Musicians from Goa have always been at the forefront and now artists from the state are more confidently stepping into new festival spaces
With a view to build upon the community of creative people residing in Goa, the maiden edition of the Goa Open Arts Festival aimed to foster collaborations and relationships among participants, who may not have previously known each other but are all living and making work in the state.
Talking about the public festival, Sitara Chowfla, independent curator and spokesperson of the festival recalled that the it was prompted by the idea that there are a significant number of creative people — artists, writers, designers, poets, musicians, who had come from around the country and the world to make Goa their home.
“The intention was also to encourage and provide a platform for creating new work and for artists to retain control over what and how they show. This is a point of difference from many other festivals that it is organised by artists and the content is driven by the selected artists and not by curators,” she said.
Stressing that the underlying thought behind the three-day festival was premised on the idea of “openness”, Chowfla elaborated that they have included a diverse range of practices in the arts — music, performance, visual arts, poetry — and also opened up different interpretations of art. “For example, we had chefs who used food to awaken sensory experiences and a mental health initiative that used creative design to reach out to adolescents. There was artists conducting workshops for children from the village schools, thus, opening up space to a different audience. One important aspect of being open is that it is for anyone to apply, whether an emerging artist or an established practitioner,” she said.
The festival showcased a wide discipline of artists and makers. The visual arts exhibition included works by Orijit Sen, an interactive textile art project by young Goan artist Rujuta Rao, multimedia installations by artists Gopika Chowfla, Dheer Kaku, Mustafa Khanbai and Rajaram Naik. There were also many interactive projects including the Travelling Library by Bookworm trust, a special exhibit on mental health by Goa-based NGO Sangath in collaboration with Quicksand Design Studio, and a polaroid photo studio set up by photographer Bharat Sikka.
The main stage witnessed acoustic music and poetry acts by the likes of Rochelle D’Silva, Shyamant Behal, Govez, and late-night music ranged from Sufi music by HAWA, jazz and funk by the Coffee Cats, and a Fado concert by Sonia Shirsat. “We also created a lot of opportunities for local schools to interact with our programme — clay-making, theatre and printmaking workshops for students in the area,” said Sitara and added, “Our focus was on deepening the engagement with the community with more sustained programmes through the year and through fostering cross-collaboration between our current participating artists.”
Talk to her about Goa’s growing popularity among artists from across the country, and she said, “The state’s inherent natural beauty, culture and people — there is a particular energy here that attracts creativity. It seems to be a natural fit perhaps that’s why more and more cultural events are being planned in Goa. Goan musicians have always been at the forefront and now Goan artists are more confidently stepping into these new festival spaces.”