The programme will begin on November 18 with the inauguration, introduction of artists and commencement of studio activities. November 19 will feature live demonstrations and technical interactions with senior artists, followed by masterclasses, creative exercises and mentoring on November 20. Traditional techniques, demonstrations and practical learning will be taken up on November 21, while the final art display, exhibition preview and closing ceremony will be held on November 22.
Several institutions, including the Faculty of Fine Arts at Lucknow University, the Department of Fine Arts at Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, Amity University Lucknow, Goel Institute of Higher Studies, Techno Institute of Higher Studies and Vamsi Institute of Fine Arts and Design, will support the event.
In Varanasi, a four-day ‘Kashi Flow’ International Art Camp and Exhibition will be held on the banks of the Ganga in the second week of December 2026. The event will be jointly organised by the Ganga Mahasabha and the State Lalit Kala Akademi, Uttar Pradesh.
The initiative will seek to express and document the state’s spiritual and cultural heritage, particularly the Ganga, Kashi and its living traditions, through art. Artists from Varanasi, Vrindavan, Dehradun, Mathura, Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Odisha, Lakhimpur, Sirsa, Mau and Meerut, among other places, are expected to participate.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said Uttar Pradesh’s art and culture represented an invaluable legacy for future generations. He said the government’s objective was to connect this heritage not merely with museums and archives but also with artists, students and the wider public.
Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs Department, Amrit Abhijat, said the three initiatives were aimed at creating sustained dialogue between tradition, creativity and the younger generation. He said ‘Lokdhara’ would provide practical training and direct learning opportunities from senior artists, while also documenting traditional artistic techniques and processes.
The three programmes are envisioned as platforms to connect art, heritage, learning and creativity and present Uttar Pradesh’s living cultural traditions to wider audiences through new forms of artistic expression.
