Kala Pratibhotsava, a vibrant cultural festival to nurture talents of government school children, was held in the city on December 10. The Department of Kannada and Culture had started this festival 20 years ago but stopped it about nine years back. Now, department officials have relaunched it as a stage for children to show their skills. V.N. Mallikarjun Swamy, joint director of the Kannada and Culture department, said, "Children need encouragement both at home and school during their formative years." He stressed that positive feedback builds confidence, while negative remarks discourage growth. Mr. Swamy urged parents to support their children’s learning and treat failures as challenges. "When positive qualities in children are recognised and encouraged, their ability to perform improves," he added. Quoting poet laureate Kuvempu, Mr. Swamy said, "Every child is born with the potential to grow and develop perfectly in any field, anywhere in the world, and hence must be allowed the space for it." D. Uday Kumar, deputy director of the School Education department, called on teachers to connect with children through dialogue and ignite their interest in learning. He highlighted programmes like Pratibha Karanji, Makkala Mela, and sports activities as platforms that help identify and nurture talent in arts, sports, literature, and folk traditions. M.D. Sudarshan, assistant director of the Kannada and Culture department, was also present at the event. The festival’s revival aims to inspire government school children by providing them opportunities to shine and grow.