An opportunity to express yourself, an abundance of inspiration, a cozy bed to retire to and hot aloo paranthas to wake up to, what else can one ask for? And that’s exactly what Art Festival Mountains’ 18 organized by The Lost Tribe in collaboration with the platform for Artists is providing you with. This is a unique fest meant to bring together artists of different forms of art under one roof in the lap of the mountains.
Surrounded by snow-covered peaks and freshwater rivers, The Lost Tribe Hostel provides a haven for artists to grow, create, exchange and collaborate their art. It is situated in a village named Jagatsukh on the Manali-Kullu road. Away from the bustling tourist’s laden towns, it is a serene spot to appreciate nature and be inspired by it. The Lost Tribe Hostels is a chain of affordable and cozy backpackers’ hostel started by four friends- Arjun Nadar, Alexander Borges, Stuti Ashok Gupta and Pranay Gohil. As a psychology major, Stuti Gupta always found herself fascinated with the idea of ‘therapeutic community’. Aware that a community along with providing a safe space was a tool for healing too, she wanted her own community and from a daydreaming session in the late hours of the night, the concept of the hostel evolved and within a month there it was in the wilderness of Jagatsukh. Even while deciding on the name, her idea of forming a community played the key role as they set on the word ‘tribe’ and as suggested by another co-founder, all backpackers are truly lost wishing for a place they can belong to gave the name “The Lost Tribe Hostels”.
The story behind the origin of this festival is quite serendipitous. It started in 2016 when the hostel was first being established. The founders of the hostel called an artist to paint the place but it turned out that the artist was getting married the day that he was supposed to come. This led them to come up with the idea of inviting artists from all across the country to come and express themselves on the walls of the Lost Tribe Hostel. With a simple poster made by Stuti on her phone that she posted in all of her social media, the turn out surprised everyone. And soon this fest became an integral part of the hostel with hosting three festivals already within two years.
This year, the Lost Tribe Hostels are collaborating with Platform for artists for this project. Platform For Artists is a community of artists based in India that emphasizes on creating inter-disciplinary artwork. It focuses on connecting the artists across the country and collaborates on creating artwork. With a base in eight cities in the country where they conduct projects every month, at present, they are connected to 5000 artists all over the country. They are soon going to launch a website which would be the first artist service provider channel in the country. It would fetch employment opportunities for the artists associated with them and help them pursue their art full-time.
Art Festival Mountains’ 18 is a three day festival from 25th of May to 27th of May. Writers, painters, sketchers, dancers, singers, musicians, actors, illustrators, photographers and anyone interested in experimenting with new forms of art are welcomed here to learn, create, inspire, share and connect with their like-minded people. In an attempt to combine creativity and serenity, The Lost Tribe Hostels is inviting 50 artists from across the country to spend three days learning and exchanging ideas while enjoying the beauty of the mountains. These three days consists of collaborative activities, group creations, trekking, flea market, YogArt sessions and a village tour.
This year you’ll be accompanied by Ritu Arya, the Founder of Razzle Dazzle Pickle, who will take on multiple roles. She will be directing the documentation for the festival and will be giving a presentation on her work along with a few tips on the content presented on a digital platform. But you might also find her in the kitchen in her off time. And then there is Disha Deshpande from Swastiastu Yoga who will be instructing the YogArt classes. YogArt, a fusion of two powerful healing practices- yoga and art, stemmed from her personal philosophy that all artists are change makers and there is an artist in everyone. Also, there would be Meet Rao or better known as Kushnuma Panchi, a singer-songwriter for you all to sing along to him. But these are only a few names and many more awaits you.
At the end of this trip, you’ll all have new friends in the artist community, experience and knowledge, a bag full of memories and a home to return to. And anyway, what is better than an empty canvas and 360-degree view waiting to be captured?
Photo Credits: Stuti Ashok Gupta- Founder; The Lost Tribe Hostels
