South Asia’s biggest interdisciplinary art festival will kick off in Panjim, Goa on December 15, bringing together a diverse array of creative energies and dynamic programming
Spanning across disciplines of the Performing, Visual, Culinary and Performance Arts and Craft, Serendipity Arts Festival 2023 is a showcase of India’s multifaceted cultural heritage that will unfold through captivating projects, immersive experiences, engaging workshops and interactive programmes. The 6th physical edition of the Festival, scheduled between the 15th to 23rd of December 2023 in Panjim, Goa, features over 150 events, incredible works of more than 300 artists, ten curators and around 15 special curators. Alongside, there are around 15 commissioned works, exploring diverse practices and artistic creations through a different lens.
Curatorial Framework
The curation line-up of the 6th physical edition brings together a diverse set of individuals. Sandeep Kumar Sangaru and Anjana Somany are curating the Craft section. Quasar Thakore Padamsee is helming the Theatre segment that will showcase an eclectic selection of plays. Chef Thomas Zacharias and The Locavore Team will take visitors through a gastronomical journey that ties people and cultures. Bickram Ghosh along with Ricky Kej are curating the Music section with a wide range of concerts covering diverse genres. Geeta Chandran and Mayuri Upadhya have curated classical, experimental, and contemporary dance performances and workshops. The Visual Arts curators for this edition are Veeranganakumari Solanki and Vidya Shivadas.
The 2023 edition also features a set of special curators including Zubin Balaporia (Music), Elizabeth Yorke & Anusha Murthy with Edible Issues, who be the special curators for culinary arts, while Bhagyashree Patwardhan is returning to curate a project around local Goan design practices.
Spread across over 12 venues, including important cultural spaces such as the Old GMC Complex, the Art Park, Azad Maidan, Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir ESG Complex, and Nagalli Hills Ground, among others, the festival is a celebration of culture and art diversity.
Programming
The 2023 edition is home to a smorgasbord of events, with artists and curators playing with ideas, forms and themes to generate immersive experiences that rest on the pillars of cross-pollination of ideas and inter- disciplinarity.
Craft, Climate Change and Mental Health
Bamboo has been a fabric of existence across communities. But it holds a special place in northeast India where the material has a deep-rooted connection with not just livelihood but is more associated as a way of life. The tangible cultural marker takes the form of an installation titled Bamboo: A Way of Life that aims to immerse visitors in the daily experience of living and working with bamboo.
Crafted Expressions: Embodied Traditions In The Indian Performing Arts is an exhibition that shines a spotlight on how craftsmanship enriches the auditory and visual realms of the arts. This immersive and dynamic showcase unveils the captivating world of performing arts as an embodiment of artisanal mastery and will offer visitors a multifaceted journey into the depth and richness of India’s vast cultural heritage.
Offering a global perspective on climate change is a theatrical podcast Climate Change and Other Small Talk made by nine creative teams from across the world. Curated with the message to engage, inform and entertain, episodes range from anything between 12 to 29 minutes, but promise to give you a topical perspective of climate change’s disturbing impact on the planet.
Unfolding on the rooftop of a building is the play Jump which puts the spotlight on the global pandemic of depression, loneliness, suicide, love and longing. The storyline navigates the aspirations of two individuals who, under ordinary circumstances, would never cross paths but find a unique connection in the most unlikely of places and in their shared humanity.
Of musical evenings and performances
An Evening Of Serendipity With Zakir Hussain And Friends features a scintillating performance by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain who leads an ensemble for a night of intricate rhythms, soul-stirring melodies, and genre-defying improvisations. Experience Sheejith Krishna’s adaptation of Cervantes’ novel, a fusion of Bharatanatyam, poetry, music, dance, and theatre in Don Quixote in Bharatnatyam. The music-dance-theatre production unfolds a timeless tale with universal relevance. Rooted in Carnatic music, this production breaks new ground by marrying contemporary elements with classical forms.
In Indus Creed: Come Together, witness the legendary Indus Creed collaborate with young talents, blending rock with a classical string trio and exciting guests. This magical performance is curated by Zubin Balaporia. Explore Goa’s rich musical history in Music In The Art Park. Curated by Shyamant Behal, this series focuses on jazz, a genre deeply rooted in Goa’s identity, blending Portuguese Fado, classical Indian, American jazz, and Bollywood. River Raag at Serendipity Arts Festival 2023 is a unique sunset cruise featuring classical performances. Indulge in these performances curated by Bickram Ghosh aboard a distinctive sunset cruise setting sail from Santa Monica Jetty. Let the gentle Mandovi river breeze carry the enchanting notes of the artists, creating a magical atmosphere for your enjoyment.
Manthan: A Confluence Of Kaavad Katha & Mohiniyattam is a performance that unites two ancient traditions. As the weaving of stories unfolds, reality encounters the imaginary, the teller encounters the tale, and the dancer encounters the dance, resulting in the dance of their stories. Choreographed by Ashley Lobo, Shakti is an abstract Indo-Japanese dance theatre performance that delves into the various dimensions of femininity, examining the historical context of the concept and its relevance in today’s world.
Culinary Explorations
Tracing the traditional method of churning butter from curd and delving deeper into the cultural significance of buttermilk is the workshop Ghee and Our Connection with our Ancestors. Brace for the first-of-its-kind experience of vinegar tasting that showcases the city’s historical relationship with this fermented substance in Goa’s Coconut Vinegar: A Comparative Tasting Of A Forgotten Culinary Gem. Then there is the Local Ingredients’ Cocktail Workshop which will feature the use of local and regional ingredients from India to create unique and flavorful cocktails. And if you are a Feni lover, then don’t miss out on attending Feni Deconstructed: A Sensory Experience which will take you on a fascinating journey of the local liquor.
Stories of war and displacement
Reflecting the sentiments of war, displacement and forced migrations ravaging the world is a series of performances that take viewers on a journey of social, emotional and physical upheavals these individuals go through. Afghanistan is Not Funny is the true story of a British comedian and photographer in war-torn Afghanistan. In 2002, while investigating a comedic project, Henry Naylor, a triple Fringe First winner, and Sam Maynard, a two-time Scottish Feature Photographer of the Year, ventured into the Afghan Warzone. This journey profoundly impacted their lives and artistic pursuits. In this docu-play, narrated by Naylor and complemented by Maynard’s photographs, audiences will be transported to the genesis of a contemporary tragedy.
Footprints in Blood is a dance performance that draws upon three stories of fiery feminist uprisings in Manipur. Curated by Mayuri Upadhya, this performance has been rechoreographed using the indigenous performing arts and storytelling traditions of Manipur. The Letter is a contemporary dance performance capturing the journey of survivors who could withstand destruction, losses, and agonies but couldn’t survive the apathy of society and the reality of our depleting humanity.
Talks
As the global pandemic pushed everyone and everything to the digital ecosystem, the death of the print in all its forms was declared. However, print continues to sustain and flourish. The session Start the Presses: Practising Print Culture through the Magazine, supported by Marg, offers a multi-generational insight into the history of print publications in independent India and the significant developments in arts writing through the decades. Engaging in an insightful conversation will be scholar-writer Sarita Sundar, Naman Ahuja, Editor of Marg, and Akila Seshayee, Chief Designer, Toile Indienne, with senior editor Shukla Sawant.
Another interesting session Wording and Imaging the World: A Discussion on Writing and Illustrating for Children follows the projection of five animations based on five exceptional books written and illustrated by K. G. Subramanyan and A. Ramachandran. Moderated by Vidya Shivadas, curator and Director of The Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), the panel comprising novelist Damodar Mauzo and art historian R. Siva Kumar will also focus on why artists and writers should create for children and the different possibilities they open up for the creators and their audience.
The 2023 edition has several project and institutional partners, such as Institut Français (India), the British Council, Boxout, Japan Foundation, Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, Sampad, Paper Boat Collective, Art South Asia Project, JCB Literature Foundation and more.
The official hashtag for the 6th Serendipity Arts Festival is #CometogetheratSAF, as a sign of celebration and sharing of a vision that has been widely supported. This is the 8th edition of the festival, of which two were digitally hosted in the years 2020 and 2021, respectively.
To know more about the festival and register for free, please visit www.serendipityartsfestival.com
Captivating Conversations and Art at the Serendipity Arts Residency
