I was determined to make my CAS project meaningful and impactful. After much consideration, I decided to make my CAS project service based and help plan a literary festival for our school community. 

This project involved publicity, planning logistics, coordinating the festival and evaluating its successes and challenges.

Planning the logistics of a literary festival was a crucial step in ensuring the event’s success. The goal of our festival was to raise a sum of money to donate to our partner school to help them complete the construction and opening of their newly built library. 

The festival required lots of help from everyone in the service. Zak, Luka and Aniq were in charge of the promotional side of things, including designing tickets and posters and selling tickets. Thevuni and I also helped with publicity and helped Ms Lockwood with the more technical things, including everyone’s responsibilities, sending out participation surveys and helping distribute roles. 

The literary festival features some of the most renowned authors in the country, namely, Ameena Hussein, Ashok Ferry, Shehan Karunnatilaka as well as Professor Sarath Kotagama. 

There were also creative writing workshops for primary and middle schoolers, moderated by Ganesha Udawatte and Andrew Fidel Fernando. Leopard conservationist Anjali Watson also had her presentation. 

Planning a literary festival for an IB CAS project was a great way to showcase the art of literature while promoting Sri Lanka’s culture and heritage. Working with some of Sri Lanka’s most renowned authors will provide an opportunity to learn from the best in the industry while also providing a platform to promote their work. 

The festival provided a unique opportunity for literature lovers to come together and celebrate the power of the written word. This project will not only benefit the community but will also provide a great learning experience for the students involved. Overall, this project is an excellent way to promote literature and cultural heritage while showcasing the importance of community engagement and collaboration.

Learning Outcomes: 

• LO3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
• LO4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
• LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.
• LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.