Kolkata is finally set to host a festival solely dedicated to a sustainable way of living. Oxygen, a one-day festival that is scheduled to be held on May 25 at Offbeat CCU, is perhaps the first fete of its kind, as a celebration of art, music and the organic, ecological-friendly lifestyle. The ‘green’ initiative will also clear out space for a helpful exchange about environmental crises, along with live performances by a number of independent musical acts. It will also feature a plastic recycle drive, an organic flea market, a mind and body activation session, an expert-led panel discussion, and a number of other community-driven programmes to equip citizens to deal with the climate crisis, which is raging as we speak.
“We only have maybe a couple of decades to try to reverse the damage, before it reaches an irreparable space. All of the activities at Oxygen will focus on the attempt to save the environment, and the imminent ecological crisis around us. Because it’s really the time to step up,” says Rahul Chakraborty, of the awareness collective Organic Events, which is hosting the event, along with another homegrown collective Y-East and Offbeat CCU.
Each attendee will be given a sapling, which they can plant around the venue, or someplace better. In fact, you can also carry plastic waste with you, as the event will also host a functional and systematic recycling drive. “Every ticket folder will be given a small sapling, which they can take back and grow on their own. We will also be collecting cigarette butts at the venue. As they take the maximum time to decompose, it’s essential to dispose them thoughtfully. We have counters to decompose them, so we plan to ask our smoking attendees to dispose them accordingly,” informs Rahul.
Oxygen will also host some of the most popular live acts from Kolkata — experimental electronic music duo Paloma and Adil, progressive metal act The Milgram Experiment, rap duo StreetFood Music, indie folk band Whale in the Pond, and the indie band The Virtual Brothers. The festival will also host live art shows, live acoustic jams and nature talks, all along the lines of preservation and new, creative approaches to sustainability.
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“Besides an organic flea market, which offers and sells naturally sourced lifestyle products, we are also set to have a panel discussion, featuring specialists from Global Call for Climate Action. Some of the panellists include Mayuri Bhattacharya (Gender and Climate change), Dr Arunjyoti Bhikku (Tollygunge Sambodhi Monastery), Ritwajit Das (Country head, Global call for Climate Action), and Gargi Mitra (Kolkata Clean Air, Citizen Mobilisation). We also have environmental communities like Kolkata Clean Air, Sustainable Green Initiative. Green Faith, participating,” we’re informed. To add, the event will witness a monk, who will advise people with ideas on sustainable living. As Rahul puts it, “The event is an effort to garner consciousness about our future actions. which impact the world in a big way.”
May 25, 11 am to 11 pm. At Offbeat CCU