TALK - Mathew Belmonte, Fulbright-Nehru Scholar and Assistant Professor, Cornell University, speaks on Connecting Autism Collab: Action For Autism

MUSIC - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Escopetarra Music Colombian musician Cesar Lopez plays an instrument called 'Escopetarra' coined from the Spanish words 'escopeta' for a shotgun, and 'guitarra' for a guitar. Lopez has transformed an instrument of war, the AK -47 rifle, into an instrument of peace. Collab: Embassy of Colombia, UNODC & UNIC

BOOK LAUNCH - Frontiers Of Feelings by Sharat Kumar. Dipti, cherishes the notion of a stable, arranged alliance, though brought up in Britain. As she ties the knot with Vinay, an officer of the Indian Foreign Service posted at Gangtok, soon enough it dawns that the traditional patterns have lost their relevance in the changing social framework. And Samaresh, commanding a company of the Border Roads in North Sikkim, who frequently visits this hill-capital on official tours, invades Dipti’s life. The complex web of human emotions that entangles the protagonists, and how they confront the frontiers of feelings, echo in the silences of valleys and mountain ranges. A riveting tale of star-crossed love! The novel is an English transcreation of the award-winning Hindi original, Shikhar Aur Seemayen. Collab: Stellar Publishers

FILM CLUB DISCUSSION  - Group meets to discuss children’s films- For A Few Marbles More (Dutch/2006/11mins) Dir.Jelmar Hufen. Four ten–year-olds are kicked out of their favorite playground by two aggressive drunkards. When they realize their parents are not going to help them, there’s only one solution. They have to find a way to get the toughest boy in the neighborhood to help them. Basket Bronx (Eng/2009/14mins) Dir.Martín Rosete. Alex is an African-American kid from Bronx who dreams of playing basketball as his idols. However, the gang of older guys in the neighbourhood keeps reminding him that he cannot. One day Kiat, a newly arrived Chinese girl, appears in his life and using some Zen philosophy teaches him to overcome his fears, to enjoy life as much as possible and to stop worrying about his results. Film & culture activists Meenakshi & Vinay Rai will introduce the film and facilitate the discussion.

MUSIC - Udaan In keeping with its tradition of patronizing Indian Classical music and the nurturing of new and young musicians, All India Radio presents Classical Vocal, instrumental and light music by young talents. Collab: AIR Delhi

DRAMATIZED READING - A dream theatre initiative by Yatrik Theatre Group & Old World Culture. Old scripts or original, new plays may be submitted; to be read by actors in a dramatised reading. Session I- Reading of Abhishek Mazumdar's new play, After Life Of Birds (Eng/100mins). Winner of the Hindu MetroPlus Playwright's Award, Abhishek is also a part of the International Playwright's residency at the Royal Court, London, 2011. Dir.Oroon Das Check with the Programmes Desk for more details.

TALK - Shaam Kahani An evening of dramatized story telling by artistes of Impresario Asia Concept: K. K. Kohli Collab: Impresario Asia

THEATRE - Almost Famous Productions presents Teechers (Eng/Comedy/70mins) Dir.Karam Vir Lamba Three school leavers, at the end of the term, recount their experiences at their school, specifically their time with the new drama teacher, Mr. Rao. The students sketch his progress through two terms of cocky kids, cynical colleagues and an education system that he detests, until he departs, disillusioned, for the safer waters of a private school. It vividly depicts the eccentric and downright hilarious characters he encounters along the way. With three actors portraying twenty-one characters, Teechers is a critique of modern education, its insensitivity to the needs of children, an account of the obstacles that young teachers face as they battle backward traditions and mindsets, and about kids- the many seemingly unimportant moments we spend as children- the jokes, the pranks, the heartache and laughter- that come together to define us as individuals. Tickets at Rs.300, Rs.250 & Rs.100 available at the Programme desk.

MUSIC - Hindustani Vocal recital by Anshu Thapliyal, disciple of Sulochana Brihaspati, Dr. Meeta Sarkar & Pt. Murlidhar Jaguri

FILM CLUB SCREENING - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Journey Called Love (Italian/2002/96mins) Dir.Michele Placido The life of narrator and poet, Sibilla Aleramo, is revisited via a narrative and temporal arc moving from her adolescence to maturity, concentrating on the two years between 1916 and 1918, a period in which she was linked to Dino Campana. Sibilla is a cultivated, charming and independent woman, with a past full of suffering marked by tragic events: her mother locked up in a lunatic asylum, a failed marriage to a violent and miserly man, a son loved and abandoned. Sibilla's life is also marked by a long sequence of sentimental relationships, mainly with writers or literary figures, until the defining moment when the great poet Dino Campana towers arrogantly above all the other suitors: it is the beginning of an extremely tormented, but equally passionate and intense relationship.

HABITAT CHILDREN'S BOOK FORUM - Annual Event- book parade; story skits; book launch of Puffin Lives: Swami Vivekananda by Devika Rangachari. Pub. Puffin Books; & Literary Quiz Collab: Puffin Books India

FILM CLUB SCREENING - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. El Greco (Spanish/Greek/2007/119mins) Dir.Yannis Smaragdis An epic tale of an uncompromising artist and fighter for freedom, Domenicos Theotokopoulos, known to the world as «El Greco». Set in the 16th century, El Greco’s search for freedom and love ranges from the courts of Crete and Venice to Toledo in Spain. Here he is confronted by his greatest adversary- the Holy Inquisition. Never backing down in his fight with the establishments of his day, El Grecos story is one of unusual heroism, betrayal, love, and the power of one man and his creative consciousness to stand out and overcome barbarity and ignorance.

DANCE - Nava New choreographies in Mohiniyattam. Solo recital by Jayaprabha Menon

FILM CLUB SCREENING - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. El Benny (Spanish/2006/126mins) Dir.Jorge Luis Sanchez Based on the life of Benny Moré, the film concentrates on a period in the early 1950s when Moré leaves the orchestra of Duany and starts his own 'Banda Gigante'. In flashback we learn of his success in Mexico. Moré is caught in the events connected to Batista's coup in Cuba. Also, he tours Venezuela, where he suffers the machinations of a vengeful businessman. After collapsing and being hospitalised, Moré swears off alcohol. Some years later, he encounters his old band-mate Monchy, fallen on hard times.

THEATRE - Mumbai Meets Dilli Ashish Shakya, Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi & Delhi's Rajneesh Kapoor present a night of Stand Up Comedy (80mins). Regulars at the Comedy Store, the quartet’s act Local Heroes is very popular in Mumbai. Tickets at Rs.350, Rs.250 & Rs.100 available at the Programme desk. To book tickets online, log onto www.habitatworld.com. An Old World Culture presentation

FILM CLUB SCREENING - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Balgandharva (Marathi/2011/124mins) Dir.Nitin Chandrakant Desai The never-before-told, musical biographical drama of Indian theater legend Narayan Rajhans alias ‘Balgandharva’ (1888 - 1967). Born in a poor town in Pune, Maharashtra, he was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act during the times. After hearing his soulful singing, Lokmanya Tilak, the great freedom fighter and the grand old man of the Indian independence movement, patted Narayan on the back and said that he was a "Bal Gandharva" (“singer from the heaven"). Narayanrao Bal Gandharva acted in numerous classic Marathi plays and was one of those who were responsible for making Sangeet-Natak (musicals) and Natya-Sangeet (the music in those musicals) popular among common masses.

THEATRE - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Rakugo- Japanese sit-down comedy show, Rakuko is the art of imagination where the audience is free to imagine features of characters. Collab: Japan Foundation

DRAMATISED READINGS - The Bards And Minstrels Of India Series continues. Yakshgaan Yakshgana Kendra, Udupi. Jatayu Moksha (30mins) & Hidimbe’s Wedding (90mins) Dir. Sanjeeva Suvarna. Collab: North Central Zone Cultural Centre

MUSIC - Classical Sitar recital followed by melodies from Afghanistan and Japan on Rubab by Kengo Saito, disciple of Pt. Kushal Das. Tabla accompaniment by Shubh Maharaj

MUSIC - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Jazz & Blues Vocals & Guitar by Jeff Lang with Bobby Singh on Tabla Collab: Australian High Commission

FILM CLUB SCREENING - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Zsolnay- The Lover Of The Soil (Hungarian/2010/100mins) Dir.Zsolt Pozsgai The film relates the life and career of Vilmos Zsolnay (1828-1900), a world-famous potter, founder of modern Hungarian ceramics, and inventor of the lustrous glaze known as eosin. Set in the second half of the 19th century. Zsolnay's father wants the young Vilmos to become a merchant but his exuberant son has very different plans. He tries his hand at painting, imagines his future in art. Then an enigmatic old man from Italy appears who has haunted him since his teenage years and the mysterious Italian gives Vilmos the secret recipe to glaze a vase, which radically changes the course of Vilmos Zsolnay's life. From this point on, the film recounts the journey of self-discovery of a man whose name later becomes known all over the world. Zsolnay's life is one of love and tragedy, filled with conflict and passion.  Vilmos Zsolnay achieves his goal and keeps the secret entrusted to him -but will there be someone to pass it onto? And at what price?

TALK - Seventeenth Justice Sunanda Bhandare Memorial Lecture. Meira Kumar, Speaker, Lok Sabha, speaks on Breaking The Glass Ceiling: Barriers To Women’s Empowerment

TALK - Green Economy For Sustainable Development Speakers: Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India & Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, Secretary, Infrastructure, Energy, Housing & Urban Development, PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry Moderator: Ajit Kumar, President, The Oceanic Group Collab: The Oceanic Group

MUSIC & DANCE - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Hebrew Music Solo performance by Mira Awad. Collab: Embassy of Israel. Followed by Vabat Ensemble/Iran Persian World Music including love songs and tribal music by Anoosha & troupe. Concludes with Folk Dancers performing the native mask dance & drum dance from the Ranranga Dance Academy, Sri Lanka

MUSIC - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Hebrew & Arab Music. Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, performance by Achinoam Nini. Collab: Embassy of Israel. Followed by the Sufi Gospel Project Prayer, poetry and music transcending the barriers of religion and language by Sonam Kalra

DOC FILM - Kids For Kids Best of CHINH Early Education Web Channel's films exploring children expressions through media literacy. These films are made by children aging 4 - 17 years as part of a global media literacy initiative carried out by Chinh India

DANCE - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Bharatanatayam recital by Vani Ganapathy

WORKSHOP - Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend Teachings by Ven. Geshe Lhakdor, Director, Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, Dharamsala. Nagarjuna was a celebrated scholar of Nalanda who wrote the poem Letter To A Friend as a letter of advice to his friend King Gautamiputra/Satavahana. Collab: Foundation for Universal Responsibility. Entry by registration only

DANCE & MUSIC - Delhi International Arts Festival 2011. Travelling Minds - A Journey of Dance & Thought Contemporary Dance by Dance Worx. Followed by AkashA world fusion music from Malaysia

FILM CLUB SCREENING - Short Film Festival. A showcasing of critically acclaimed short films from across the world Collab: Shamiana

MUSIC & POETRY - Ibadat-e-Aman An evening of Sufiyana kalaam- Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan (Pakistan) and shayari by Sandeep Silas (India)- a peace bridge of music initiative

WORKSHOP - Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend Teachings by Ven. Geshe Lhakdor continues. Collab: Foundation for Universal Responsibility. Entry by registration only

TALK - Importance Of Early Detection Of Cancer by Dr. Harit Chaturvedi, Chief Consultant & Director - Surgical Oncology, Max Super Specialty Hospital

ILLUSTRATRED TALK - The Coronation Durbar, Delhi 1911 A hundred years ago a British King’s dream to announce his coronation as the new monarch saw 30 sleepy villages beyond the Mughal city of Shahjahanabad transform into a luxurious tented city spread over 25 sq km, where the Maharajas and Rajas assembled for an eight-day long stay. It was at this Durbar, attended by 100,000 people, that the transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi was announced. Announcing the forthcoming title by Roli Books, authors Sunil Raman and Col. Rohit Agrawal present an illustrated talk, marking the centenary of the historic event.

IHC WALK - Time Unfolded: An Exhibition Of Modern & Contemporary Indian Art from the newly opened Kiran Nadar Museum of Art collection. Akansha Rastogi, Associate Curator at the museum will lead the walk. Please contact the Programmes desk for registration and details.

WORKSHOP - Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend Teachings by Ven. Geshe Lhakdor continues. Collab: Foundation for Universal Responsibility. Entry by registration only

TALK - Soprano Francesca Patanè in conversation with Dr. R. P. Jain on Opera For Dummies Collab: The Attic and The Italian Cultural Centre

WORKSHOP - Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend Teachings by Ven. Geshe Lhakdor continues. Collab: Foundation for Universal Responsibility. Entry by registration only

DOC FILM - Best of 5^th International CHINH INDIA KIDS FILM FESTIVAL 2011. A collection of exceptional, impressive, motivating, touching and sometimes brutally honest children films

MUSIC - Raag Rang Tabla solo by Rahu Kumar Mishra, disciple of Pt. Ram Kumar Mishra. Hindustani Vocal recital by Ishita Anirudh Thatte, disciple of Ritesh Mishra. Followed by Sitar recital by Rishab Rikhiram, disciple of Sanjay Rikhiram Collab: SPANDAN Communications

THEATRE - Bird's Eye View (Eng/Hindi/60mins) Conceptualized & performed by Choiti Ghosh. Milu is just a pigeon. Like most pigeons, all Milu wanted was to build a happy nest and live contentedly in it. But that was not to be, for Milu was not like most pigeons. He was a carrier pigeon - trained by man to carry messages; in times of peace and in times of war. This is the story of Milu - and a view into a very human war through his eyes. An Object Theatre performance. Played with toys, miniature objects and drawings. Tickets at Rs.200 & Rs.100 available at the Programme desk Nov.6 onwards for IHC members only. Open to all Nov.9 onwards. To book tickets online, log onto www.habitatworld.com. An Old World Culture presentation Collab: Tram Theatre, Mumbai

WORKSHOP - Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend Teachings by Ven. Geshe Lhakdor continues. Collab: Foundation for Universal Responsibility. Entry by registration only

DOC FILM -  Nature’s Greatest Defender Dir.Thomas Veltre. Exec.Prod.Cathe Neukum. Story of one man’s passionate fight and unwavering dedication to the incredible wildlife that we must continually struggle to protect. Dr.George Schaller, Wildlife Conservationist & VP, Panthera, returns to the sites of some of his iconic studies to see what has happened to those extraordinary animals and their habitats. Along the way, we will meet some of the people he influenced and see how they have continued to carry his work forward. Dr.Schaller will be present for the screening.

MUSIC - Trio Brouwer-Akihary-Bhattacharya An evening of world ethnic fusion music with vocalist Monica Akihary, guitarist Niels Brouwer and percussionist Sandip Bhattcharya from the Netherlands

THEATRE - Kisse (A Tale of Tales) (Hindi/80mins) Dir.Ashish Ghosh The play is woven around Kisse or fantastic tales told by many different people in their unique styles. In this play, we have a street vendor selling medicines; the popular legendary birds, Tota & Maina, interpreting stories and events; the kissa-go or royal storyteller; the folk legend told by bards; and a story by grandma. Presented in a fictional mould, this tale on tales grows around a tiny seed and its potential power. Tickets at Rs.200 & Rs.100 available at the Programme desk Nov.6 onwards for IHC members only. Open to all Nov.9 onwards. To book tickets online, log onto www.habitatworld.com. An Old World Culture presentation Collab: ANANT