A poet from Dehradun, Prashant spends his time in the company of seasons as people and people as seasons. Other than being the founder and principal storyteller at Story of the Footloose, he serves as the vocalist of the progressive rock band Rivermind, while also performing solo as a singer-poet and fingerstyle guitarist, blending influences from diverse musical traditions into his own voice.

His poetry often circles around nature, love, loss, and longing, carrying a contemplative warmth that lives both in his notebooks and in performance.

Beyond music and poetry, Prashant is currently working on his debut novel, now under editing—a project that seeks to breathe life into a story of intellectual ambition and unknown inheritance in the contemporary world.

Swati is the principal architect of Sans Studio, based in Dehradun. Her work focuses on reviving vernacular construction principles, blending traditional wisdom with contemporary relevance. She designs self-sustaining ecosystems that help users reduce their carbon footprint.

Much of her work is rooted in the Himalayan bioregion, with a strong emphasis on promoting earth- and lime-based construction techniques.

She graduated from Pune University in 2012, after which she worked with renowned earth construction practitioners such as Satprem of the Auroville Earth Institute and Sonam Wangchuk from Ladakh.

Her journeys through remote Himalayan regions laid the groundwork for Sans Studio, which was founded in 2018.

Srishti Malaviya is a theorist and writer currently based in Prague. She holds a PhD in international politics from JNU, where she first discovered her love for rambling, romanticising, and conceptualising.

She is committed to a fascination with possible and impossible worlds that breathe and seethe in our midst—the ones steaming out of invisible cracks in the boundaries of the visible.

In her theoretical work, she maps these worlds into concepts; in her literary dreams, she lives them.

Abhyudai is an interdisciplinary communications specialist with a background in social science, who occasionally writes.

Feruza Abdullaeva, also known as Azeema Nur, is a Central Asian artist from Bukhara, who currently lives in South California, working as a muralist and fine artist in the language of magical realism. Her work centers women and the divine feminine, drawing from travel, family history, and lived experience.

She practices Abru Bahor (abru — cloud, bahor — spring), an ancient Sufi art form from Bukhara rooted in humility and devotion. Traditionally understood as a way of receiving and interpreting messages from God, Abrubahar is a selfless, meditative practice in which the artist becomes a vessel rather than an author.

Deeply connected to India and its mythological traditions, Feruza’s work weaves spiritual inquiry with contemporary storytelling, using symbolism and intuition to explore transformation, femininity, and the sacred.

My practice is deeply rooted in nature, personal experiences, dreams, and emotions. I believe in capturing the essence of these elements and translating them onto my chosen medium, whether it’s canvas, sculpture, or other artistic forms. For me, color and texture play a pivotal role in conveying my vision. When it comes to my artistic process, I rely on my intuitive instincts for strokes, shades, shape, and color choices.

Studying sculpture at Chandigarh Arts College and embarking on a journey across India has profoundly influenced my artistic concerns and interests. Immersing myself in different cultures, landscapes, and interactions has provided valuable insights that shape my creative path. I am driven by a desire to encapsulate the emotions and interactions that surround me.

By embracing spontaneity and allowing the paint to flow naturally, I aim to mirror the ever-changing nature of human emotions. This technique allows me to create authentic and dynamic representations of my daily experiences, offering a glimpse into the intricacies of human feelings.

Active collaboration has been an integral part of my artistic journey. I take pride in showcasing my work in various settings, sharing my unique perspective, and captivating audiences with my evocative creations.

Currently, I work as a freelance artist and scenographer, continuously refining my artistic expression and exploring new avenues of creativity. While exploring a wide range of mediums, I have developed a particular interest in incorporating textures into my artwork, experimenting with various materials and techniques. This has allowed me to bring vivid visions to life, especially in theatrical plays and wall murals—collaborating with various performing artists and musicians in India.

I also like to breathe new life into what was once considered waste, transforming it into thought-provoking sculptures. Through this method, I aim not only to showcase my artistic talent but also to remind others of the importance of responsible consumption and creative solutions for a more sustainable future.

B Ajay Sharma (b. 1986, Deoghar, Jharkhand) is a multidisciplinary artist who, over the past fifteen years, has developed a rich and diverse practice spanning Photo Performance, alternative photography prints, painting, drawing, performance, sculpture, video, and site-specific installation.

His work is deeply influenced by explorations of time and landscape, examined through themes of memory, migration, mortality, and identity in a state of continuous displacement and transformation. Positioning himself as a witness to the passage of time, Sharma captures multilayered histories and the remnants of performative acts within time and space.

His artistic practice is characterised by a dynamic interplay between subjective experience and collective narrative, engaging deeply with the temporal and spatial dimensions of human existence. His work extends the identities of objects, intertwining them with belonging and temporality, and reflects a multifaceted exploration of the Anthropocene, socio-political realities, labour dynamics within personal and familial narratives, geopolitical identities, and everyday life phenomena.

Sharma earned his BFA from Banaras Hindu University in 2007 and an MFA in Painting from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in 2009. He is currently pursuing a PhD in South Asian Performance Art Practice in Public Space.

He has exhibited widely in India and internationally, including at Limited Edition Art Fair (Brussels, 2024), Asia Panorama at ACC Gwangju (2023), Wind H Art Center and Ten Art Space, Shanghai (2023), Art On Paper Belgium (2023), Eunam Museum Gwangju, and India Art Fair, among others. His work has been shown across Europe, South Korea, China, Australia, and the USA.

Sharma is the co-founder of in-process live art practice, a platform for collective and collaborative performance art. He has performed at Theertha Performance Platform (Sri Lanka), PAN Asia Performance Festivals, INVERSE Performance Festival (USA), Flesh Crisis at Charlotte Street Foundation (USA), and several international performance platforms.

His work is held in several public and private collections in India and abroad, including Spain, Belgium, South Korea, the USA, the UK, France, Singapore, Mumbai, and Bangalore.

Shivani is a multidisciplinary beauty and visual artist working across fashion and performance. She explores the body as a living form through masks and headwear. Curious by nature, she learns through hands-on making and photography, inspired by culture and everyday life.

Prabhav Sharma began his musical journey as a bassist and guitarist during his time at JNU, alongside pursuing German studies. After spending several years working in Europe, he returned to India in 2023 and re-immersed himself in the music scene, collaborating with musicians across diverse genres.

Known for his groove-oriented and rhythm-centric style, he has continually explored percussion and experimental soundscapes, always seeking new sonic possibilities and pushing the expressive limits of instruments.

Currently, he is actively collaborating with several Dehradun-based musicians, contributing his bass expertise to a range of ongoing musical projects.

Dipesh Manral is a self-taught musician and multidisciplinary artist who learns by doing, observing, and listening. He primarily works as a director of photography and naturally gravitated toward music through rhythm and creative flow, starting out by making music with friends.

With their encouragement, he continues exploring music as a percussionist, bringing together sound and visual storytelling in his work.

Palash Krishna Mehrotra was born in Bombay in 1975. He was educated at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, where he did his BA in philosophy, and won the Radhakrishnan Scholarship to read for a PPE at Balliol College, Oxford. His debut collection of stories, Eunuch Park: Fifteen Stories of Love and Destruction, was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize and the Hindu Fiction Prize in 2009. His first book of non-fiction, The Butterfly Generation: A Personal Journey into the Passions and Follies of India’s Technicolour Youth, was a finalist for the Crossword Book Award 2013. He is also the editor of an anthology, Recess: The Penguin Book of Schooldays.

Mallika Roy is a teacher and artist based in Dehradun. She runs a community wellness center where arts, healing and culture intersect. With certifications and studies as a Reiki teaching master, Ayurvedic holistic health coach, herbal medicine practitioner, and community organiser, she loves to create safe, wholesome spaces for people to connect with themselves, each other and the wider world

Radhika Gosain, a dedicated Kathak dancer with over 25 years of experience in this timeless art form. I am a graded artist of Doordarshan and empaneled with SPICMACAY, through which I have had the privilege of taking Kathak to schools and institutions, inspiring young audiences. My journey has taken me across the globe, performing in the USA, Canada, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Belize, UK, and Poland, where I represented the rich heritage of Indian classical dance. I have been fortunate to train under eminent Guru Nrityashree Alaknanda, whose guidance continues to shape my artistry. Along with stage performances, I have also been part of grand productions such as Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical, touring extensively across India and abroad. Through my dance, I strive to keep alive the traditions of Kathak, blending storytelling, rhythm, and expression to connect with audiences everywhere.”

a vocalist rooted in the rich traditions of Indian classical music, having spent years honing his craft through dedicated training and discipline Now, he is on a journey of exploration, stepping beyond boundaries, collaborating with diverse musicians, artists, blending tradition with contemporary expression. His attempt is to rediscover his sound, bridging cultures, styles, and emotions, while staying true to the soul of his music.

Nikita is an IP and contracts lawyer, moonlighting as a vocalist. She holds a master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law from GNLU and has explored contemporary and jazz vocals at True School of Music, Mumbai. She is borderline obsessed with books, art, anime, food, stationery, and her dog!

Dr Raman Kumar is an ecologist who studies how changes in the environment caused by human activities affect birds. He has been studying woodpeckers of the Sal forests in Uttarakhand for more than 15 years. Raman is closely involved in citizen science programmes that encourage ordinary people, particularly students, to take on the role of scientists to observe and monitor nature. He and his colleagues at Nature Science Initiative have been working to create awareness about nature among people through public nature walks, workshops, and awareness material.

Daniya Rahman is a writer and artist based in Bangalore. Working with photography, cyanotype printing, and written words, her work seeks to reveal hidden details in the natural world and invite others to see familiar things anew. She holds an MA in English Literature from JNU and works across content strategy, writing, and editorial curation.

For over ten years, Cyril Kuhn has photographed the night sky, drawn by a simple but unsettling realization: most people today have never seen the Milky Way with their own eyes. As artificial light increasingly obscures the stars – our connection to the cosmos, once central to human life, has quietly faded. Through astrophotography and nature imagery, Cyril hopes to counter that loss. His work encourages viewers to slow down, step outside, and remember that we are part of something immeasurably larger than our screens and schedules.

Viraj Sikand, also known as “Shutup Viraj,” is a filmmaker, creative producer, and multidisciplinary artist based in Dehradun, and the founder of Shutup Studio. He works across film, visual art, and design, often moving between mediums the way one moves between thoughts, quickly, instinctively, and without always needing a clear reason. As a filmmaker and producer, his work spans fiction, documentary, and experimental forms, drawing from personal histories, cultural landscapes, and moments that don’t immediately announce their importance. His approach is shaped as much by structure as by a willingness to abandon it midway. Influenced by a Dadaist sensibility, his practice embraces chance, contradiction, and the occasional creative detour. He is interested in what happens when things don’t fully make sense at first glance, when meaning emerges through fragments, accidents, and quiet observations rather than fixed narratives. Through Shutup Studio and his independent practice, he creates work that moves freely across forms, from films to photo documentaries, from strange, immersive installations to visual experiments that resist easy categorization. His process is driven by a curiosity to observe, collect, and reframe everyday realities, often finding meaning in the overlooked or the slightly absurd. While often personal and intuitive, his work also engages with underlying social and political currents, allowing commentary to surface organically rather than as fixed statements. He is drawn to work that feels personal, instinctive, and slightly off-centre-projects that evolve as they are made, sometimes serious, sometimes playful, but always open to interpretation.

Yashasvi (b. 1996, Uttarakhand, India) is a filmmaker whose practice spans fiction and non-fiction cinema, working across writing, directing, and producing. His short fiction film THE LAST RHODODENDRON (2021), now streaming on MUBI, received the Gender Sensitivity Award at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (2021). His short documentary RAINS DON’T MAKE US HAPPY ANYMORE premiered at Visions du Réel (2025) and screened internationally at the Festival Internacional de Documentales de Buenos Aires (FIDBA), Beijing International Short Film Festival (BISFF) and Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival, among others & won Best Short Documentary at the Oslo Film Festival (2025). Yashasvi is an alumnus of Doc Producing South and was recently selected for the Red Sea Lab – Directors Program with Spike Lee. He is a recipient of Visions Sud Est, the Red Sea Fund and the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity – TakeTen (India).