Cultural Confluences: Empowering Creative Industries of the Future

Dr. Aneesh Pradhan is One of India’s leading tabla players, Aneesh Pradhan is a disciple of the illustrious tabla maestro Nikhil Ghosh. An acclaimed soloist and accompanist, Aneesh Pradhan is the recipient of several prestigious awards. He has been a performer and composer for several intercultural musical projects.  He also regularly conducts lecture-demonstrations and workshops and participates in seminars at educational institutions in India and abroad.  He has had stints as teacher at various universities overseas and in India, and was awarded the ICCR Chair in Indian Studies at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Monash University, Melbourne.  He has written books on the tabla, the history of Hindustani music in Colonial Bombay, and the challenges facing the Hindustani music ecosystem, in addition to contributing a weekly column to Scroll.in He has recorded extensively for broadcasting networks and record labels in India and abroad.  

Dr. Jyotsna Suri has been associated with Bharat Hotels since its inception. In 2006, she took on the mantle of Chairperson & Managing Director. Under her stewardship, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group became one of the leading privately-owned domestic hotel brands in India, with a focus on the luxury segment. The Group operates 12 luxury hotels, palaces and resorts under The LaLiT brand and two mid-segment hotels under The LaLiT Traveller brand across India’s key business and leisure travel destinations. Dr Jyotsna Suri is known for her extensive promotion of Indian Tourism - both domestic and international. ‘Developing Destinations and not just hotels’ is her conviction. She believes in involving local people in initiatives that bring popularity to the destination, in turn boosting tourism and thereby, prosperity to the region. Dr Suri holds various portfolios with Industry Associations – Past President FICCI; Mentor, FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee; Mentor of the Diversity and Inclusion task force at FICCI, Executive Member of HAI; Council Member of World Travel & Tourism Council, India Initiative; Member of Board of Governors for National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology and Member of Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs. Dr. Suri has been the recipient of over 30 National and International awards and recognitions. In November 2019, she was conferred with the Order of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by Japan Government for her contribution towards strengthening strategic ties between India and Japan in economic and tourism sectors. She is the first Indian Woman to have received the Imperial honour since its commencement for foreign nationals in 1981. 

Sadhana Rao is a research-led writer and curator in the Arts & Culture spaces. She has written on Arts, Film festivals, Music, Crafts, Travel, Literature, & Socio-Economics for leading publications. As a curator, Sadhana works with artists and conservatories across genres to weave narrative-backed lecture demonstrations and performances. Amalgamating pedagogy, artistic diversity and inclusivity, her endeavours find home among myriad platforms, from academic conclaves to the community at large. Building on the plinth of her research and writing experience, Sadhana has been a Contributor, Curator, Speaker and Moderator for music, literature, art and film segments at festivals and platforms including Mahindra Kabira Festival, Cannes Film Festival, AVID Learning, Royal Opera House Mumbai, Think Fest, Bangalore Literature Festival, Bangalore International Centre, Jaipur Literature Festival, FICCI - Creative Industries as well as Corporate summits. With her sustained interest in Arts’ pedagogies, she founded Art Links Learning to create age appropriate curriculum for imparting Music and Arts Intelligence. A Masters in Social Work from Delhi University, she honed her research, consulting and execution skills at the Administrative Staff College of India. Living in Bangalore she continues to be a student of the Arts.

Sanjoy K. Roy, an entrepreneur of the arts, is Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, which produces over 25 highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals across 40 cities including the world’s largest free literary gathering — the annual ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival. Roy, a National Award awardee for the film Shahjahanabad: The Twilight Years, is a founder trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) working to provide support services for street and working children in the inner city of Delhi. In 2011 the White House presented SBT the US President’s Committee of Arts and Humanities Award for an International Organisation.

V Ravichandar is currently the Hon Director, Bangalore International Centre and is part of the core team that organizes the Bangalore Literature Festival annually. He is also the Hon Consul, Republic of Slovenia in Bangalore. He was Co-Chair of the Karnataka Tourism Vision Group during 2013-16. Since 2000, Ravichandar has been involved with pro bono initiatives with the State and Central Government on urban issues. Ravichandar assists multiple social and cultural initiatives. Ravichandar has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the BITS, Pilani and an MBA from the IIM, Ahmedabad.

Jonathan joined the British Council in February 2019. As the Director Arts India for the British Council, Jonathan is responsible for leading the international arts and culture strategy, managing stakeholder relationships across government and the creative industries; and conceptualizing major programmes to promote and strengthen India-UK cultural relations through collaboration, connections and creative partnerships.  British Council global arts and culture programmes in India aim to strengthen long-term systematic change for emerging and established arts Festivals, Crafts, Literature and Publishing and Heritage sectors and in the Creative Economy domain through research and skill building. We champion digital innovation, equality of opportunity and women’s empowerment in partnerships with the UK. In 2022 British Council marks India’s 75 th anniversary of independence with the major India/UK Together, Season of Culture. Jonathan has substantial experience in leading arts companies in the UK including theatre producing, arts management and international cultural exchange. From 2007 – 2019 he was Executive Director of Tara Arts, contributing especially to the major 2.8 million GBP capital re-development of Tara Theatre and the launch of the Black Theatre Live national touring consortium. Before Tara Arts he was Arts Programmes Manager of Croydon Clocktower and Head of Studio and Programme Development at Wimbledon Theatre. In the UK he was a regular guest lecturer in all aspects of theatre producing, leadership and arts management at Birkbeck College, South Bank University, Goldmiths University of London, King’s College London and St Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning Theatre Director and current HEAD OF THEATRE & FILMS at the NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS in Mumbai, India. He was part of the judging panel for the META Awards 2023. Directing credits include – EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR, SEA WALL & CONSTELLATIONS (NCPA, Mumbai); MAN TO MAN (Wilton’s Music Hall, UK tour & Brooklyn Academy of Music); RENT: 20th Anniversary Production (St James Theatre & UK tour); THE LAST MERMAID with Charlotte Church (Festival of voice Wales Millennium Centre); BAKERSFIELD MIST starring Kathleen Turner & Ian McDiarmid (Duchess Theatre); AN INCIDENT AT THE BORDER (Finborough & Trafalgar Studios); THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, OTHELLO & TWELFTH NIGHT for Singapore Repertory Theatre (Fort Canning Park, Singapore); STORIES BY HEART starring John Lithgow (Lyttelton NT). Festivals, Concerts & Events - Pratibimb: A stage for Marathi Stories (NCPA 2022 & 2023); Connections India (NCPA 2022/23); World Theatre Day Gala (NCPA 2021); HRH The Prince of Wales 70th Birthday Celebration; SW7: Sam Warburton's Testimonial Year for NSPCC Wales.

Adv. Makarand Narwekar, the dedicated councilor representing Mumbai's Ward A, 227, has been instrumental in transforming the area into an exemplary neighborhood. With two terms as Colaba's Corporator, he tirelessly focuses on development initiatives. Notably, he inaugurated Mumbai's first disabled-friendly park, fostering inclusivity. He actively advocates for the city's nightlife policy and has led beautification projects like the Sassoon Docks Art Project in association with Start India,  Relifting of Suraksha Garden, and Machhimar Nagar, enhancing the community with sanitation facilities and more. Under his visionary leadership, iconic tourist spots like Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Gateway Of India, and Sassoon Dock have experienced positive transformations. His efforts have significantly improved the overall quality of life.

Harshvardhan Tanwar is a Co-founder at No Footprints, a creative travel boutique, with a single focus: Lets bring to the fore the lost and lesser known community based stories. Having worked as a creative copywriter for 4 years in reputed agencies like Dentsu and Leo Burnett, he knew the power of storytelling was mellifluous in medium. He pioneered a tour called Mumbai by Dawn, that showcased a lesser known side of Mumbai. This experience focuses on people's stories, community tales, migration history, food , trade and commerce, legends and myths - all this starting at 5 am. Contrary to popular belief, this tour was a runaway success and we had mentions in all international publications for the same. Rest as they say is history, today No Footprints boasts of a portfolio of over 31 experiences in Mumbai and Delhi. Over the years, No Footprints have created some breakthrough experiences in inbound tourism: Queer Day Out, Delhi Refugee Food tour (A tour based on the international refugee communities in Delhi), Basti Sisterhood (A woman only tour in Nizammudin), Strange Stories of the Sea (The relations of Mumbai and the sea), among others. No Footprints has won the Gold in the Outlook Responsible Tourism award for the most responsible tour operator and won the best Global tour operator in the WTM Awards, London - the highest honour in tourism. Condenast Traveller voted Harshvardhan in a list of 14 travellers redefining the way people travel. No Footprints has been featured in all major publications including, New York Times, Guardian, Sunday Times UK, to name a few. Other than having digital footprints, No Footprints is trusted partners of a robust network of DMCs for whom we create custom experiences. Harshvardhan believes, there's always a great story lurking around the corner and to be able to find and present it to the inquisitive traveller is what gives me most joy!  www.nfpexplore.com

Rahul Puri is the Managing Director of India’s leading entertainment company Mukta Arts Ltd. & Head of Academics of India’s finest creative education Institute, Whistling Woods International. A Business graduate of Kings College London, Rahul started his career as an investment banker at UBS Warburg. Rahul moved to Mumbai in 2002 and worked in the sector of Corporate Finance & Strategy before he joined Mukta Arts to produce and distribute Indian films. Rahul is now involved in all aspects of the company including financing, distribution, production, exhibition, and marketing. He was keenly involved in the setup of Whistling Woods International and now is setting up and building out a chain of Cinemas under the brand name of Mukta A2 Cinemas.  

Mrs. Madhu Ruia has been integrally involved in the Essar Group's CSR initiatives which include educational and environmental projects. Being a trained sitarist, and an exponent of Sanskrit literature she is an advocate of the Arts and Culture and a believer in continuous learning. To bring both these passions together, she started Avid Learning, a unique initiative which not only serves as the cultural philanthropy arm of the Essar Group but has grown into a premium cultural platform.

James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma (born 1976) is an Indian politician from the state of Meghalaya who is currently serving as the Chairman of Meghalaya Industries Development Corporation since 2023.[1] Sangma was a Cabinet Minister of Home, District Council Affairs, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Law, Power, Government of Meghalaya from 2018 to 2023. He was first elected to the State Assembly along with his brother Conrad Sangma, both as NCP members in the 2008 state elections from Dadenggre (Vidhan Sabha constituency) (ST) constituency in the West Garo Hills district from 2008 to 2023.[2] Sangma is the son of former Chief Minister of Meghalaya and also Speaker of the Lok Sabha, P. A. Sangma, his sister, Agatha Sangma was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha and a former Union Cabinet minister Minister of State, while his brother Conrad Sangma since 2018 the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, from 2009 to 2013 he held the post of Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and was Member of Parliament from Tura Parliamentary constituency which he won in a by-election after his father's death.

Eric Sakellaropoulos Greek-French Canadian Eric Sakellaropoulos, an inlay art expert, is carrying forward a centuries-old legacy from Mysore — the intricate craft of wood inlays. Whilst wood inlay, alias intarsia or marquetry, an unique art form cherished by almost all ancient cultures is already dying out on the globe, it is not only rather well-preserved in India, but has also been given a brand-new life in Mysore and an astonishing contemporary look by Eric. A long journey searching for a community of inlay artisans, brought him to Mysore in 1997. He was immediately drawn to the local craftsmanship and the wide variety of rare natural coloured woods in the region. Mysore is home since then and Intarsia India, Eric’s company, is Mysore’s pride and an outstanding example of East & West modern creative integration.

A curator, writer and art educator, Roobina Karode is the Chief Curator and Director of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, and the International Asian Art Council. Following a Master’s in Education and Fine Art, Karode has been involved for over a decade in curatorial work and arts education, teaching both Indian and Western art history at institutions such as Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, and the School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. In 1997, she co-curated the Indian section of the first Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale. Her curatorial work since then includes Tiger by the Tail! Women Artists of India Transforming Culture (2008), a travelling exhibition on seventeen female Indian artists for the Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center, Massachusetts; the 2011 Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts exhibition on Krishna Reddy; and several other exhibitions of Indian artists for the Musee Guimet, Paris, the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid, and the Met Breuer, New York. In 2019, she curated the Indian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, titled Our Time for a Future Caring.Karode has written on contemporary Indian art for various publications, such as Art India Magazine and several other journals. She has also received a number of awards and scholarships, including a Fulbright Fellowship (2000), a Ford Foundation Teaching Fellowship (2006) and the 2016 Curator of the Year Award from the India Today Art Awards.She has been associated with the KNMA as a curator and director since its opening in 2010, connecting to general audiences through educational programmes as well as curating urban art. Till date, she has curated over twenty-five exhibitions for KNMA, including thematic shows and retrospectives of Indian artists such as Arpita Singh, Nasreen Mohamedi, Jeram Patel, Nalini Malani and Vivan Sundaram.

Kunal Kapoor belongs to a family steeped in the traditions of cinema and theatre. A family that has for four generations contributed towards the evolution of the Indian Film Industry and Indian Theatre – Four Generations, from the pre-independence silent era to the present day, directly involved in the production & direction of countless feature films and can boast of several remarkable actors, directors & producers. Members of the family have successfully founded the renowned R.K. Films & Studios, Film-Valas and the Prithvi Theatre – where he became a Trustee in 1984 and successfully worked towards making Prithvi Theatre a landmark in Indian theatre. Prithvi Theatre, which besides being a successful theatre with over 630 shows a year, hosts and organises annual international and national Theatre Festivals, Summertime Workshops for Children and other activities promoting professional Theatre in India. Kunal, established is own company ADFILM-VALAS in 1986. He has to his credit Produced and Directed over 900 advertising films, shot in India and International locations, for most of the leading Indian & International Advertising Agencies and Clients. Since 2014, Kunal has partnered with Family Film in Romania promoting Romania, Hungary, Croatia and Austria as film shooting destinations by setting up a one-stop Line Production service in these countries for Indian Feature and Advertising films to shoot there at attractive and effective costs. Kunal has completed the restoration of the films produced by his father in the 80’s – FILM- VALA’s Junoon, 36 Chowringhee Lane, Kalyug, Vijeta & Utsav. Some of the restored films have been screen at BFI London Film Festival, 3 Continents Film Festival Nantes, On 3 November 1978, Prithvi Theatre ( part of the Shri Prithviraj Kapoor Memorial Trust & Research Foundation ) opened to audiences, professional Theatre Groups and Performers. Kunal became the Trustee of the Sri Prithviraj Kapoor Memorial Trust & Research Foundation in 1984, running the unique Theatre, Prithvi Theatre, with the aim of promoting professional theatre in Bombay. In 2018 he became the Managing Trustee. For 45 years, Prithvi Theatre has continued to be a success story in majorly contributing to the development of Theatre in India. 

Nitesh Mohanty is a visual artist who works at the fluid intersection of arts, culture, media, communication, and self-reflection. His theoretical interests are also wide, often inquiring about the roots and fundamentals of art history, storytelling, and philosophy. Nitesh graduated from Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay & acquired post-graduation education from NID, Ahmedabad, specializing in Textile Design; He has been a design consultant to various brands within retail, fashion, media, and publishing along with the f&b industry.  He was the co-founder of “The Root” a platform initiated to propagate social, cultural, political & ecological concerns through various literary and creative mediums. He curated “The Root Reel” in association with Alliance Francaise, Bombay through which he showcased independent features, documentaries, world cinema & animation films from closer home & across the world, under the tagline, ‘Films That Matter’. Over the past decade, he’s been an educator, sharing the interconnectedness between art, design, photography, poetry & cinema through a course called ‘Ways of Seeing’ (inspired by John Berger) He teaches as a visiting faculty at esteemed institutions across India such as MICA, NID, FTII, TISS, & Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology. Nitesh’s articles, essays, and interviews have been featured in newspapers & magazines, such as Mid-Day, Time-Out, Homegrown, Better Photography, Open, Outlook, Art Intent, Art India Magazine, G5A Imprint, Kindle, etc.  Nitesh has just self-published his first photo book titled, ‘Nowhere’, which is currently being featured within a hand-picked collection of publications curated by Studio Anugraha under the title, To Hold And Behold: Word and Image at Arthshila, Ahmedabad. He currently works out his studio in Goa with his wife, Sonal where he dabbles in writing and making images.

Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is Managing Trustee and Honorary Director, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, Former Vice Chairman and Mumbai Convenor, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. She is an art historian, writer, curator, designer and cultural activist who has successfully pioneered the revival and restoration of several cultural sites in Mumbai. She conceptualized, curated, designed and implemented the restoration and revitalization of the Museum and the ongoing exhibitions and outreach programmes. The Museum won UNESCO’s 2005 Asia Pacific ‘Award of Excellence’. The Museum was nominated for the prestigious Prudential Eye Awards for Asian Contemporary Art in 2014 and the International Quality Crown Award (IQC), Gold category, 2016. Ms Mehta prepared the Vision Document for the proposed Railway Museum to be set up at the CSMT. Mrs. Mehta is a member of International Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York and has served on several Museum boards and high level government committees. She was among 2 senior experts sent by the PMO to advise the Bangladesh government on the refurbishment of their museums and cultural sites. She is a former chair of the Task Force on Culture for CII.

Asad Lalljee is SVP, Essar Group, CEO of Avid Learning, a public programming initiative and creative platform under the Essar Group, and Curator, Royal Opera House, Mumbai. Prior to relocating to India, Asad worked for 14 years as one of the ‘Mad Men’ advertising executives on New York's Madison Avenue. Asad has transformed Avid Learning into India’s leading cultural hub through international collaborations and partnering with the biggest art platforms in the country. Since the restoration of the Royal Opera House, Asad’a curatorial programming has re-established its reputation as the city’s cultural crown jewel. He is also serving on the Kala Ghoda Association’s Executive Committee and the advisory board of the Mumbai Urban Art Festival for 2022-23. In the midst of the pandemic (April 2020), Asad pivoted from AVID to AVID ONLINE, presenting 240 programs in a year. An early technology trend adopter, he takes a special interest in new media curating programs around NFTs and the cyberfuture.

Junhi Han, Chief of the Culture Sector, UNESCO New Delhi. She joined the UNESCO Multisiectoral Regional Office for South Asia based in New Delhi in 2018, after having worked for more than 20 years at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Being specialised in World Heritage conservation and management, from Paris she undertook a number of technical missions for the World Heritage Committee to asesss and monitor state of conservation of WH sites, but also developed/implemented/coordinated a number of UNESCO’ s flagship projects for cultural heritage sites, such as Bamiyan, Herat and Jam (Afghanistan), Moenjodaro (Pakistan) and Koguryo Tombs and Mural Paintings (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), Angkor (Cambodia), the Altai Mountains of Siberia, to quote a few. Since 2018, she has been spearheading prorammes of the UNESCO New Delhi Culture Sector for the South Asian countries.  A curator by training, she has made several publications and authored a number of articles in various journals related to heritage. She is a member of ICOMOS.