By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 11: The fifth edition of the Winter Tales will get under way at Ward’s Lake from Thursday.
Organised by The Meghalayan Age Limited in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, and curated by Dakti Craft, the event will continue till Saturday, with sustainability as its core theme.
Rooted in the sustainable traditions of Meghalaya’s indigenous communities, the festival celebrates the concept of ‘home-grown, handpicked and handcrafted’. Decorations primarily use bamboo and jute, with minimal reliance on non-biodegradable materials, and collected plastic waste is recycled.
This year, the festival introduced sustainability workshops for Shillong school students, teaching them to repurpose non-biodegradable waste, such as plastic bottles, into functional items like Christmas decorations. These workshops were conducted by Eco-Ri, a local ecological enterprise, alongside the Winter Tales curation team.
A contest was also launched to encourage students to create DIY Christmas décor, which will be displayed at the event, with select entries receiving awards.
For college students, Winter Tales provided opportunities to pitch ideas for establishing Sustainability Cells on their campuses. These cells aim to promote environmentally friendly practices within institutions, with selected colleges receiving support from the curation team.
As part of its sustainability efforts, Winter Tales launched the ‘Go Green Awards,’ recognising excellence in art, writing, photography, art installations, PSA filmmaking and costume design. This year’s theme, ‘Balance’, focuses on integrating modern and traditional practices with sustainable living. Winners will be announced on the festival’s social media platforms and recognised at the event.
The festival also features local artisans, musicians supported by the MGMP programme, brew makers, panel discussions, workshops, book launches, culinary and craft demonstrations and more.
The organisers have also reintroduced ‘Green Santa’, a symbolic figure to promote the festival’s sustainability goals and encourage community engagement.
