Call of the wild

The fest covers everything from music to talks and workshops

Imagine being in the woods, taking a walk by the riverside, listening to a creative mind speak while you warm up to a bonfire. Think of an exploratory space beaming with art installations, mind bending classrooms, binaural beats, yoga and meditation; peppered with group laughter, debates and 3 am coffee sessions. At the second edition of F of X, India's first four-day residential forest festival, there's ample scope for creators to learn and amplify their mental sharpness. Designed with a sustainability first mindset, the second edition of the fest, says founder Jaytirth Ahya, aims to "manifest a stimulus as intangible as creativity into an interactive residential creative carnival cum forest festival."

You can look forward to a community table of 300 creators - breaking bread as they discuss the future of creativity is a first. Also, this year, the festival is child-friendly with kids above two years allowed to attend with their mothers. On day one, 300 people will collaborate to create a beat that will become the F of X rhythmic anthem for years. "This is literally the tribe call. It'll be spearheaded by a DJ on the first night, and the next morning, all the tribe members will have it on their phones," explains Ahya. To ensure that those who attend gel well, there is an application process and participants are screened by a selection board. "It's important to be vulnerable enough to let yourself be free to think, receive, perceive and introspect. The process looks at what each individual will bring to the table."

While the sessions allow you to delve deeper into creative interests like making viral content, earning as a freelancer and bagging creative projects, there will also be spiritual experiences, hacks and learnings for the mind and hands-on workshops that allow you to engage with new material and devices.

What F of X Forest Festival
Where: Jim Corbett National Park
When: February 20 to 23
Entry: Rs 26,000 per person onwards
www.fofxfestival.com

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