Image 1: ‘Eternal Echoes: Resonance of Heart with Heritage’, a special project curated by Helen Acharya, saw several Goan government school children at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024 exhibit at Azad Maidan, Panaji.
Image 2: ‘BE-LOVED: Theatre, Music, Queerness and Ishq!’, curated by Quasar Thakore Padamsee and Sankar Venkateswaran kept the audience enthralled at The Theatre – Old GMC Complex, Panaji, as part of the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024.
Day 4 of Serendipity Arts Festival 2024: A Celebration of Heritage, Taste, and Diverse Voices
Panaji, December 2024: The fourth day of Serendipity Arts Festival 2024 offered audiences an evocative blend of music, workshops, theatre, and dance, showcasing the richness of India’s heritage and contemporary narratives.
The day began with Eternal Echoes: Resonance of Heart with Heritage, a special project curated by Helen Acharya. Held at Azad Maidan, this exhibition celebrated the indigenous and folk musical traditions of India. Through strings, drums, and horns, the project highlighted the intrinsic connection between communities, nature, and the celebration of life.
At The Food Lab, Eating Seaweed, a workshop curated by Edible Issues and led by Gabriella D’Cruz, Chaitanya Chowgule of The Good Ocean, and Chef Priyanka Sardessai, introduced participants to the culinary potential of native Goan seaweed. This unique collaboration explored ways to integrate hyper-local ingredients into global culinary traditions, sparking discussions around sustainable food practices.
The Music in the Art Park series held daily, continued to captivate audiences with its eclectic performances. On Day 4, Mrtn The Mrtn & The Martians took centre-stage, presenting an energetic fusion of live and electronic music, showcasing Goa’s burgeoning creative musical identity.
In the realm of theatre, BE-LOVED: Theatre, Music, Queerness and Ishq!, curated by Quasar Thakore Padamsee and Sankar Venkateswaran, offered an enthralling 90-minute performance at The Old GMC Complex. Featuring vibrant storytelling, poetry, music, and movement, the play explored the dynamic and evolving conversations surrounding queer love in India.
“The last few days have been quite exhilarating. The wonderful thing about Serendipity Arts Festival is that art is everywhere. So from watching Littoral States of Being on the Caranzalem beach to a retrospective of Bhupen Khakhar’s work. To the exhilaration that was the Mudiyettu performance. It’s been quite heady. I am especially looking forward to making clay works in the dark, experiencing the sensory performance of Shahi Tukra, and seeing Relief Camp from Kalakshetra in Manipur. But most of all, I just was to wander and be surprised by things. That’s the best thing about Serendipity Arts Festival for me,” said Quasar Thakore Padamsee, on his experience at the festival so far.
The day concluded with Songs of the Millstone, a poignant dance production conceptualized by Geeta Chandran at Kala Academy’s Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir. This performance spotlighted women’s traditional work songs from across India, weaving narratives of labour, friendship, and divine connection. With a diverse range of music and dance forms, from the Portuguese Fado of Goa to Ovi songs from Maharashtra, the production celebrated the rich, textured lives of women across geographical and linguistic boundaries.
Day 4 at Serendipity Arts Festival 2024 was a testament to the power of art in preserving heritage, challenging perceptions, and fostering meaningful dialogue, leaving audiences with profound reflections on culture and identity.
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NOTES TO EDITOR
About Serendipity Arts
Serendipity Arts is a not-for-profit collaborative platform based in Delhi, fostering empathy, curiosity and cross-cultural dialogue by supporting emerging artists across South Asia. The Foundation’s aim is to nurture artistic practice, promote research, and provide sustainability and education in the field of the arts. Over the past decade, Serendipity Arts has encouraged cultural heritage projects alongside contemporary art practices with extensive residencies, grants, collaborative projects, art writing initiatives and a multi-disciplinary arts festival.
About Serendipity Arts Festival
The Foundation’s primary initiative and largest outreach project, Serendipity Arts Festival is a multi-disciplinary arts event held annually across multiple venues in Panjim, Goa. Curated by a panel of eminent artists and institutional figures, the festival is part of a long-term cultural project that hopes to catalyse positive change in the arts landscape of India on a scale that transcends geographical, linguistic, and ideological boundaries. Now in its ninth edition, the Festival stands as a testament to the transformative power of the arts – addressing crucial issues such as arts education, patronage culture, transdisciplinary discourse, inclusivity, and accessibility. Through our initiatives, we strive to bridge the gap between the aesthetic realm and real social impact by creating a sustainable ecosystem for the arts to thrive.
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