It’s creative,
it’s innovative and it’s happening! On the upswing, Goa’s art and cultural
scene has earned it the reputation of being one of India’s most happening
cultural hubs. It’s believable, given the fact that several international and
national festivals are vying for space and attention in the state with a few
others edging in. The initiative is nevertheless also being vigorously promoted
by a few private individuals and enterprises to bring, in the words of Dattaraj
Salgaocar, “Art to Goa
and Goans to art.” With the art scene in Goa on a very exciting path, centres
like Sunaparanta – Goa for the Arts, The International
Centre Goa and Art Chamber are delighted to serve their love for the arts.
Personally
passionate about the arts, Dattaraj and Dipti Salgaocar sought to create a
platform in Goa to encourage, learn, understand, appreciate and promote the
visual arts through education, dialogue and collaboration. “Sunaparanta – Goa Centre for the Arts is a dream come true. It is my private non-profit
initiative. It is to bring art to Goa and Goans to art,” avers Dattaraj
Salgaocar, Chairman of the Centre. Remaining firm to this commitment since it
commenced five years ago, the Centre has achieved much, making it a vibrant hub
for the arts through a series of innovative cultural programmes. “I am very
happy with what we have achieved in this short span. We have always believed in giving creativity a free hand and
encouraging new initiatives. We hosted the prison art programme, initiated
by Margaret and Swati Nair, in our second year, which was unique and appreciated
worldwide. We also believe in collaboration and partnerships to bring the best
to Goa and have collaborated with the Gulbenkian Foundation and Anil Dharker of
Lit live! A recent addition to our programmes are the salons by renowned writer
and artist Siddharth Shanghvi – a conversation series that has quietly
established itself as a top ticket must-do event for artists and writers of
repute. We have hosted many firsts in Goa including the first-ever Sunaparanta Mario Miranda Cartoon Festival / Workshop. Our annual shows held in
December broaden the conversation on art in India,” explains Salgaocar. If the
ongoing Sensorium Festival is a success, it’s thanks, in a large measure, to
its executive producer, Isheta Salgaocar. Invited on board by her parents to
direct programmes at the centre, this Stanford Graduate with a Master’s Degree
in Journalism from Columbia is tapping on her vast experience working with
major global figures to infuse a fresh and diverse outlook for Sunaparanta.
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A forum to bring thought leaders together for the purpose of
research and sharing of knowledge and ideas with society at a local, national
and international level, The International Centre Goa (ICG) has been conducting
a series of lectures, talks and workshops ever since it commenced 15 years ago.
“The main aim and purpose of ICG is ideational and although promoting art and
culture is also an objective, it is secondary to the ideational objective,” affirms
ICG President, Yatin Kakodkar. Over the years, ICG has ensured this through a
series of interactive talks, lectures, seminars and workshops, book readings
and art exhibitions with artistes in the national and international arena. However,
the advent of the Goa Arts and Literary Festival (GALF) in 2010 raised the bar
for these activities. Similarly, the collaborative efforts with Toastmaster’s
International and Sunday Evening Quiz Club added momentum to its endeavour to
make the Centre a pro-active one. Despite teething problems, GALF’s success
today can be attributed to many factors. “The most important improvement was
GALF connecting with Goa without losing its national and international outlook. One way they
achieved this was by involving Konkani and Marathi writers and poets from Goa.
More importantly, GALF attracted a serious-minded audience who had an interest
in literature and arts. GALF 2014 has been a great success because the organisers
exhorted students to participate. Around 1,079 students took part in the
festival,” avers Kakodkar who promises that ICG will become an even more
happening and interactive place in the future by empowering Team ICG.
Started with the objective of creating a gallery for local
artists in 1997, at a time when there were none in Goa, the Art Chamber has
today evolved into an eclectic ‘art hub’ for artists from around the world. “The
objective was to encourage art happenings and also provide an opportunity for
locals to view art,” explains co-owner Yolanda Souza Kammermeier, who, through
her website and visits to various art camps around the world, has invited
several artists to showcase their works in Goa. To create awareness and
encourage young talent in art, Yolanda also initially conducted art classes and
school competitions. “Art was not taken seriously initially nor were locals
interested in it, but over the years, the trend has changed,” avers this artist
who played a large role in creating the right interest in art. The Friday Night
Art Bazaar and Dr Pedro Cabral Adao Promising Artist Award are two recent
initiatives in this direction. To double the art quotient, Rudolph Kammermeier,
a pianist and composer, has continually invited some world class pianists,
musicians and dancers, both Indian and Western, to perform at the gallery. “The
monthly Classical Music Series that commenced in 2011 provides people with a
great opportunity to see some of these world renowned artistes perform,” he
maintains.
Sunaparanta, Goa Centre for the Arts,
Panjim
·
Visual
and performance arts with Goan, national and international artists
·
Collaborative
art projects –‘Blue Shores’ – Prison art initiative
·
Lectures
·
Varied
workshops
·
Book
Releases and Readings
·
Regular
weekly programmes – Sketch Club, Film for Thought, The Mango Tree after-school
visual art classes, specialised programmes for young adults, theatre company
for children, Open Studio (ceramics)
·
Screening
of Portuguese and French films – Gulbenkian Foundation and Alliance Française
·
Mario
Miranda Cartoon Festival /Workshop
·
Literature
Live
·
Shanghvi
Salons
·
Sensorium
Festival of Arts, Literature and Ideas
International Centre Goa, Dona Paula
·
Goa Arts
and Literary Festival
·
Lectures-cum-interactive
sessions
·
Book
Readings and Releases
·
Workshops/Seminars
on varied subjects
·
Sunday
Evening Quiz Club and Toastmaster’s International
·
Musical
evenings /Film Appreciation/Western and Indian dance classes
·
Art exhibitions/Art
programmes
·
Friday
Health Talks
·
Health
initiatives
Art
Chamber, Galeria de Belas artes,
Calangute
·
Art
exhibitions – Goan, national and International artists (including curated
shows)
·
Friday
Night Art Bazaar
·
Dr
Pedro Cabral Adao Promising Artist Award
·
German
Friendship Society events
·
Classical
Music Series
·
Piano
and other recitals
·
Musical
evenings and master classes
·
Film
Club
·
Namah
Choral annual students concert
·
Theatre
workshops
