Cohort 2026 - Unit 2 Wrap and What's Ahead

Hello everyone! Since our last update, it’s been a wonderfully busy time at Bargad, with classes, performances, and curated walkthroughs of the exhibition ‘Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters’ at KNMA and guided tour of the Alkazi Theatre archives.

Unit 2 Wrapped Up

Unit 2 of the fellowship has come to a close. Fellows began with Voice and Text with Hetal Varia, followed by Acting and Devising I with Neel Chaudhury, and concluded with Acting and Devising II with Anuradha Kapur. The focus ranged from foundational vocal discovery, to different devising practices to their first, playful explorations of text in performance.

We have also begun Unit 3 with Sri Vamsi Matta’s Popula Dabba, where fellows explored the relationship between food, memory, and identity.

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The Devising Laboratory (formerly Performance Making Challenges) remains a cornerstone of the fellowship. Each week, fellows form small groups to devise short pieces in response to fresh prompts and challenges. Beyond generating new work, the Lab fosters constructive feedback, reflection, and iterative reworking - nurturing risk, experimentation, and collaborative growth.

The themes so far have included -

• Inventing a Game - building a set of rules and a world through play;

• The Chase - exploring pursuit, tension, and shifting power;

• Trip to the Moon - imagining journeys beyond the familiar;

• The Latecomer - disrupting an established dynamic with a single unexpected arrival.

The cohort has also been stepping out to watch performances and engage with the wider theatre community. So far, they have attended Samrat Ashok, Mokshada, A Very Simple Story, Sshhh Ghabraycha, Kaumudi, and Life is a Dream at the Bharat Rang Festival; Kadambari and Something Like Truth at Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts; Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; and Bardo Beings (performed by their movement faculty, Diya Naidu) and Jhumkevali at Oddbird Theatre.

Bargad ka Chabutra Update

We are thrilled to share the latest milestones from our production grant initiative. Last month, Maanu Ke Sapne stepped out of the rehearsal room and onto the stage for its first two public performances. We were met with full houses and a warm moving response from the audience, a powerful reminder of why we do this work.

The momentum continues with our second grant recipient, Hawamahal. This play explores a day in the life of a manual scavenger, navigating the sharp ironies and twists of fate that define their world. Hawamahal is set to premiere later this year, and we cannot wait to see you all on opening night!

The journeys of these two plays, from seedling ideas to full performances, are made possible by the Bargad Ka Chabutra Production Grant, and we owe a debt of gratitude to our generous sponsors for championing new, and original voices.

What's Coming Next

We’ve also begun looking ahead to Irshad 2026, our graduation showcase. We are excited to share that this year we will have two plays directed by Treasure Art Association stalwarts - Sajida Saji, and Joy Maisnam.

Thank you, as always, for being a vital part of the Bargad community.