Curated around the Ministry of Culture, Government of India’s targeted sectors, this full-day symposium brings together government representatives, industry professionals, scholars, corporate leaders, and creative practitioners to advance discussions, document insights and learnings, share best practices, and guide policy-making across India’s diverse culture and creative sectors. The two conferences ‘Beyond Tomorrow’ in Kochi and Cultural Continuum in Mumbai were well attended and concluded successfully. The Bengaluru symposium aims to further these conversations and will be followed by a gathering in New Delhi.

Schedule

10:00 am – 10:30 am | Registrations

10:30 am – 10:45 am | Opening Performance – Natyasruti Children’s Music Ensemble | Featuring young talents aged 12 to 15, the Natyasruti Children’s Music Ensemble, will present a performance under the guidance of Sumitra Nitin. Many of these children have won prestigious music competitions, and some have even performed full solo concerts in prominent sabhas. The ensemble members are Aditi Cavale, Aniket Raja PK, Anushka M, Maanasi Gowthaman, Mithil Rao, Pratiksha B Deekshadar, Reethika Rajan, Saikrishna Rajsekar, Saanvi Prasanna, and Tanusri Balakrishnan. The invocation will include slokas and songs honoring the divine, with notable pieces like Sri Muddusvami Dikshithar’s Vatapi Ganapatim Bhajeham in the raga Hamsadhwani and Sri Purandaradasa’s Kannada Devarnama Indina Dinave.

10:45 am – 10:50 am | Welcome Address by Vikram Bhat

10:50 am – 11:00 am | Context Setting by Sadhana Rao and Asad Lalljee

11:00 am – 12:15 pm | Panel 1: Keynote | All collaborators – British Council, UNESCO, Ministry of Culture and representatives from the State Government share their insights with Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, TeamWork Arts.

Lily Pandeya | Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India

Uma Mahadevan, IAS | Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and Development Commissioner, Government of Karnataka

Salma K Fahim, IAS | Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka

Junhi Han | Programme Specialist and Chief of Section – Culture, UNESCO, New Delhi

Sanjoy K Roy (Moderator) | Co-chair, FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee & MD, Teamwork Arts

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm | Panel 2: Cultural Platforms and Public Spaces for the Creative Economy | How museums, performing arts centres, and cultural districts are key spaces for creativity – not only preserving history but also fostering artistic experimentation and collaboration, contributing to cultural tourism and local economies.

Priyanka Mary Francis, IAS | Director, NGMA, Bengaluru

Arundhati Nag | Founder & Managing Trustee, Sanket Trust

Tanya Abraham | Founder, TAOS and Member, FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee

Bijoy Ramachandran | Architect & Partner, Hundredhands

Sanjeev Pasricha (Moderator) | Group CEO, CS Direkt & Member of FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | BREAK

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Sufi Kalaam from Punjab | A Performance by Radhika Sood Nayak, Neil Mukherjee & Vinayak Netke

2:50 pm – 4:05 pm | Panel 3: The Arts, Science, and Economics of the Creative Economy | The symbiotic relationship between the arts, scientific advancements, and economic frameworks within the creative economy. By examining how these disciplines influence each other, the panelists will share insights into the power of creativity as a key driver of economic change and cultural influence.

Jahnavi Phalkey | Founding Director, Science Gallery Bengaluru

Shah Faesal | Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India

Neeraj Sharma | Managing Director and Media Industry Practice Lead (APAC), Accenture

Meru Gokhale | Founder, Editrix.ai

Asad Lalljee (Moderator) | SVP, Essar Group, CEO, Avid Learning, Curator, Royal Opera House, Mumbai, and Member, FICCI Culture & Tourism Committee

4:05 pm – 4:30 pm | Tea/ Coffee

4:30 pm – 5:50 pm | Panel 4: Arts Education: Shaping the Creative Leaders of Tomorrow | The future of arts education and how it must evolve to meet the needs of the creative economy by focusing on the skills required, such as digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.

Janaka Pushpanathan | Director South India, British Council

Vikram Bhat | Director, Bangalore International Center

Puneeta Roy | Managing Trustee, The Yuva Ekta Foundation

Shilpa Vijaykrishnan | Head of Education & Outreach, MAP

Sadhana Rao (Moderator) | Co-founder, Art Links Learning and Member, FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee

5:50 pm – 6:10 pm | Stories At The Loom | A Presentation by Pavithra Muddaya, Founder, Vimor | Hear stories of weavers, the custodians of a timeless textile legacy, who have clothed humanity for generations. Handlooms not only preserve cultural heritage but also uphold the dignity of livelihoods, offering sustainable economic success in harmony with both man and nature.

6:10 pm – 6:20 pm | Vote of Thanks