The BRIJ Cultural leaders fellowship welcomes its inaugural Cohort in Goa

~ 17 fellows selected from over 100 applicants begin a nine-month leadership journey in Goa, supported by the French Embassy in India

Goa Khabar : Goa became the meeting ground for a new generation of cultural leaders as THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship, delivered by Serendipity Arts with support from the French Embassy in India, welcomed its inaugural cohort of 17 fellows. Selected from more than 100 applicants across the country, the fellows came together in Goa from June 20–26 for the opening residential of the nine-month programme.

Hosted in a state known for its vibrant cultural landscape, the residential brought together practitioners from heritage, museums, publishing, education, public policy, philanthropy, design, archives and the creative industries. Through reflection, dialogue and peer learning, the fellowship seeks to nurture thoughtful, collaborative and values-driven cultural leadership.

Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder & Patron of Serendipity Arts and Chairman of THE BRIJ, said, “THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship is a long-term investment in people who will help shape the future of India’s cultural ecosystem through the institutions they build and the values they carry forward.”

The six-day residential featured workshops, strengths-based leadership coaching and conversations with leading voices including Urvashi Butalia, Maya Rao, Dr Mukund Rajan, Ruchira Das, Asif Ali Beg and traditional artist Chetan Gangavane. Fellows explored themes ranging from identity and ethics to leadership, institutions, collaboration and the role of culture in public life.

Grégor Trumel, Counsellor for Cooperation and Culture, Embassy of France in India and Director, French Institute in India, said, “France is proud to support this initiative, which invests in the next generation of cultural leaders and strengthens cultural dialogue between France and India.”

The inaugural cohort includes Abu Sufiyan Khan, Anshul Gandhi, Anuj Mahotra, Chhavi Jain, Dipti Rao, Kush Dhebar, Lekha Naidu, Maharshee Dev Mahanta, Dr Pallavi Narayan, Pooja Yadav, Prachi Dalal, Rajatri Biswas, Ritik Rawat, Rubina Singh, Shanmukha Priya Mohan, Umang Sinha and Vidushi Bhatia.

Following the Goa residential, fellows will continue their journey through three phases: Self & Context, focused on personal leadership and reflection; Ecosystem & Region, examining the structures shaping cultural practice; and Leadership & Futures, culminating in individual research inquiry proposals exploring questions central to each fellow’s leadership journey.

Smriti Rajgarhia, Course Director, THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship, said: “The residential was intentionally designed around questions rather than answers, encouraging fellows to reflect on identity, ethics, leadership and their role within the cultural ecosystem. The openness and curiosity shown by the inaugural cohort has been incredibly encouraging, and we look forward to seeing these conversations evolve as they continue their fellowship journey.” 

Shefali Munjal, Co-Founder & Patron, Serendipity Arts, said, “What emerged in Goa was a spirit of openness and generosity. We hope this cohort evolves into a lasting network of cultural leaders supporting one another and strengthening India’s creative landscape.”

Over the coming months, fellows will engage in mentoring, peer-learning circles, expert-led conversations and ecosystem engagements designed to deepen their understanding of leadership within the cultural sector.