Open Calls

Open Call: Panjim Cube Project

A Serendipity Arts Foundation Initiative

Supported by: British Council

Course Director: Vikram Phukan

Course Advisor: Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director & Joint CEO, Tamasha

About

Serendipity Arts announces an Open Call for applications for the Panjim Cube Project under the curation of Thukral and Tagra for Serendipity Arts Festival 2024.

Inspired by the avant-garde ethos of Gutai, this project celebrates artists who challenge norms by merging art with everyday life. Taking its cue from the iconic Gutai artist Tsuruko Yamazaki’s work “Red Cube” (1956), which allowed viewers to enter and become a part of the work, this Open Call encourages proposals that blur boundaries between art and audience, and invite a wider public to step inside the canvas of possibility.

Imagine an 8x8x8 feet cube, suspended somewhere in Panjim. This cube, crafted from a material that speaks to your artistic vision, beckons passers-by to step inside and immerse themselves in its depths. It is an invitation to interact, to engage, and to become part of a living, breathing work of art.

As you envision your proposal, consider the endless possibilities that await within the confines of this cube. How will you captivate the senses? How will you challenge perceptions? How will you invite participants to explore the intersection of art and life in the city of Panjim?

We are excited to hear from you! Submit your application before 30 June, 2024.

Festival Dates

Dec 15-22, 2024

Application deadline

July 13, 2024

INTAKE

Upto 8 projects

Application Guidelines

  • The application should include a holistic project proposal outlining idea and intent.
  • Proposed projects may work with performances, new media projects, physical art insertions, diverse modes of activation stemming from the installation, and other mediums not only limited to the visual arts.
  • The proposal should include a preliminary sketch to explain how the project may look on site and in context.
  • The applicant can define the kind of site they have in mind within Panjim in their proposal. A list of venues will be provided once we receive all the proposals.
  • All the requested documents/pdf files are to be uploaded onto a Google Drive with open access and this Drive link is to be included in the application form.

Key Dates

Application Deadline: 3rd June
Commencement of Course: 1st July
Mentorship Period: 1st September – 30th November
Programme in Goa: 15th – 22nd December 2024

Timeline

Phase 1 – July, August 2024

  • A series of online modules spread over 8-10 weeks

Phase 2 – August to December 2024

  • The cohort of 8 will be split into four pairs (each pair constituting 1 UK-based participant and 1 India-based participant). These cohorts will be invited to conceptualise and pitch projects.
  • Mentorship will be provided by the Course Director and the Course Advisor through weekly check-ins and other rounds of feedback.
  • Participants will develop their project with their collaborators.

Phase 3 – December 2024

  • All participants, the Course Director, and the Course Advisor will meet in person for a 5-day engagement in Goa from 18 – 22 December 2024.
  • Tentative dates for the Goa engagement: 18-22 December, 2024.
  • Work-in-progress projects/interventions will be presented at Serendipity Arts Festival 2024.

Eligibility

For Indian applicants:

  • The applicant should be an Indian national residing in India
  • The applicant must be above 21 years of age
  • The applicant must have some demonstrable interest in arts research and/or practice, preferably in the performing arts

For UK applicants:

  • The applicant must be a member of the South Asian diaspora
  • The applicant should be residing in the UK
  • The applicant must be above 21 years of age
  • The applicant must have some demonstrable interest in arts research and/or practice, preferably in the performing arts
  • The applicant must have a valid passport.

Please note: Though Pakistani nationals are encouraged to apply and be part of the course, their travel to India in December won’t be feasible owing to government restrictions.

Why Should I Apply?
If you are applying from the UK:

Serendipity Arts Foundation is an organisation that facilitates pluralistic cultural expressions, sparking conversations around the arts while also working with artists across the South Asian region. The Foundation hosts a range of projects through the year, including institutional partnerships with artists and art organisations, educational initiatives, and outreach programmes across India.

Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) is one of the largest multidisciplinary arts initiatives in the South Asian region, spanning the visual, performing, craft and culinary arts. Besides core content, which is conceptualized by an eminent curatorial panel, the Festival has various layers of programming, in the form of educational initiatives, workshops, special projects, and institutional engagements, addressing arts education, patronage culture, interdisciplinary discourse, inclusivity, and accessibility of the arts.

This project offers you the opportunity

  • to learn more about the creative ecosystem in India
  • to engage with creative practices and research around urban cultures and performance in India
  • to collaborate and develop a project with a diverse group of performance makers, creatives, and scholars from India
  • to visit Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa and interact with a wide pool of artists from the subcontinent and from across the world

If you are applying from India:

This project offers you the opportunity 

  • to learn more about the creative ecosystem for the UK-based South Asian diaspora
  • to engage with creative practices and research around urban cultures and performance among the UK-based South Asian diaspora
  • to collaborate and develop a project with a diverse group of performance makers, creatives, and scholars from the UK, expanding your network
  • to visit Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa and interact with a wide pool of artists from the subcontinent, the UK, and from all across the world

Course Director

Vikram Phukan

Vikram Phukan is a Mumbai-based theatre practitioner and culture journalist. His writings on theatre have appeared in publications like The Hindu, Timeout, Forbes India, Mint Lounge, International Gallerie, ArthArt, Firstpost and News9. He has served as faculty at the Drama School Mumbai, and on curatorial and grant-making committees with the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards, the Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, Thespo, and Serendipity Arts Festival. His theatre credits as writer and director include Those Left Behind Things, Dry Ice, and the recent promenade productions, Postcards from Colaba and Postcards from Goa. He’s the co-founder of Inqueerable, a platform for Indian queer theatre.

Course Advisor

Pooja Ghai

Pooja Ghai is Artistic Director of Tamasha and an award-winning director, actor and mentor who is a fierce advocate for giving voice to marginalised groups. She is at the forefront of leadership change and active in organisations whose ethos achieves this goal.

Pooja is Chair of Artistic Directors of the Future (ADF) and a trustee of Stage Director UK.  She won Best Director for ‘Lions and Tigers’ at the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards.

She is also a project leader and creative producer for Up Next, a takeover initiative run by ADF / Battersea Arts Centre and the Bush Theatre, designed to catapult visionary culturally diverse artists into leadership roles in the UK theatre’s industry.  Other work includes being a mentor for the Old Vic Bayliss Director Scheme, a panel judge for the James Tait Black Prize for Drama and Associate Artist for Kali Theatre.

Tamasha is a dedicated home for both emerging and established Global Majority artists. A powerhouse of new writing, talent development and digital innovation, Tamasha platforms and invests in stories that celebrate rich shared histories and cultures. Proudly both artist and audience driven, the organisation is disrupting, dismantling, and inspiring through bold and imaginative storytelling, providing a place to explore lived experiences and unique perspectives. 

Outcomes/ Deliverables

Work-in-progress projects will be showcased at Serendipity Arts Festival 2024 and may continue to evolve with a wider collaborator base post the Festival. These projects may be either creative or academic in nature, and will be allowed a longer period of time to gestate and grow into published monographs, performances, or exhibitions in 2025.

Required Documents

  • A completed Application Form
  • Bio and CV (as single pdf)
  • Project Proposal [500 words] + Budget Breakup + Statement of Intent [500 words] + Portfolio of Past Work (all within a single pdf – upto 15 mb)

Terms and Conditions

  • The site will be handed over to the artist based on permissions and curatorial vision.
  • The main applicant can collaborate with others and the involvement of the collaborator will be included in the proposal. However, SAF will only sign a single agreement with the main applicant.
  • The project should involve active engagement from December 15th – 22nd. This engagement should be concluded by the 22nd so the structure can be uninstalled on December 23rd.
  • The grant* allocated to the artist will be based on the budget they present for the project.
  • The budget submitted with the proposal should encompass all aspects from ideation to final production on site. Apart from the approved budget, SAF will be responsible only for permissions, security, and housekeeping.**
  • For projects that intend to stay on for a longer duration, consideration of material and maintenance need to be incorporated within the budget.

*subject to TDS and GST tax deductions
**for the duration of the Festival

FAQs

Q1. How much do I have to pay to attend this course?
A1. This is a free course and if your application is selected, you will not have to pay anything.

Q2. Do I have to be an academic to apply for this course?
A2. No. This course is open to applicants from all backgrounds, as long as they have an interest in performance and urban space.

Q3. My English is not very good. Can I still apply?
A3. You may send us your application in a language other than English.

But the primary medium of instruction for this course will be English and a major part of the readings assigned may be in English as well, so a certain level of familiarity with the language will be helpful. However, the projects that are pitched after the course may work with regional languages.

If you require any assistance with putting together your application, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Q4. Do I have to be a performing artist to apply for this course?
A4. No. This course is open to applicants from all backgrounds, as long as they have an interest in performance and urban space.

Q5. Do I have to pitch a project at the end of the course?
A5. Yes, September onwards, we would like each participant to work in a pair and develop a project ( the format is flexible).

Q6. Do I have to pay for the December visit to Goa?
A6. No, all your expenses will be covered. However, it is compulsory for you to attend the 5-day engagement in Goa in order to complete this programme.

Q7. Do I have to demonstrate research experience in order to be selected?
A7. We only need to see if you have been interested in urban space and performance in some capacity in the past. This interest does not necessarily have to be demonstrated through formal research experience.