The Fourth Shillong Calm Festival
The 4th Shillong Creative Art Literature Music Festival, (Calm), conceived by the Department of Arts and Culture, Government of Meghalaya and the Sahaki Society re-created its annual celebration in Shillong, as an avenue for the creative arts in North East India, and to re-establish Shillong as the focal points of the region’s cultural and literary scene.
The audience interacting with the puppeters od Dadi Pudumjee
The three day literary fest will be a platform which allows artist, authors, poets and musician to come and showcase their talents. It comprises of various events like panel discussion, books fair, creativity competition, musical evening, stand-up comedy, puppet show, story-telling and art photo gallery and various other workshops.
Display of local food stalls
This year’s CALM, brings with it not just a taste of various additional events under the traditional thatch huts roof. The idea of this festival, is for people to come together collectively to share, nurture, pour out talent and let their ideas shine.
People buying books
At the inauguration at the State Library Compund, Shillong, on 13th May 2015, Smti. Sambha Lamarr Creative Director of Calm Festival, highlighted one of the most beautiful thing our country is known for, art. The chief guest, Shri H.R.D. Lyngdoh, Minister of Transport, stated “Director of Arts and Culture Government of Meghalaya in collaboration with Sahaki Society have organized Calm since 2012 with an aim to provide a platform to come and support young people’s creativity. In the coming days apart from the fun side of it, many social issues will be highlighted relating to the social culture.”
Photo gallery display
Desmond Sunn enthralled the audience with his rendition of U Syiem a soundtrack of Khasi first animation movie by the same title. He again performed with other prominent performers to showcase the diversity of talents coming together in hand, in Meghalaya. It was not just singing a song “The Hill Song” a song resonating the rolling hills veiled in white mist, the abode of clouds, Meghalaya.
College students enjoying the crafts display
The first day of the literary festival at the State Library Compund, Shillong had activities of different interest from bookshops to puppetry show on HIV/Aids by Dadi Pudumjee in the morning. At the CALM festival, People from various regions including students had come together to participate and witness. There will be well known authors, poets and musicians from India and abroad such as Sandeep Roy, Laxmi N. Tripathi, Ashok Ferry, Avtar Singh, Johathan Beckman, Niharika and many more. Also Calm Festival will have musical performance with the main headlining act Still Dirty and comedian Papa CJ till 16h May, 2015
