What Is ICES's Art & Social Change Programme?

Updated

ICES's Art & Social Change programme presents creative work—currently short films—that explores social issues, with multilingual access built in. On the ICES website, the section features the film Whispers Beneath the Tree in three versions: the original, one with Sinhala subtitles, and one with Tamil subtitles. If you want to see how ICES uses artistic expression to open up social questions, this is the part of the site to browse.

What the programme currently offers

The Art & Social Change section on ices.lk is organised around video works. The featured title is Whispers Beneath the Tree, a 37:23-minute film. The page provides:

  • The original version
  • A version with Sinhala subtitles
  • A version with Tamil subtitles

A second work, Shadows of the Other Colombo (48:17), also appears in the site's video player. Together these indicate the programme's focus: long-form visual storytelling about place, identity, and social change in Sri Lanka.

Why the subtitle versions matter

Offering Sinhala and Tamil subtitle tracks is not incidental. It makes the same work accessible to different language communities in Sri Lanka, which fits the broader purpose of using art to prompt shared reflection on social issues rather than limiting the audience to one language group. For a viewer, it means you can choose the version that matches your reading preference; for a researcher or educator, it means the film can be used in more than one linguistic setting.

How to use this section

  1. Go to ices.lk and locate the Art & Social Change section on the homepage.
  2. Select the version of Whispers Beneath the Tree you want—original, Sinhala-subtitled, or Tamil-subtitled.
  3. Use the on-page player controls to watch; the page also offers share options (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and copy link).

The site does not state viewing fees or login requirements for these videos, so check the player when you open it rather than assuming access conditions.

How it connects to the rest of ICES

Art & Social Change sits alongside ICES's research publications, public events, and library. The same themes—contested spaces, shared histories, gender, and minority experiences—recur across its research papers and books, so the film section can serve as an entry point before turning to the written work. If your interest is in attending discussions rather than watching films, the Public Engagements listings (held at the ICES Colombo Auditorium, No. 2 Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8) are the relevant place to look.