Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 unveils expansive children’s programming : A decade of nurturing young imaginations

Goa Khabar : This December, the riverfront city of Panjim, Goa will pulse with sound, light, and creativity as Serendipity Arts Festival (12–21 December 2025) celebrates its 10th milestone edition—a decade of bringing together the finest in visual arts, theatre, dance, music, craft, design, photography, and culinary innovation. Over ten days and across more than 300,000 square feet of heritage spaces, the festival will present a rich tapestry from across India and beyond, creating a vivid portrait of contemporary South Asian culture across festival venues like The Old GMC Complex, Art Park, Directorate of Accounts, Kala Academy, and beyond. Kala Academy opens into distinct spaces—The Foundry, The Quad, and Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir—while The Old GMC Complex unfolds through The Theatre, Access Village, the Old GMC Building, the Food Lab, and the Talks Corner.

An Artistic Playground for Young Minds

Taking place at the Children’s Workshop Area, Art Park in Panjim, Goa, this year’s programming has been thoughtfully curated to transform the festival into an artistic playground where children are not just spectators, but active participants, creators, and collaborators. An extensive and fun Children’s Programme has been designed for young visitors at the Festival, spanning across themes such as the environment and food, and includes film screenings, a reading corner and drop i`n activities.

Over the past decade, Serendipity Arts Festival has attempted to enhance how young audiences encounter creativity. What began as small spaces for children has evolved into a comprehensive strand that treats them as storytellers and artist in their own right.

Children learned the ancient art of sundried brick-making under the guidance of facilitators from Aabhat Studio as part of the children’s programmes at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024.

Reflecting on the Children’s Programming at Serendipity Arts Festival, Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder  Patron of Serendipity Arts, shared: “Children are our reatest source of imagination, and their relationship with the arts begins with curiosity and play. At Serendipity Arts, we believe it is vital to nurture this early spark by creating spaces where young people can encounter the arts in ways that are joyful, engaging, and participatory. As we celebrate the Festival’s tenth edition, the children’s programming reflects our hope to empower the next generation to see creativity as a natural part of their lives, planting the seeds for a lifelong connection with art.”

Smriti Rajgarhia, Director of Serendipity Arts, added “Over ten years, Serendipity has opened doors for artists, for communities, and especially for children. We believe that the seeds of creativity planted in childhood grow into a lifelong connection with the arts. This year’s children’s programming is not just about artistic engagement—it is about giving children the confidence to imagine, to create, and to know that art belongs to them as much as to anyone else.”

Tanashri Jaising Rane (second from right), facilitated the special project workshop, ‘Festival Characters!’ as part of the children’s programming at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024.

On the 10 year journey of Serendipity arts festival, Ms. Shefali Munjal, Co-Founding – Patron of Serendipity Arts, reflected “Ten years ago, we began with a simple yet profound belief: that art has the power to transform lives, build bridges, and create a more empathetic world. Today, as we celebrate this milestone, I am filled with gratitude for the thousands of artists, curators, audiences, and partners who have joined us in this journey. Serendipity Arts has grown into more than a festival—it has become a movement that champions creativity as a vital force for social change. As we look to the future, our commitment remains unwavering: to nurture artistic voices, honor cultural heritage, and create meaningful spaces where art and humanity converge. Here’s to a decade of serendipity, and to many more years of celebrating the transformative power of the arts.”

Highlights of Children’s Programming 2025

Food, Culture & Storytelling

Once Upon a Taste: A Children’s Food Futures Workshop Series – by Thomas Zacharias and The Locavore, this four-part series led by storyteller Usha Chhabra invites children aged 8-12 to explore the stories, memories, and futures hidden in food through art, puppetry, and reflection. Participants will create their own “Cookbook for Tomorrow.”

Additional storytelling sessions by Usha Chhabra include:

• Kalpavriksha: The Life and Times of Coconut in Goa – Exploring the cultural significance of coconut in Goan life

• Folktales of Goa – Humorous tales with moral lessons

• Feathers on Water: Listening to the Birds of Goa – Highlighting wetlands and Dr. Salim Ali’s conservation legacy

• Fin ‘n’ Tales: Fish and the Oceanic Life of Goa – Marine life and habitat themes

Hands-on Workshop: Art, Artist & Artisans

Embroidery Workshop: Fish Tales from Ukraine – Facilitator Mila Supinskaya teaches children to upcycle fabrics, embroider their names in Ukrainian, and discover cross-cultural connections between Goan and Ukrainian traditions.

Weave with Paper – Inspired by British artist Nilupa Yasmin’s work, participants learn traditional Bengali weaving techniques using paper strips.

Mud and Mirth – A terracotta coil workshop with master Artisan Abbas Galwani (parent-child pairs).

Knots, Loops & Stitches – Connie Godinho introduces children to crochet fundamentals.

Wellness & Mindfulness

Balance and Beyond with Slacklife Inc. – A slacklining workshop teaching focus, coordination, and mindfulness through the principles of focus, relax, and breathe.

Magic Hat – It Will Eat Up Your Fears! – Dr. Shefali Batra facilitates a supportive workshop helping children express and manage anxieties through creative exercises.

Emotions – Let’s Act Them Out – An interactive session on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and empathy led by Dr. Shefali Batra.

Sound & Music

Intuitive Musical Exploration – Siddharth Venkatasubramanian leads children through listening exercises, tribal instruments, and participatory sonic experiences.

DIY Instrument Making – Asalato – Children craft their own West African percussion instruments and learn to play them.

Film & Visual Storytelling

Pocket Film Lab – Lighthouse Studios facilitators Milind Chhabra, Preeti Kanungo, and Tanyaa Sharma teach smartphone filmmaking basics, from storyboarding to editing.

Perspective Swap: My Frame, Your World – A unique parent-child filmmaking experience where teens direct films based on their guardian’s reflections (parent-child pairs only).

Stop Motion Animation Workshops – Saturday Art Class facilitators Priyal Vivek Patki and Janhavi Sanjay Ghosalkar guide children through bringing drawings and objects to life frame by frame.

Craft, Paper, Action! – An introduction to animation where children create their own mini films.

Architecture & Space

The House We Make Together – Architect Maanasi Hattangadi invites children to create drawings on cardboard “rooms” that form an interactive wall installation exploring personal space.

In Between: Imagining the Space, Shaping the Story – Children design fantastical structures for gaps between buildings, creating sectional drawings and models.

Science & Nature

Knowing Sun – Edible Issues presents a cyanotype workshop where children create photograms using sun-sensitive chemicals, facilitated by Urna Sinha.

Literature & Reading

Serendipity Reads – Daily reading sessions (2-4 PM) where children bring books and settle in for literary exploration under the open sky.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H YOUR IMAGINATION – Author Arthy Muthanna Singh leads creative writing workshops exploring limericks, alliterations, and acrostic poetry.

Storytelling Sessions with Arthy Muthanna Singh:

• Magic in Marble: Building the Taj with Attaullah

• Magic in Marble: Saving the Taj with Aradya

• Hornbill Warrior (celebrating Nagaland)

• Off We Go! To Panjim (collaborative city exploration)

• Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond

• Vatsala Loves Snakes!

• Eeeeeks! Look What I Saw (insect world exploration)

Join the Celebration

This milestone edition, the festival proudly presents its most ambitious Children’s Programming to date—a vibrant celebration of creativity, play, and imagination designed to empower the next generation of artists and storytellers.

Join us in Panaji, Goa, from 12–21 December 2025, to celebrate the 10th edition of Serendipity Arts Festival.

Registrations Are Now Open!

Registrations for Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 are now live! Visit the official festival website to secure your Art Pass, book your tickets, and stay updated on workshops, performances, exhibitions, and more. More programmes will be announced soon so keep checking back for updates.

Link: https://www.serendipityartsfestival.com/register