Kolkata Symposium Explores Creative Archives for Sustainability in 2026

Kolkata Symposium to Spotlight Creative Archives for Sustainable Living in 2026

The Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) will host the seventh edition of its annual symposium, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (VK). This event carries the theme "The Earth Remembers: A Creative Living Archive." It is scheduled for January 16 and 17, 2026.

Focus on Eastern and Northeastern India

Dr Shwetal A. Patel and Ushmita Sahu co-program the two-day event. They will bring together leading figures and contemporary practitioners from various fields. These include art, craft, design, architecture, ecology, and community-based disciplines. The goal is to spark new dialogues around creativity, culture, and sustainability.

This year's edition focuses specifically on Eastern and Northeastern India. It aims to highlight a region often underrepresented in India's cultural mainstream. The region holds a wealth of indigenous wisdom, ecological knowledge, and artistic traditions.

VK VII will use illustrated presentations, panel discussions, screenings, workshops, and audience engagement. It will examine how creative practices from these regions can inform alternative models. These models relate to collective living and environmental resilience.

Organizers Share Their Vision

Richa Agarwal serves as the Chairperson of KCC. She explains the symposium's origins. "We launched Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in 2019 to explore the relationship between humanity and the environment through the minds of leading creators and changemakers," she says. "Now in its seventh edition, it's bigger than ever before—rooted in Kolkata, open to the world, and driven by the conviction that creativity must serve the collective."

Agarwal adds that KCC remains dedicated to building platforms. These platforms "recognise the labour of culture and empower new forms of knowledge production, bridging tradition and innovation."

Dr Shwetal A. Patel co-programs VK VII. He elaborates on this year's focus. "Since the first edition, the goal has been to nurture a space where diverse knowledge systems, creative practices, and regional voices can meet on equal terms," he notes.

Patel describes the seventh edition as especially significant. "This year feels urgent—we want to widen the circle of dialogue, bringing youth, artisans, scholars, and policymakers into meaningful exchange, and foreground the region's profound contributions to sustainability and collective well-being," he states.

Building on Previous Momentum

Ushmita Sahu returns as co-programmer for the second year. She is the Director and Head Curator of Emami Art. Sahu reflects on last year's success. "The momentum we built last year, when over 200 participants came together for two days of thoughtful exchange, has been inspiring," she says.

"VK has always envisioned a space where diverse knowledge systems and creative practices meet without hierarchy. My hope is that this edition deepens those conversations and strengthens our collective recognition of the creative labour that sustains both the worlds we inherit and the futures we imagine," Sahu adds.

Satellite Exhibition and Featured Speakers

Emami Art will present a group exhibition in collaboration with KCC. It runs alongside the symposium. The exhibition is titled "Convergences: A Shared Ground — Lineages, Practices, Futures." It will feature a wide spectrum of artistic practices from Eastern and Northeastern India. This show serves as a satellite exhibition of VK VII. It extends the dialogue into the visual realm.

Speakers at the event include several notable individuals: