18 Degrees gets off to a colourful start
SHILLONG: From creative art, music, fun and fashion to interactive sessions with the students, teachers and parents, 18 Degrees – a multifaceted festival of art, culture, music and the like has it all for the youth to witness, experience and learn.
This first-of-its-kind festival in the city, organized under the aegis of the State Arts and Culture department was inaugurated by Arts and Culture Minister Clement Marak here on Thursday at the State Central Library campus amidst a huge gathering of young and old ready to showcase their talent and blend with the various cultures of the region.
Various stall, art and photo galleries depicting different moods of the world and mankind greeted people attending day one of the three-day festival.
The language of colour, brush strokes and lens was brought forth for the people to see, gaze, understand and admire the beauty of life’s simplest facets like a drop of water, sunset, cloudy sky besides others.
As the day rolled by, the festival attracted larger crowds and the stall and galleries were thronged by art lovers experiencing the different forms of art and culture under one roof.
The festival was a blend of modern art forms like tattoos, creatively designed t-shirts alongside with indigenous woven and designed outfits of the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos and renditions of the famous Khasi folk lore-U Lum Kyllang, the three Monoliths and spring season.
For few like M Thabah, a student, a festival is a doorway to the various unseen, unexplored art forms. “This festival is surely a treat to the eye,” he said.
Others like Herbert Shabong, a family man yet an art enthusiast, observed that this kind of initiative will not only help art lovers share experiences and learn besides displaying their skills, but will also assist the State Tourism sector to prosper.
If measured in degrees, the name of the festival, 18 Degrees would fall way too short in terms of mass participation as the crowd kept swelling as the day progressed.
To add to the joyous occasion, Barry O` Brien, renowned Quizmaster, Makarand Deshpande, an eminent theatre personality, cartoonist Keshav, urban folk singer Susmit Bose, Kara Grainger, singer, songwriter and musician from Australia, Anoop Negi , an ace photographer and Swati Agarwal, fashion photographer, will be participating in the festival amongst a host of other artists.
There will be State-level (inter-district) competitions of folk song, folk dance, indigenous instruments, quiz, painting, cartooning and creative writing, which will give the participants from all the districts, extensive exposure and experience.
An open Quiz competition to be hosted by renowned Quizmaster Barry O` Brien, which begins at 3 pm, will be one of the major events on day two on Friday.