The 6th physical edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, scheduled between December 15 to December 23 at Panjim, Goa has rolled out its eclectic programming across diverse disciplines of Performing, Visual, Culinary and Performance Arts and Crafts. The Festival 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.
The programming of the nine-day inter-disciplinary festival rests on the pillars of creating an environment of engagement, and participation and amplifying local interaction, with a key focus on supporting artists and creative expressions from the South Asian region.
This year’s performance segment is curated by Bickram Ghosh, Ricky Kej, Quasar Thakore Padamsee, Mayuri Upadhya and Geeta Chandran. Keeping a fine balance between melding classical, contemporary and traditional, these curators have conceptualised an array of diverse performances.
Geeta Chandran and Mayuri Upadhya have curated classical, experimental, and contemporary dance performances and workshops. Curated by Mayuri Upadhya, 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.
Bickram Ghosh and Ricky Kej are headlining the Music section with an array of interesting curation that brings forth voices and notes from varied genres. Like last year, Bickram Ghosh is paying tribute to the exceptional music composer with the project The World Of Pancham 2.0: An R.D. Burman Tribute. Ricky Kej has relooked folk music by bringing a fresh twist to various forms of folk music in the project Folk Music Reimagined. Kej’s other project A Score to Remember revisits some of the most iconic Hollywood and Bollywood film scores that will be performed with a 15-20 piece orchestra. Among other projects is River Raag— a unique sunset cruise featuring classical performances curated by Bickram Ghosh and Ricky Kej.
The Visual Arts curators for this edition are Veeranganakumari Solanki and Vidya Shivadas. For the culinary section, Thomas Zacharias and the Locavore's curation is themed ‘Doing Good Through Food’, embodying India's rich culinary heritage and its deep-rooted connection with art, culture, and sustainability. Through a series of engaging workshops and activities, the culinary section of this year looks promising and exciting.
Talking about this year’s programming, Ms. Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation & Festival says, “In essence, the Serendipity Arts Festival goes beyond being a mere showcase of performances. It is a dynamic exploration of the ever-evolving landscape of the multidisciplinary art landscape. Through our commitment to interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and the celebration of regional diversity, the festival continues to be a vibrant hub where tradition meets innovation, and where the performing arts become a living, breathing testament to the limitless possibilities of human creativity.”
Words Platform Desk
Date 12.12.2023