With Inner Climate Academy (ICA), Lakshmi Venugopal brings her diverse international experience in the environment field spanning two decades, from activist to project manager to researcher to facilitator. Her sessions help people rediscover their profound connection to themselves, each other and the Earth. Her research on the concept of eco-civilisation, following the work of Freya Mathews, and her deep inquiry into multispecies learning and coexistence, forms a fertile ground from which the vision for ICA flows.

Ethnologist and anthropologist, researcher at the French Institute of Research for Sustainable Development (IRD) since 2009, Romain Simenel studies relations between societies and environments, from two angles: otherness and learning. Based at the Paloc laboratory of the IRD and the Museum of Natural History of Paris, his latest research focuses on the forms of cultural transmission between children that take place through contact with the environment.

Suzanne is the member of the core group committee and an advisor for HTNHA. She practices and facilitates sessions on mindfulness meditation. She has her core in ancient spiritual and shamanic traditions. She has a long working experience in the corporate sector and brings in new ideas and perspectives. Wearing many hats Suzzane is an excellent cook and loves handwork and sharing her skills with learners of all ages. She hails from the hilly town of Kalimpong/Mumbai.

A former Montessori teacher, Reena embarked into the entirely novel venture of studio pottery armed with the objective to create something that was not only quintessentially Sikkimese – from start to finish – but also self-reliant, sustainable and driven wholly by local craftsmanship. After training in a Master Potter course in Khanapur, Belgaum, internships at Goa and Pondicherry, she returned to Sikkim and set up ‘Studio MAATO’ as a full-fledged production studio in December 2008. She now produces high quality glazed ceramic wares which include functional household items, souvenirs, art objects and ceramic installations.

Bindya sees herself as an arcane oil painter, one that leaves her hermit hut studio, looking for a story to paint. The hermit hut houses her collectibles of seasons, sometimes it’s a morning or evening raga, sometimes a ceramic mould glistening in the shadows, making their own transactions with spaces, salvaged wooden pieces, and paintings that have survived in her timeline of creation. A life she has created for herself as a painter by living inside the raw canopy of her contact with this forest school by itself, and the vicinity close by.

Chinlop Fudong Lepcha was born in 23 December, 1977 and brought up in a humble Lepcha family in Kalimpong, District Darjeeling, West Bengal. Ever since his childhood he has been an ardent admirer of the mystical landscape, the flora and fauna of the region nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. He began sketching at an early age but this did not quite satisfy his growing artistic inclinations. Fortunately at the age of fourteen he came to possess his first camera, a Yashica FX3 Super. After taking the first shot he has not been able to stop. He began experimenting with various filters and light source and discovered the fascinating effects. Gradually, he began to see a reflection of himself in the photographs that he took. Since than there has been no looking back.Chinlop has done a diploma in photography from the Birla Institute of Futuristic Studies, Kolkata. There he was fortunate enough to study under the guidance of an esteemed faculty consisting of renowned photographers like Mr. Arun Ganguly, Mr. Jayanta Shaha and Mr. Vivek Das. Currently Chinlop works as a photo Journalist for the national daily The Telegraph and local news papers. His photographs are regularly published in various tourism and travel magazines. He is also the member of numerous photography sites and has won various online photo contests.Chinlop is truly a man of few words, indeed his photographs speak for him.

Manasi is a botanical watercolor artist who reconnected with her true passion in art after dropping out of architecture school. Through her art, she aims to evoke a sense of appreciation for the world's flora, urging one to pause and embrace the calmness of nature. She is one of the brand ambassador of Princeton Brush Company, USA. She consciously chose watercolour as her medium since they cause least damage to the environment and require utmost patience to work with which makes the entire process meditative. She addresses herself as Sayo - short for sayoni which means a lover / soulmate, on the artworks and goes by the name @sayonisi on instagram. Join her on this artistic journey as she continues to celebrate the wonder and beauty of the natural world through her watercolor creations.

Junu Pundi Lepcha was born in Lingdok, living in Gangtok but essentially her roots are from a village called Bidyang in Kalimpong. The undeniable spark came to her courtesy of the Japanese animation movie, “Spirited Away”which hopelessly enthralled her with the intricate tapestry of magic in our natural world. It is what inspired her to find the magic in my ordinary spaces. Growing up with her mom in Gangtok, and her dad’s early passing helped her deeply connect to Lepcha cause. Her short animated movie about Bidyang created for a workshop ‘Sacred Landscapes’, a deeply meaningful project that led her to finding connection to her roots. As she delved into this unknown, She discovered so many iterations about her history, rather our history. It is her effort to save and share the stories of her people and every natural and super natural essence that lived and thrived with us. Sadly we are forgetting so much, not just the essence of our residence but also of ourselves. This just is her earnest effort to keep our stories alive, despite all the changes that life brings forth.

Mr. Sangbu Tshering Bhutia established the Ganjong Handmade Paper Factory at kalimpong in 1993. He uses the bark of a specific plant locally called Argeli to manufacture these papers. Nepalese handmade papers are specifically used for printing, painting and various other purposes. This is the second workshop he is conducting at HTNHA in order to share his knowledge with the community as well as visitors.

The first and foremost purpose of naming the music Academy in Capt's name is to immortalise.. the Unsung Hero..The INA songs,his tunes/compositions and sung by him and his orchestra played a vital role in inspiring and stirring the souls of not only the Azad Hind Fauj soldiers but every single Indian in south east asia and our countrymen back home in India during the freedom struggle. Some of his immeasurable and priceless composition ,as directed by Netaji,are Shubh Sukh Chaina Ki Barkha Barse,Bharat Bhagya Hai Jaga...the INA Qaumi Tarana/National Anthem which went on to become the national anthem tune of a republic India,Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja,which turned out to be a magnum opus is today the signature marching tune of the Indian Army and of the passing out parade cadets IMA dehradun( kadam kadam Badhaye Ja was banned by the British),Subhashji Subhasji, woh Jane Hind Aagaye played at every INA celebrations(. and many more..30 plus INA compositions)The Capt had the honour of playing the Qaumi Tarana on the violin gifted to him by Netaji,in Augast 1947 when the free India,s flag was hoisted at the ramparts of the Red Fort as forecasted by Netaji to the Capt.A valiant Soldier who was a born musician,a powerful singer,a motivating lyricist,a gifted dramatist,a talented dancer,a natural maestro/conductor, an untiring sportsperson and above all a simple great human soul besides being a warm hearted peoples man. The Capt is a Gorkha Icon and a pride of the Nation.He was Emeritus Musician of Uttar Pradesh with lifetime service to his credit.He was honoured with gun salute and State funeral. It is our endeavour to keep the Capt's legacy alive and hopefully many maestros like the Capt will be born in the Academy.

Gandhi Ashram School is a 30-year old Jesuit mission with a musical twist in rural Kalimpong, in the Himalayas. It admits the most vulnerable children and provides them with a free opportunity to get educated not only in formal academic subjects from Kindergarten up until Class 10, but also in visual arts, drama, dance and music - the core of all learning. In partnership with parents and the community, our children’s health and nutrition needs are also taken care of and in addition, we provide psychosocial and life skill development support, keeping up our motto: In Harmony. We draw inspiration from our founder, Fr. Edward McGuire SJ and our vision: Every child Creating a Symphony of Love, Peace and Joy.

Sunita Lama is a certified Mindfulness, Wellness and Happiness practitioner whose journey into this field interestingly began by accident. Her return to her hometown after twenty-plus years of venturing in a far-off land is a CALLING. She works extensively with children, teens and young adults on ways to cultivate presence, wakefulness and awareness. She believes that to find balance and make sense of life we must find ways to pause, slow down and arrive at that INNER KNOWING, SELF-COMPASSION and TRANSFORMATION.

Sudeshna Pradhan, a student of Indian History and Admin of Kanini Software Solutions in Bangalore, has worked with the NGO World Vision India in Kalimpong on Child Rights and has gained experience as an educator and facilitator. She is also a Child Rights Activist and has participated in many events on this topic. She has also lived in the Andaman Islands, where she worked as an front Office Executive of a luxury hotel and was able to accumulate a certain knowledge about the biodiversity of the Islands. She was qualified as a Travel Consultant . Since March 2022 she is also Researcher's Assistance on the project about Children Games leads by Dr. Romain Simenel.

Naveen Jhajharia has a Master’s degree in Psychology. He has worked and facilitated workshops with a number of youth organizations and groups like Pravah, Patang, Thoughtshop Foundation, NMML, Khoj Foundation and Swayam in the country and has travelled extensively to remote place interacting with young people. He worked in SIDH (NGO in Uttarakhand) for 2 years and has a fair knowledge of alternative education and pedagogy. Naveen comes from Kolkata and enabled youth, teachers and children in the villages of northern Himalayas for 15 years through his own initiative named Vriksh. He is now based in Kalimpong where he was helping Buddhist monks in a Monastery from 2020-24.

As an indigenous researcher, Anugrah is deeply rooted in the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Darjeeling hills and the mountains she calls home. With a Ph.D. in Ecological Social Work and micro specialization in indigenous studies, her academic pursuits deepened her understanding of the profound significance of indigenous narratives. Driven by love for nature and reverence for Indigenous communities, she hopes to weave these stories of resilience, wisdom, and the co-existing bond of nature and man. Bridging the gap between academia and the communities at large is what she hopes to achieve one story, one narrative at a time.

Lasomung Kup was formed in 2018. The band was formed with a group of young energetic and talented individuals. The band is named after one of the first Ancestor Lasomung. Instead of him being a devilish being in a Human clothing he was a Legendary powerful figure and Mutanchi still believes that because of him only we are rich in terms of Tradition, Beliefs, Culture and so on. The origin story of LasoMung also teaches us that one should always remain Loyal, Honest and must have a heart of Humanity. If it wasn't him then Lepcha Community might not have the names for days, months, seasons and our joyous Namsoong Festival. The band has a message to all; "....BE AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY AND DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DO IT. EVERY INDIVIDUALS' CONTRIBUTION CAN MAKE A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN A SOCIETY..." The band also hopes to inspire or to awaken one's dreams and desires sleeping within a deep slumber.

Kirti is a photographer based in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. She works at the intersection of art, craft, nature, and culture, reflecting a profound commitment to research and documentation of ancient knowledge systems, oral traditions, myths, rituals, folklore and other related narratives. Her preferred tool of inquiry is the camera, which allows her to critically examine the world, experience it in more depth and beauty. By employing photography as a medium of exploration, she tries to traverse the fine line between reality and illusion, using images to convey both personal and political expression.

Indranil is a singer, song writer and teacher.A singer who sings, explores folks, plays multiple instruments and nevertheless a FREE SPIRIT. He performs various songs and music of different places & cultures such as Bangla folk, Originals, mystic sufi qalam (Tasawwuf), Qawwali, English country folk, Gypsy jazz, Bluegrass, world folk etc.He has a fantasy of travelling. Travelling to the Jungles, to the villages, rivers, mountains, streams etc. He loves to mingle with people, learn culture & create music from the mother nature. Like the trees, the streams, the small hut or the beautiful mountain as make the nature....

Hinoki has worked to spread awareness and liberate people from the illness of the body and energy, and reconnecting to the higher spirit. With over 20 years of practice and teaching in several countries like Canada, USA, Jamaica, Japan and India. She has had astonishing results with her students, helping everyone to witness the miracles of life. Along with her study of ancient Japanese linguistic (Katakamuna) that corresponds with sacred geometry, Yin & Yang principle and combining of these knowledge that she uses as tools to expands our understanding of our inner world. Aakash is a trained Audio Engineer and a multi instrumentalist. Equipped with this knowledge and his passion for expanding his consciousness, he designs music and soundscapes symphonies which lets the audience experience altered states of consciousness naturally. He plays some of the most ancient and mystical musical instruments like the Didgeridoo, Morchang and Ocarina. He possesses an understanding of sound and frequency that effects the nervous system. Sound is powerful and can be used to rewire the mind and body to its natural state just like a musical instrument the body and mind can also be tuned.

Maria Magdalena Malenta (b. 1983 in Warsaw, Poland) moved to Sikkim in 2018 with a goal to entirely devote herself to visual arts as her main profession. Her body of work revolves around the search for a deeper meaning behind our reality. The latest series "Beyond all Dimensions" merges neuroscience and art on a "conscious -u conscious" level and aims at shifting our perception of what is and who we are.

Tseten Sherpa from Jhapa, Nepal had been dabbling with art as a hobby before he met Sagar Magar (an artist and a teacher) in 2012. Together they shared their thoughts about art and its impact, interacted with other artists from Jhapa as well as attended several exhibitions and workshops but found no seriousness in the field of art. Also, during the span of next two years they could not progress further in their artistic venture. Finally, in 2014, they wanted to inspire young minds to join hands with them in order to bring about a change in society through the medium of art. Their main objectives were to spread education, adventure and social reformation. This venture was supported by many friends and became a success. DeHi thus came into being and today caters to art practices amongst the school and college students in and around Jhapa. DeHi is a combination of the first two alphabets of Sagar’s mother’s name Devika and Tseten’s mother’s name Hingi Lamu meaning ‘The Womb of Art’. The Sanskrit word dehī means "embodied." Although one is within this secular form, by his achievement of spiritual knowledge he can be liberal from the interference of the modes of surroundings, like a free soul. DeHi’s work encompasses sustainability, nature, tourism and cultural diversity. They connect Nepal with all parts of the world, mostly Northeast India like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Kalimpong and West Bengal.

We are a collective of photographers and researchers working with our respective interests to create a common platform to bring together visual and oral stories of the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas. We endeavour to strengthen this platform by bringing together art practices and research from and of the region. We believe that in doing so we can offer a space to understand the Hills and its history beyond the homogenised colonial discourses that continue to dominate the understanding of the place. Through close engagements with the local community, we hope to build a strong creative and collaborative platform fostering a culture of knowledge production and sharing from the margins.

Inspired by her Lepcha roots and reflections of her life’s journey, Alyen uses her art and storytelling as a medium to help others remember their own ecological connections. She is a textile artist who has studied Textile and Apparel design at NID, Ahmedabad. Her works are inspired by Nature and indigenous world cultures. She also runs a design label-ALYEN FONING that believes in the power of Mother Nature, communities, upcycling and the skills of local artisans in narrating stories through Art, Words, Music, Artisanal Creations inspired by Mother Nature, Our Roots, Oral histories and Inner journeys.

Agni is a visual artist from Kalimpong who specializes as an illustrator, tattoo artist, and mural artist, working with both digital and traditional media. Agni has worked with several leading brands like DSM, NIXI, Yaap, Pulse and Rupay in marketing as a freelance artist. His journey in the art world also comprises working as a mural artist and painter for commercial spaces, and working as a tattoo artist. Moving forward he hopes to continue pushing the limits by experimenting and diving deeper into art.

Smrita grew up nestled in the hills of Kalimpong. When in standard six at Chandramaya School, Relli Valley, she came to know about the Natural History Art workshops being conducted by the Himalayan Trust for Natural History Art (HTNHA) and enrolled herself in it. She continued with her art education during weekends and major holidays for the next seven years. She was the first student to complete a Certificate course in Botanical Art from HTNHA in 2021 and is now working as tutor, mentor and co-facilitator in botanical art and illustration not just in Kalimpong but at other premier institutes in India like NID (Assam) and Darjeeling Government College. She is also pursuing her B. A. from IGNOU, New Delhi, India. Young and always smiling, she is also doing a personal research on the lesser known plants of the Himalayas.

Utsow grew up in the verdant hills of Kurseong, a small town nestled in the Eastern Himalayan belt of Darjeeling. His significant early childhood memories include spending a lot of time in the lap of Mother Nature. His love for the mountains kept drawing him towards mountaineering and trekking in the Himalayas. During one of those backpacking sojourns is when he discovered the philosophy of Permaculture in one of the remote farms in Northern Himalayas. Getting introduced to Permaculture helped him connect the dots between regenerative living, climate action, community development, human ingenuity and most importantly living in harmony with Mother Nature.

Wg. Cdr. Prafulla Rao (retd.) belongs to Kalimpong and founded the NGO “SaveTheHills” (STH) in Sep2007. Since then STH has emerged as a leading voice in DRR issues in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas. He has participated in hundreds of seminars, workshops and awareness programs starting from the grassroots level and in the North East as well as at the National Level. He was also a member of NDMA’s team which brought out the ‘National Landslide Risk Management Strategy' in 2019.

Swapnesh is an independent designer, researcher, and design educator. He works in the areas of games, interaction, and communication design, addressing subjects related to experiential learning, mental health, material culture, and socio-cultural narratives. He has collaborated on multiple projects with academic institutes, design studios, NGOs, and early-stage startups as an independent practitioner. He has also worked with play learning centers conducting various workshops, and developing playful learning tools and material for teachers and homeschoolers. He runs an independent design studio and is actively involved in research and academia as a visiting faculty member. He teaches subjects such as game design, interaction design, system design, design fundamentals, and design research.

Shrishtee is a researcher, writer, and activist working at the intersections of environmental justice, social justice, more-than human governance & rights, indigenous worldviews, and systemic transformations. She is a member of Kalpavriksh, an environmental action group in India and coordinates Vikalp Sangam (Alternatives Confluence) network that researches, documents, networks around systemic alternatives. She is part of the core team of Global Tapestry of Alternatives and serves on the executive committee of Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature. She works with fraternal networks & groups such as Liminality Network and Inner Climate Academy. You can often find her looking at birds, insects, bees and shamelessly photographing them. She can also be found trying to sing, scribbling thoughts, and collecting books to read.

Kalimpong Youth Artist Association was Established in March 2023. Their passionate team is dedicated to transforming Kalimpong into a vibrant art hub. They have been successful in achieving this by organizing engaging workshops, hosting captivating exhibitions, and fostering a supportive community for local artists. Recently, on May 12th, 2023, they proudly hosted their inaugural exhibition, showcasing the immense talent within our community.

Inner Climate Academy is a project of Social Entrepreneurship Association, a unit of the Auroville Foundation that provides spaces for inner reflection & inquiry, collaborative research & dialogue, and facilitated explorations that lead to personal and societal transformation of our relationship with the living Earth. ICA purpose is to nurture a cultural shift from capitalist consumer culture to a regenerative culture where humans experience themselves as part of a multi-species world. While there are many organisations, groups, and individuals working toward solving the climate crisis, mainly focusing on technical and policy solutions, our goal is to bring focus and attention to the fundamental shift that needs to happen – the transformation of our relationship with the Earth- to move away from the transactional nature to one that is relational with all of life; and to apply this to climate adaptation and resilience projects on the ground

Himalaya Shamana is a musical collective from Kalimpong, India. We offer chants, stotras, poems, etc. from ancient cultures, presented musically, in a contemporary manner, making it more accessible to today's generations and beyond. We also offer world music, in forms of original songs and instrumental music. We incorporate ancient and modern instruments like, the Jaw Harp, Didgeridoo, Frame Drums, Djembe, Guitars, Vocals, Throat Singing and more.

Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) is an organization engaged in various activities under the umbrella of peace, culture, education, and sustainability. To build a sustainable age by 2030, BSG launched the ‘BSG for SDG’ initiative in 2021, with the motto: ‘Towards 2030: Achieving SDGs through Sustainable Human Behaviour.’ Under this initiative, BSG is undertaking a host of activities to spread greater awareness on the role of ordinary individuals in creating a culture of sustainability and hand-build a world where no life is left behind.