YUVA is a youth initiative that aims to empower young people through arts. YUVA, literally meaning Youth in Indian languages, has lent itself as a natural platform for young people of different backgrounds and communities to come together like in a fiesta for honing skills, strengthening bonds and building friendship. YUVA attracts an astonishing array of young talent between the ages of 5 – 25 years. The project has a youth forum and conducts youth panels, where young people come to discuss issues, ask questions and seek answers. A festival in the same name, ‘YUVA – South Asian Youth Festival’ takes place every year and showcases an array of astonishing diverse local young talent. The aim of the festival is also show the real meaning of cultural cohesion to young people.

The YUVA - Youth Festival comes at a time to motivate the young minds, often facing additional hurdles put in their path by society with the demands of peer pressure at an all time high. The festival is a great way for young people to use the arts as a means of expressing themselves. We believe that investment of time and belief in the young people of today will prove dividends in developing the adults of tomorrow. Kalapremi stands by its understanding that the arts is a wonderful method of encouraging empowerment amongst young people as a form of education and cultural awareness.

The ‘Bala Jyothi Awards’ has been initiated by Kalapremi, to recognise and appreciate the effort that young people undertake to pursue artistic excellence in a chosen art form. Literally translating to ‘young flame’, this award is an appreciation from Kalapremi with a belief that the awardee will be a torchbearer to motivate more young minds.

What is Culture? Was a new and exciting media project, produced by Kalapremi exploring some of the themes on cross-cultural understanding. 10 young people across the northeast took part in this project and produced an exciting DVD on their exploration. Email us if you are interested to know more on this project.