Sikyong Penpa Tsering addressing the gathering during closing ceremony of the Tibetan Artists Festival in Dharamshala on 1 December 2024. Photo / Tenzin Jigme Taydeh / CTA

Dharamshala: Sikyong Penpa Tsering attended the closing ceremony of the three-day Tibetan Artists Festival in Dharamshala on 1 December 2024 as the event’s chief guest.

The festival, which honours the invaluable contributions of artists—ranging from writers to musicians—in sharing the stories of Tibet with the world, is organised by Tibetan writer and poet Bhuchung D. Sonam, the co-founder of TibetWrites, with support from the Tibet Fund.

During its closing ceremony, Sikyong stated that, over the past six decades, the Tibetan community has made significant progress in all aspects of its existence in exile under the benevolent and visionary leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Sikyong emphasised that individual Tibetans and organisations, who use any medium—including all forms of art—to organise initiatives and campaigns that advance the cause of Tibet, are always appreciated. Sikyong further asserted that the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) fully supports these efforts, regardless of the political affiliations or positions of the organisers or the events.

Since this is the first festival of its kind, Sikyong expressed his gratitude to the organiser Bhuchung D.Sonam and President of the Tibet Fund Bob Ankerson for the initiative and encouraged the continuation of similar programs in the future.

Throughout its three-day duration, the festival saw a large turnout, including Tibetan parliamentarians, CTA officials, Tibetan artists, art enthusiasts, media personnel, Dharamshala-based Tibetan residents, tourists, and many others. It featured the participation of Tibetan writers, singers, and musicians from various parts of the world.