Inside the Bargad Fellowship: Trust, Play & the Joy of Creation

Welcome back to our second blog! We’re two units into our journey, and it feels like the right moment to pause, look back, and celebrate the energy that’s been steadily building in our space.

Rooting the Ensemble

Unit One was all about building the ground we now stand on. Through trust-building exercises, ensemble games, and group reflections, our cohort began to shape itself, not just as individuals, but as a collective. We explored what it means to lead, to listen, to show up fully. The focus was simple: build a space that feels open, honest, and full of possibility.

Leaping into Creation

With those roots in place, Unit Two catapulted us into the world of devising and performance-making. Suddenly, the room was buzzing with spontaneity, bold choices, and the beautiful chaos of trying new things. Fellows were encouraged to trust their instincts, embrace uncertainty, and most importantly, fail forward.

We're deeply thankful to the incredible facilitators who held and shaped this part of the journey:

• Hetal (Voice and Text) - A brilliant Voice and Dialect Coach whose approach helps performers connect with the power and rootedness of their voice.

• Lakshmana (Acting and Devising I) - A visionary theatre maker whose work delves into Dalit expression, cultural memory, and political performance.

• Subu (Revisiting Voice Through Music) - A multidisciplinary artist who uses sound, song, and storytelling to help young people connect to themselves and the world.

• Neel (Acting and Devising II) - An award-winning playwright and director whose layered storytelling anchors contemporary Indian theatre.

• Irawati Karnik (Dramaturgy) - A writer and dramaturg whose cross-cultural work bridges language, form, and tradition with sharp insight and care.

Performance Making Challenges (PMCs)

Every Monday, our fellows receive a creative challenge, a prompt to devise a short piece of performance to be rehearsed during the week and performed on Saturday. It’s fast-paced, risky, and oh-so-rewarding.

So far, 4 PMCs have come to life:

• Invent a Game - Fellows created and hosted original games, exploring how to captivate a live audience through play.

• The Pursuit - Chase sequence task that unfolded into explorations of unfulfilled dreams, the chase for validation, and the search for meaning.

• Trip to the Moon - Imagination ran wild. With bodies, voices, and live sound, fellows built entire worlds beyond Earth.

• The Latecomer - A study in narrative tension: how does the energy shift when an unexpected character arrives?

Each challenge becomes a crucible for growth, experimentation, and reflection, and the results have been nothing short of electric.

Beyond Rehearsal

The learning hasn’t been limited to rehearsal rooms, our cohort was invited to a beautiful Iftari gathering at Khwaab Ghar, hosted by the Aagaaz Theatre Trust. The evening was a reminder of how food, music, and shared stories can create the most powerful forms of connection.

We also went on some theatrical adventures! The fellows attended two compelling shows at Oddbird Theatre:

• Seconds Before Coming by Rishika Kaushik, with our very own Rudy (Course Director) as Dramaturg.

• Besharam Ka Paudha by Rajesh Nirmal, who’s currently guiding the fellows through ‘Writing for Theatre’.

Watching their mentors on stage was a powerful moment, one that gave new depth to their learning and sparked rich post-show conversations about craft, structure, and storytelling.

What’s Next?

As we move forward into the next unit, the room feels charged with possibility. We’re holding everything we’ve learned so far while staying open to whatever comes next.

Here’s to risk, heart, and stories yet to be told.