Himalayan Folk Collective

Himachal Pradesh is a resource rich borderland state of India where the developmental trajectories were first mapped out by the grand narratives of British Raj and now by the demands of the Indian nation, leading to the subversion of our culture and land. From the brahaminisation of the pluralistic local devta cosmosologies to the extractionary projects in the name of development. The Dangers of a Single Story have been well articulated by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as they Otherize peoples and dictate not only how we understand historicity, but also, how we perceive ourselves and imagine our futures. There is a pertinent need to both imagine alternative local futures as well as archive traditional cosmologies. 

 

In this context, the Himalayan Folk Collective is a cultural archive and community of practice whose twofold vision is to (1) archive the tangible and intangible heritage of our land and (2) facilitate fertile ground for new contemporary folk cultures, ways of being and public imaginaries to emerge and evolve. With a collaborative, open source and experimental ethos, we hope to initiate meaningful discourse and artistic practices in our region. For a living culture is one that keeps getting reclaimed, remixed, re-imagined and co-created.