KOLLAM: A mangrove frame in the middle of the lake on Munroe Island. In the middle, there are three girls are dancing on a boat. A girl is recording it on a mobile phone as well.

Both foreigners and natives who came to enjoy the lake ride are curious. The foreigner, who came on a coracle round boat, wants to know. Uttaman who rowed the boat said. 'Saippe, school art fest. Let the kids rock...”

Uttaman switched to the English he knew to explain what was happening to the confused foreigner.

The three have come to participate in the state school arts festival that starts tomorrow in Kollam. Adilakshmi of Parappa Higher Secondary School, Kasaragod, Sanjana of Govt Higher Secondary School, Njekkad, Thiruvananthapuram, and Aishwarya of Chathannoor NSS School, Kollam.

Trained in the same dance school in Kollam, studying in three districts due to different circumstances. Their friendship is strengthened by dance. Art festivals are the venues for their meetings. Since the art festival is in Kollam this time, higher secondary student Aishwarya decided to make the reunion a grand one. All three put on their makeup and reached Mundrothuruthu today.

Competitions are starting from tomorrow and there will be no time after that. The school art festival is also the venue for some get-togethers like this.

After 15 years, the whole district is excited before lighting the lamp for the state school art festival in Kollam tomorrow. With Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the art festival at the main venue named after ONV Kurup tomorrow at 10 am, the heart and soul of art Kerala will be in Kollam.