For the first time since 2018, 15 members of ASSITEJ India from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Sonale and Kolkata came together for a three-day in-person gathering in Alibag. Hosted at the vibrant and full of nature, Satyam Shivam Sundaram Homestay, the meeting marked an important moment of reconnection for the network after years of primarily online engagement.
Located in the coastal town of Alibag, a short ferry ride from Mumbai, the venue itself became an integral part of the gathering. Participants moved fluidly through a range of spaces from a beautifully laid-out open garden to the villa living room, terrace, swimming pool and organic farm – transforming the entire residential environment into a site for exchange, performance and reflection.
Over the course of the gathering, a deeply participatory atmosphere emerged, where both long-time members and newcomers felt comfortable sharing their thoughts, practices and aspirations. The programming included workshops, performances, brainstorming sessions and a speed-dating format designed to encourage conversations around current work and future dreams. Rather than focusing on concrete outcomes or resolutions, the emphasis remained on understanding one another’s practices and building stronger relationships within the community.
The diversity of artistic and pedagogical approaches within the network became particularly evident through the workshops. A session facilitated by Dr. Ashish Ghosh explored sound and music, demonstrating how rhythm and repetition can deeply engage audiences while also inviting performers without formal musical training into the storytelling process.
In another concise yet practical workshop, Vijay Padaki shared reflections on managing not-for-profit organisations in the arts. He spoke about the complexities of sustaining collaborative structures in fields driven primarily by passion and creative commitment and involving external experts from other non-creative fields to aid administration and perspective-taking.
Imran Khan’s open-ended play session brought out the storyteller in participants through spontaneous object play and narrative-building exercises. Participants were encouraged to arrange found objects intuitively and create stories inspired by the forms and associations that emerged.
Nature itself became both setting and collaborator during a sensory trail facilitated by Kavita Gupta and Nishna Mehta around the homestay’s organic farm. The session concluded with a collective reflection while participants dipped their feet into the swimming pool. Mehta also shared insights into her creative process with Nature Narratives, discussing how multisensory experiences and ecological observation inform her performances. Reflecting on the experience, she noted, “I felt more like a fellow participant than a facilitator. That is an important takeaway because being in nature tends to dissolve hierarchies and invites shared presence.”
The performances presented during the gathering also echoed this connection with the natural surroundings. Both works unfolded outdoors in a space not conventionally designed for theatre, yet the performers adapted seamlessly to their surroundings. Barkha Fatnani, reflecting on her performance of The Hermit Crab’s Dream, shared, “Performing The Hermit Crab’s Dream in a setting surrounded by nature, with natural light giving me the spot, gave the whole show a deeply honest and surreal feel.”
A major takeaway for many participants was the renewed awareness of the possibilities within ASSITEJ’s initiatives and professional networks, thanks to the online presence of members of the ASSITEJ International Membership Working Group, Julia Dina Hesse and Stavros Stavrou. Conversations explored collaboration across practices, future partnerships and ways members could engage more independently and consistently with the wider ASSITEJ ecosystem. Discussions also highlighted the importance of decentralising ASSITEJ India and broadening participation beyond its existing structures.
Even among members already familiar with each other’s work, the speed-dating session proved unexpectedly revealing. Participants exchanged insights into their current projects, personal journeys and future aspirations, opening up fresh perspectives on each other’s and their own artistic and organisational practices.
The meeting left many participants with a renewed sense of belonging and momentum. Vijay Padaki reflected, “I saw a transformed organization at the gathering – young people, competent, full of energy, with lots of ideas, doing some very good work.” Prachi Singh observed that while reconnecting with practitioners was valuable, “it was even more valuable to understand the depth and scope of the work that remains to be done within the field and to begin forming a roadmap for it.”
For many, some of the most meaningful exchanges happened outside the formal sessions. As participant Darshana Patwa reflected, “Imran had said early on that the most important conversations happen during informal moments – over breakfast, lunch, tea breaks, or after dinner. And truly, that is where some of the valuable sharings unfolded.” Devdas Uchale echoed that, “It allowed for deeper connections than what is usually not possible in short meetings or formal events.”
Beyond the workshops and discussions, the gathering marked a significant emotional reunion for a network that had not met in person since 2018. While online platforms had helped maintain connection across geographical distances, the experience reaffirmed the importance of physical presence, shared space and collective energy.
The Alibag gathering has “initiated a process for creating a New ASSITEJ India”, reflected Dr. Ashish, one grounded in collaboration, care, experimentation and sustained dialogue. More than a meeting, it became a shared process of imagining what the future of the organisation could be together.
The attendees included a wonderful mix of members old and new ranging from performers, producers, educators, storytellers:
- Ashish Ghosh, ANANT, New Delhi
- Imran Khan, i-Entertainment, New Delhi
- Riya Panwar, i-Entertainment, New Delhi
- Nishna Mehta, Nature Narratives, Mumbai
- Shaili Sathyu, Gillo Repertory Theatre, Mumbai
- Barkha Fatnani, Gillo Repertory Theatre, Mumbai
- Choiti Ghosh, Tram Arts Trust, New Delhi & Mumbai
- Abhisar Bose, Tram Arts Trust, New Delhi & Mumbai
- Vijay Padaki, Bangalore Little Theatre, Bangalore
- Kritesh, Act to Action, Jaipur
- Prachi Singh, ThinkArts, Kolkata
- Ninad Uchale, Goshtarang, Sonale
- Mitali Thatte, Goshtarang, Sonale
- Kavita Gupta, Mirror Workshops, Kolkata
- Darshana Patwa, The Gateway School of India, Mumbai
