Kochi, India - November 2024 - After concluding his visit to the Salesian Formation Houses in Karnataka and Kerala belonging to the Salesian Province of Bangalore, India, the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, visited the Don Bosco Cultural Centre in Kochi. The visit took place on 17 and 18 November and was the first stage of the General Councillor's visit to Kerala. In Kochi, Fr Gildasio Mendes expressed his admiration for the natural beauty and cultural richness of the State. He then got to know the various facilities of the Centre, including the Don Bosco Academy of Music and Fine Arts, which boasts over 450 students mastering various instruments, both Western and Indian classical, along with dance and fine arts. The General Councillor then admired the Centre's state-of-the-art digitised printing press, IGACT, and visited the Institute of Film and Production and the Graphic Design Department. He then encouraged the students to embrace creativity in the digital age and to be innovative in the field of media. Fr Gildasio Mendes then left for Bangalore, leaving behind a message of inspiration and a renewed focus on creativity and innovation for the Salesian community in Kochi.