Kohima: A remarkable cross-cultural arts project, A Page of 2 Lands, is set to unfold at Arthshila Shantiniketan, West Bengal, this spring, bringing together women artists from Wales and Nagaland to explore storytelling through the lens of folklore, identity, and gender equity.
Developed by India-based Meta Arts and Cardiff arts producer Kate Perridge, the project brings together four women writers and illustrators: Emily Jones and Hannah McPake from Cardiff, and Vishü Rita Krocha and Thejavinuo Savi from Kohima. Together, they are reimagining comic literature by blending folk traditions with contemporary narratives.
Funded by Wales Arts International and supported by the British Council, Arthshila Shantiniketan, and the Task Force for Music & Arts (TAFMA), Nagaland, A Page of 2 Lands aims to create an equitable and sustainable creative space for women artists, challenging the historic underrepresentation of women in visual storytelling and literature-linked arts in India.
As per an update, the residency is scheduled from April 28 to May 1, 2025, culminating in a public showcase on May 2. The showcase will include a public talk on cross-cultural storytelling and gender equity, a dramatized reading session of new narratives, and an exhibition walkthrough offering audiences an intimate view of the collaborative process and resulting works.
By centering indigenous narratives and embracing linguistic plurality, A Page of 2 Lands highlights the deep cultural ties between Wales and Northeast India, amplifying first-language voices and fostering new pathways for international co-creation.
Originally from Edinburgh and now based in Cardiff, Hannah McPake is a writer and theatre-maker whose work often reimagines historical and traditional narratives, centering female characters. A BBC Writers Room Welsh Voice 2023, her project I AM KEVIN was shortlisted for Best Single Drama at the Celtic Media Festival 2024.
An illustrator specializing in children’s publishing, Emily Jones’s comical and expressive works have been featured by Puffin Books and The Roald Dahl Story Company. A past runner-up for the Jonathan Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize, Jones also works as a scenic artist at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.
A prominent voice from Nagaland, Vishü Rita Krocha is a journalist, poet, and author of six books. She is also the founder of PenThrill, an independent publishing house in Kohima that promotes literary voices from Northeast India.
A realism-based visual artist from Nagaland, Thejavinuo Savi captures the essence of Naga culture through detailed drawings using dry mediums. Her work celebrates everyday rituals, traditions, and communal life, providing a vivid narrative of her homeland.
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