Serendipity Arts Festival to promote Indian art and culture

Adding to the festive fervour of Goa in December this year will be yet another festival that will celebrate and promote the diversity of Indian art in all its forms - visual, performing as well as culinary.
The nine-day long Serendipity Arts Festival, to be organised by the Serendipity Arts Trust scheduled to be held in Panaji across 10 venues from December 16 to December 27, will host over 100 events from the fields of music, theatre, dance, photography and food.
"We have often talked about India's development in economic terms but a successful civilisation is one which is not only economically and politically strong but also culturally vibrant. A lot of Indian history comes from the country's culture and arts," says Sunil Kant Munjal, festival organiser.

"This is also an attempt to create an inclusive and collaborative platform for the promotion of arts and culture from the subcontinent on an international level," he says.
The event will be curated by a panel of experts from the arts, who have been assembled to represent seven different disciplines. Two curators from each field have been selected in order to start conversations across artistic styles, generations and geographies.
While 'Visual Arts' (painting and photography etc) will be taken care of by Jyotindra Jain, Manjari Nirula, Dinesh Khanna, Prashant Panjiar, Ranjit Hoskote and Riyas Komu; stalwarts like Sanjeev Bhargava, Tanusree Shankar, Ranjit Barot, Shubha Mudgal, Anuradha Kapur and Lillete Dubey will oversee the 'Performning Arts' that will include music, dance as well as theatre.

The festival interestingly has recognised food too, as a form of art and will have chef Manu Chandra and food writer Odette Mascarenhas curating the culinary segment.

It will also feature a range of exhibitions and
performances, besides a series of workshops, lectures, conclaves and a host of pedagogical platforms to allow audiences to further engage with the content.
According to festival director, Preeta Singh, the festival moves away from the traditional concept of an art festival. Instead, it strives to be a space that encourages interdisciplinary exploration across art forms while being a springboard for young Indians to connect.

She said that the event aims to touch aspects of revival, knowledge sharing as well as economic gains.
"Creating awareness and relevance is the key objective of festival. We want this festival to become a driver for arts' education and craft engaging experiences in the domain. Meanwhile, it will attempt at connecting Indian arts community with the international world," says Singh.
The organisers decided on the venue as Goa, citing its "physical convenience and the rich history and culture," that make it a natural space for creative exchange.
"It can house large number of people, both indoors and outdoors. As a meeting point of tradition and modernity, a reflection of the complexity of contemporary India, and as a bridge between India and the rest of the world, Goa is the ideal location for the festival," they say.