Keynote Speech with young author Aishwarya Gupta
Aishwarya Gupta is a 10 year-old writer, poet & artist. She won the Kensington & Chelsea Art Week competition for her poem, Open your Heart, and was featured on BBC Breakfast in 2021, showcasing her involvement in Katha – an innovative dance theatre project aimed at supporting folk artisans and musicians in India during the pandemic. 11:30am to 12pm
SHOWCASING PRIYA AND THE TWIRLING WIND
Showcasing the iconic movie based on PRIYA — India’s first female superhero has to protect her enchanted forest from greedy industrialists threatening to cut down all the trees. With the help of a little girl named Somya and the local villagers, they defend their home — reminiscent of India’s Chipko movement. Priya shows Somya, who is suffering from asthma due to the toxic haze — the beauty of her forest and its power to heal Mother Earth and her.
The short film PRIYA AND THE TWIRLING WIND, brings Somya’s story to life through the magic of puppets and animation by renowned puppeteer Raven Kaliana, and the voices of Shubhra Prakash, Dipti Mehta, Amaya Joshi & Vick Krishna. Included with the film are Priya’s interviews with climate scientists and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva, Professor Chris Rapley, Professor Simon Lewis, Alexandria Villaseñor, and Ridhima Pandey. Scan the pages with the augmented reality app to see fun animation, AR puppets, stories, and interviews. BOOK is FREE.
