Kohima, July 3 (MExN): A seven day experiential residency for creative intercourse is being held at the Niramaya Aradura in Kohima.
Known as the Beachhouse Project or BHX in short, this creative intercourse is aimed at bringing creative people together where they can learn and inspire one another.
Out of hundreds of applicants, 14 individuals from diverse professional backgrounds were selected to spend their time in ‘inspiring’ locations.
A core aspect of the project is their emphasis on giving back to the society where the event is held and for Nagaland, they got in touch with Project 72 hours – a street art group which has initiated cleaning up the streets of Kohima town and to beautify the capital – to brainstorm and render any possible assistance.
Beachhouse Project was conceptualised by Jay Ahya after the latter contemplated on what could happen when people from diverse professions are brought together and made to go on a road trip. The idea fascinated him and he tried it in 2014 under the name, Roadtrip Experience or RTX. “The intention with RTX was bringing creative people together and to create art, film, photos and music,” Ahya explained.
In 2016, Beachhouse Project came into being. It was different from RTX in the sense that creative entrepreneurs and professionals from various backgrounds wanting to ‘try’ other professions could come and learn from each other’s professions avoiding pitfalls and errors that their predecessors had experienced and thus learning from other’s mistakes and drawing out ‘something’ from the interactions.
The first three days were devoted to activities where the participants got to know each other by sharing concerns, challenges and experiences. The participants then chose local artistes and began to work with them, figuring out ‘newer’ approaches and ways to work collectively.
For every new location, that the Project chose, they first researched the ground realities of the location and then with that understanding, conducted their program so that local artists and creative people could ‘gain’ something from them.
Kushal Menghrajani, the Creative Chief of BHX said, “BHX brings together creative people and curates sessions so that they reach out and be the best version of themselves and reach out to other likeminded people.”
Menghrajani related on how times spend together is crucial as ‘professional and personal bonding takes place’ which eventually lead them to understand each other and open up dialogues where “ideas, concepts and networks collide.”
Speaking on the need for mainland India to know more about the people in this part of the country, Akshita Garg, a Set Designer in the Indian film industry, remarked on how Nagaland has a lot of beautiful cultures but it is unknown to the masses in the mainland.
As a person from the film industry and having received several awards from Columbia Pictures to the Oscar Qualifiers in Brussels, Garg views that there is no need to shoot films from foreign countries. Her challenge now is to make people from the film industry know that there are locations in the country itself where beautiful culture exists, which are ‘untouched’ and ‘fresh’ and which can be explored.
“Nagaland has to focus on something that is ‘Naga exclusive’ and promote that,” she added. One of the participants is Anuraag Borah, Co-founder of Panda Rides – one of North East’s first self-drive start-ups in bikes and cars that create accessibility for discoverers and travelers to travel in the region based in Guwahati.
While many companies do not deliver their promises to its customers, Borah has been working to promote tourism in the region and to provide a hassle-free tourist experience in the NE region. “If I can help in any way, I will be glad to help. By myself, I can’t do much, but when likeminded individuals come together, we can achieve much,” he maintained.
The Nagaland edition, which started on June 29 and concludes on July 4, is the seventh of the BHX events.
