Open Calls

Folios of Time 2.0

A Contemporary Dance Residency by Serendipity Arts Festival

Following the remarkable impact of its inaugural edition, Folios of Time returns with its second iteration Folios of Time 2.0.

Rooted in the evolving socio-political landscape, this year’s residency invites choreographers to present works-in-progress that embody the pulse of our times—responding through movement to themes such as climate crisis, war, migration, displacement, gender dynamics, and existential shifts. These folios are pages of lived experience, expressed somatically.

We are calling for Indian choreographers who have developed at least 30–50% of a contemporary work and are seeking guidance to expand, refine, and premiere it under the mentorship of two acclaimed practitioners. Please note that these should strictly be solo works so as to utilise the mentoring to the full potential. Apply with a ten-minute video of your w-i-p, along with a concept note and how you see it evolving during the residency.

Mentors:

Ashley Lobo, India: Founder and Artistic Director of The Danceworx and Navdhara India Dance Theatre

Ashley Lobo is considered to be the spearhead of international dance in India. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of both The Danceworx (TDX) and Navdhara India Dance Theatre (NIDT). Trained in Australia at the Bodenweiser Dance Centre and at Sydney Dance Company, his career in performing arts comprises over 35 years of performing, choreographing and teaching in India and overseas. He has choreographed extensively for stage and cinema, with over 30 feature films and as many stage productions to his credit.

Dickson Mbi, UK: Artistic director of Dickson Mbi Company

Winner of 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for Enowate. Born in Cameroon and grew up in London where he studied at Lewisham College and London Contemporary Dance School. He is a world-renowned dancer in the Hip Hop dance community and best known for his popping skills which is integral to the work that he creates today. Over the course of his career, he has worked with award-winning artists such as Russell Maliphant, Boy Blue Entertainment, Robbie Williams, Corrine Bailey-Rae, Black Eyed Peas and choreographed the ‘Leave A Trace’ music video for CHVRCHES.

An award-winning choreographer, Dickson has been commissioned by several theatres, festivals and arts organisation. As a leader in his community, Dickson focuses on fostering the future generations of dancers with his partner Brooke Milliner in their battle crews Prototype and FIYA HOUSE. As a choreographer, Dickson enjoys making works for other companies as well as presenting his own works under Dickson Mbi Company

Residency Details:

Intake: 4 choreographers

Application Deadline: 20th August 2025

Structure of Residency:

  • Online Mentoring: September, October, November (Mentoring from Ashley Lobo over three months)

  • In-Person Residency: 3 weeks in Bangalore studio, from the end of November to mid-December.

The residency is divided into online and offline phases. The online phase begins on 1st September 2025, during which residents will work with mentor Ashley Lobo a few days each month. This will be followed by the in-person phase in Bangalore, where residents will further develop and fine-tune their piece in the studio with both mentors.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant must:

  • Be a resident of India
  • Have had some choreographic experience
  • Present solo work

How to Apply

Interested choreographers can apply with:

  • A 10-minute video of the proposed work.
  • A concept note.
  • A brief bio

Please ensure that your work-in-progress aligns with the theme of ‘Folios of Time’ as outlined above.

Provisions

Serendipity Arts Festival will provide:

  • A lump sum fee of INR 1,00,000.
  • Travel from Bangalore to Goa (one-way).
  • On-ground transport in Goa.
  • Stay during the festival for 2 days.
  • Technical and production support for the residency and the festival.
  • Studio hours.

Selected Participants will be responsible for:

  • Travel to Bangalore from their respective cities
  • Travel from Goa to their respective cities
  • The amount paid by SAF is inclusive of honorarium, per diems, accommodation in Bangalore for the duration of residency, production costs, and local travel costs in Bangalore. 
  • Pre-production for the piece including (but not limited to) music and costumes will be taken care of by the artist.
  • Any expenses outside of their rehearsals, and performances.

All requisite documents (listed in the form) must be submitted. Please read through the submission guidelines carefully before submitting your application. The project should be feasible in terms of costs and scale, and should meet the dates set in the timeline.

Expected Outcome at SAF

  • 20-30 minutes of finished work based on the submitted concept note.
  • The final work will be presented twice at Serendipity Arts Festival on 17th December 2025.
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