The Festival’s performing and visual arts and crafts sections offer a deep dive into the cultural idiom of the Indian subcontinent
The sixth physical edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, scheduled between December 15 to December 23 at Panjim, Goa has announced its eclectic programming across diverse disciplines of the Performing, Visual, Culinary and Performance Arts and Crafts. It features over 150 events, incredible works of more than 300 artists, nine curators and around 15 special curators. Alongside, there are around 15 commissioned works, exploring diverse practices and artistic creations through a different lens.
In addition to the programming, the Festival has also unveiled a video that encapsulates the spirit of South Asia’s biggest multidisciplinary festival. The artistic montage sets the tone for the sixth edition as it takes viewers on a visual journey of the coming together of people, craft and creativity. You can watch the video on: www.youtube.com/@SerendipityArtsFestival
Some of the exciting highlights from the performing arts and crafts section of the 2023 festival are:
PERFORMING ARTS
I) Music
An Evening of Serendipity with Zakir Hussain and Friends
Renowned tabla maestro Zakir Hussain leads an ensemble featuring the extraordinary talents of Ranjit Barot, Rakesh Chaurasia, Zubin Balaporia, Sanjay Divecha, and Sheldon D’silva. Through intricate rhythms, soul-stirring melodies, and genre-defying improvisations, this collaboration, enriched by diverse instruments and genres, promises a memorable experience that showcases the prowess of the artists while exploring the intersections of their styles.
Curated by: Zubin Balaporia
Date: 15 December 2023
Time: 7 PM Onwards
Venue: The Arena at Nagalli Hills Ground
River Raag
Conceptualised and curated by Shubha Mudgal in the early editions of the Festival, River Raag at Serendipity Arts Festival 2023 is a unique sunset cruise featuring classical performances curated by Bickram Ghosh and Ricky Kej. Departing from Santa Monica Jetty, audience members revel in the rays of the setting sun while the cool breeze blowing across the Mandovi River carries the notes of the artists and their jugalbandi.
Curated by: Bickram Ghosh and Ricky Kej
Date: 15 – 23 December 2023
Time: 5 PM – 6 PM
Venue: Santa Monica Jetty
Bollyjazz
In a time where any experimentation with music, especially Hindi film music, meant simply remixing popular tunes to club beats, Nikhil Mawkin envisioned an amalgamation of two seemingly different genres – Hindi film tunes and Jazz. It was 2011 in India, and what started as an experiment became a successful project that would bring back to life some of the evergreen melodies from what is commonly referred to as the Golden Era of Bollywood. Since then, the band Bollyjazz has evolved through a vast repertoire of selectively chosen melodies that are relatable even in a contemporary setting. The arrangements around the melodies include popular Jazz rhythms such as Samba, Bossa Nova, Swing, and Funk, allowing musicians to improvise and provide their expression to a familiar tune.
Curated by: Shyamant Behal
Date: 17 December 2023
Time: 8 PM – 10 PM
Venue: The Arena at Nagalli Hills Ground
II) DANCE
Pixel
This production seamlessly blends virtuoso hip-hop dance with state-of-the-art digital projection. Pixel is a direct result of the creative dialogue between choreographer Mourad Merzouki (Compagnie Käfig) and digital arts company Adrien M & Claire B. Employing unprecedented stagecraft, performers execute mesmerising aerial and acrobatic stunts within a dynamic 3-D digital environment that morphs with their every gesture. The outcome is a stunning choreographic marvel, providing a tantalizing glimpse into the thrilling prospects at the intersection of the real and virtual realms.
Project by: Compagnie Käfig
Supported by: The Embassy of France, The French Institute in India, Alliance
Française India, and Aaron Fernandes Entertainment
Date: 19 December 2023
Time: 8 PM – 10 PM
Venue: Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir
Bards Of South
From the time of the Vedas to the present, nature and all of her elements have always been integral to our existence. Watching, witnessing, observing. And sometimes, taking matters into their own hands to balance the scales. ‘Bards of South’ showcases these polarities through traditional South Indian art forms such as Yakshagana, Kathakali, Choliattam, and Pandimelam, paying homage to Mother Nature in all her manifestations.
Curated by: Mayuri Upadhya
Date: 19 December 2023
Time: 7 PM – 8 PM
Venue: The Arena at Nagalli Hills Ground
III) THEATRE
Jump
It unfolds on the rooftop of a city building, where a successful female corporate executive teeters on the edge, contemplating suicide. Just in the nick of time, a male cab driver intervenes, preventing her from leaping. This sets the stage for a collision of two profoundly different worlds, encompassing contrasting socio-economic classes, backgrounds, and lifestyles, as well as distinct circumstances, beliefs, and perspectives.
Curated by: Quasar Thakore Padamsee
Date & Time: 19, 20, 21, 22 December 2023; 8:30 PM – 10 PM.
Venue: Multi-Level Parking Terrace
Don Quixote: A Bharatanatyam-Theatre Production
An idealistic dreamer sets out to revive the lost tradition of chivalry. This music-dance-theatre production is a twenty-first-century stage adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ early seventeenth-century novel. Sheejith Krishna’s ‘Don Quixote’ combines multiple art forms – poetry, music, dance, and theatre – to unfold a timeless tale with universal relevance.
Curated by: Geeta Chandran
Date: 22 December 2023
Time: 7 PM – 8 PM
Venue: The Arena at Nagalli Hills Ground
The Land Of Mea Lilo
This family-friendly play follows Mea and Lilo as they embark on a journey filled with wit, teamwork and imagination achieved through the exploration of ordinary everyday objects. The performance values the sharing of unfiltered emotions and uses a minimalist approach to language, incorporating elements of clowning and physical comedy. This makes it highly relatable for young viewers while also connecting with the inner child in adults.
Curated by Quasar Thakore Padamsee
Date: 22 December 2023
Time: 10 AM – 11 AM, 12 PM – 1 PM
Venue: The Foundry, Old GMC Complex
VISUAL ARTS and CRAFT
Bamboo: A Way Of Life
Across the world, numerous communities have woven bamboo into the very fabric of their existence. In India, it has been an inherent component of life in the Northeast where bamboo thrives abundantly. This deep-rooted tradition encompasses not merely a means of earning a livelihood but rather, a profound way of life, where each individual possesses the innate ability to craft bamboo with seemingly effortless finesse.
Curated by: Sandeep Sangaru
Venue: Samba Square
Date: 15-23 December 2023
Time: 11 AM – 8 PM
Crafted Expressions : Embodied
Traditions In The Indian Performing Arts
This immersive and dynamic showcase unveils the captivating world of performing arts as an embodiment of artisanal mastery. This exhibition shines a spotlight on how craftsmanship enriches the auditory and visual realms of the arts. Celebrating the fusion between craft and the performing arts, this showcase offers visitors a multifaceted journey into the depth and richness of India’s vast cultural heritage.
Curated by: Anjana Somany
Date: 15 – 23 December 2023
Time: 11 AM – 8 PM
Venue: Azad Maidan
HOLY FLUX!
Rituals for Deconsecration
Curated by The Packet, the project invites you to reimagine the sacred in contemporary times. What if we could break away from conventional notions of the holy?
Curated by: The Packet
Date: 15 – 23 December 2023
Time: 11 AM – 8 PM
Venue: ESG Courtyard
The official hashtag for the 8th 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
