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Shillong, Oct. 16: Creativity will be the watchword at a four-day festival of fine arts to be held here shortly.
An initiative of the Sahaki Society, a group of people from various professional backgrounds, and the East Khasi Hills District and Culture Society, the Creative Arts, Literature and Music (CALM) Festival 2012 will be organised at the Aurobindo Institute here from October 31 to November 3.
“It is the Northeast’s first festival with emphasis on literature, fine, visual and performing arts and music. Its aim is to expose youths to the different disciplines to promote artistic talent and encourage budding talent in the long run,” Sambha Lamarr of the Sahaki Society told The Telegraph.
The festival will comprise motivational talks by author Chetan Bhagat, journalist M.J. Akbar and Indrajit Hazra.
It will also feature book launches, panel discussions on literature and creative arts by regional and national authors and artists, an art and photography exhibition organised by the Riti Academy of Visual Arts, evening programmes by the Aroha Choir and a stand-up comedy performance by Neville Shah, Aditi and Kunal Rao from Mumbai.
The book fair, organised by the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan and the Sahaki Society, will have bookstalls from leading publishers and an arts and craft section for children.
The Bookmark Sahaki bookstore will exhibit eco-friendly educational toys, Lamarr said.
She added that counselling workshops on the problems of adolescent and youths, organised by the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society and Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan, have been designed keeping in mind the needs of school and college students.
The “Express Yourself” stage will fuel every young performer’s dream, featuring an open stage for all.
“The festival, through various programmes and activities, will encourage confidence and a willingness to take risks in creative ventures. It will go a long way in stimulating and rewarding curiosity and exploration. The event will enable the youth to discover and express their talent; to understand that creativity is a gift to be nurtured and be given its long overdue respect and recognition,” Lamarr said.
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