GANGTOK: The first preliminary meeting for the upcoming Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival 2026, scheduled to be held from October 28 to 30 in Gangtok, was convened today to discuss preparations and the programme for the three-day festival.
The festival is being organised by the Students Welfare Board, Education Department, Government of Sikkim, in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, an entertainment and arts production company known for curating major literary and cultural platforms, including the renowned Jaipur Literature Festival.
The meeting was attended by MLA, Gangtok cum Advisor, Urban Development Department & Food and Civil Services Department, Mr Delay Namgyal Barfungpa, as the chief guest, along with MLA Soreng-Chakung, Mr Aditya Golay.
Also present were Mayor, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, Ms Tshering Palden Bhutia, Chairman, Sikkim Students Welfare Board, Mr Sonam Chopel Sherpa, Chairman, Information and Public Relations Department, Mr Ashit Rai, Chairperson, Culture Department, Ms Bhim Kumari Sharma, Press Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Yougan Tamang, OSD, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to the Chief Minister, Mr Rewaj Chettri, and secretaries and senior officers from line departments along with the Teamwork Arts team, members of the Students Welfare Board and other stakeholders.
Addressing the meeting, chief guest Mr Delay Namgyal Barfungpa shared his personal experience of rediscovering his reading habit and emphasised the importance of inculcating reading among the younger generation.
Referring to the growing influence of digital media and artificial intelligence, he stressed the need to create platforms that encourage young people to return to books, reading and learning.
He also highlighted initiatives to revive the culture of newspaper reading and said that continuous learning and intellectual curiosity should be encouraged among people of all ages.
He extended his full support to the festival and expressed confidence in its contribution towards promoting a culture of reading and intellectual engagement among students.
In his address, MLA Mr Aditya Golay traced the evolution of the festival, stating that the initiative was first started in 2019-20 on a modest scale. The subsequent editions were held at MG Marg and Manan Kendra before the first grand edition was organised at Yuksom in 2023 in collaboration with Teamwork Arts.
Mr Aditya Golay said that the experience of conducting the festival over the years led to the idea of institutionalising it under the Government of Sikkim. He informed that, for the first time, the Students Welfare Board under the Education Department would be organising the festival as a government-supported event, with the intention of making it an annual feature.
He emphasised the importance of involving students and young people in the festival and providing them with opportunities to engage with writers, speakers, artists and diverse ideas. He also called for active participation and support from different departments and stakeholders in making the festival a collective effort.
Highlighting the student-centric activities planned for this edition, Mr Aditya Golay informed that the festival would include dedicated sessions and workshops for students across different age groups.
Interactive activities are also being planned for primary and junior school students in collaboration with groups experienced in conducting educational and creative workshops, he added.
In his briefing, Vice President, Teamwork Arts, Mr Syed Shams Jawaid, reflected on the organisation’s association with the festival in Sikkim, recalling the first edition held at Yuksom in 2023.
He acknowledged the support and coordination extended by various departments and stakeholders in making the Yuksom edition possible within a limited timeframe and infrastructure.
Sharing the vision for the upcoming 2nd edition, he said that the festival would provide a platform for people to come together, exchange ideas and celebrate culture, traditions and identity, while also connecting Sikkim’s literary and artistic voices with wider audiences.
He further shared that Teamwork Arts would seek to build the festival as an annual platform and promote Sikkim’s literary and artistic voices through its wider network of festivals, including the Jaipur Literature Festival and other platforms in India and abroad.
A walkthrough of the proposed three-day programme was presented during the meeting.
The main festival venues will include Ridge Park and White Memorial Hall, with a separate venue identified for workshops. The programme will include morning music sessions, cultural performances and evening musical events.
The organisers also outlined plans for volunteer engagement and orientation ahead of the festival to facilitate coordinated participation by students, departments and other stakeholders.
With the upcoming festival returning to Gangtok, the organisers expressed their intention to build upon the experience of the earlier edition and expand the platform for literature, arts, culture and youth engagement in Sikkim.
The detailed programme and participating artists, writers and speakers are scheduled to be announced subsequently.
The meeting also featured an idea-sharing session, during which the founders of Tangible Tangerines and Mind Matters shared their ideas and approaches towards the festival.
Officials from various departments also offered their suggestions and inputs for the proposed programme.
The meeting concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Chairperson, Culture Department, Ms Bhim Kumari Sharma.
Earlier, the welcome address was delivered by Chairman, Sikkim Students Welfare Board, Mr Sonam Chopel Sherpa.
- IPR Report
