Blog

Beyond the beaches: Pallavi Arondekar, plus a photo slide show

The poster has a neon yellow background. At centre the headline: Beyond the beaches Below, a subhead: Goa Spotlight: What makes the state tick? Next, the session date: 8 March Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

This Sunday, 8th March, we turn the spotlight once more to our spiritual home, Goa. And since — serendipitously — it will be International Women’s Day, we are focussing on a particular aspect of the state, women in the workplace. We will hear from someone who has watched Goa transform for women working outside the home, and then switch to a visual treat, a small exhibition of photographs showing women at work in Goa.

To sign up for the session, simply accept this invitation to add it to your calendar. 

(Also, a reminder that we now have a WhatsApp community where you can get updates on our activities as well as chat with other TGPians. You can join it here.) 

Meet our presenters.

On a neon orange background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Goa Spotlight Below, the headline: A woman’s (work)place Below, a subhead: How Goa has changed for working women Next, the session date: 8 March Next, a circular window with a portrait of the presenter, in black-and-white. Next to that, the presenter’s name: Pallavi Arondekar And below that, a descriptor: Non-profit professional, seeker Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Pallavi started her career as a communications professional in Mumbai, before moving to Goa. Since 2009, she has worked for the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the state’s apex industry association facilitating dialogue between trade and industry and the government, and is now a director there, coordinating the IR, HR, and L&D, Retail, and Environment and Waste Management committees, and editing the GCCI Bulletin. Over 25 years, she has had a ringside view of the changing face of the business side of Goa, and seen how the landscape has changed for working women, across the spectrum from entry-level employees to new-age entrepreneurs and leaders of traditional businesses.

On a neon green background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Goa spotlight Below, the headline: Days of our lives Below, a subhead: The everyday lives of half of Goa’s residents Next, the session date: 8 February Next, a circular window where usually is a portrait of the presenter, an image showing a camera. Next to that, where the presenter’s name usually appears: Multiple photographer And below that, a descriptor: Curated by Frederick Noronha Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Away from the beaches and the hospitality industry and holiday-makers, what is Goa like for women just doing everyday jobs? Our own Frederick Noronha, independent journalist, writer, publisher, free software evangelist, and yes, no mean photographer himself, puts together a collection of photographs that will give you an insight into this world.

Scam nation: Abhik Deb & Nandkumar Saravade

On a yellow background, across the centre of the page, the headline: Scam nation Below that, in smaller type, the subhead: Digital scams and cybercrime in India: 8th February Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Many Indians have now got that call from the CBI, the ED, customs officials, or the police, informing them that they have now been placed under digital arrest on some pretext or another. Or, still, in some parts of the country, they get calls informing them that they won some lottery that they never applied for.

Why exactly does India seem to be hit with a bewildering array of digital scams, some of them using quite sophisticated software and social engineering; and some with a laughably simple plot that your grandmother should see through, but didn’t?

Our next TGP Sessions on February 8 hopes to grapple with some of these questions.

To sign up for the session, simply accept this invitation to add it to your calendar. We will update that page with the final meeting link closer to Sunday.

(Also, a reminder that we now have a WhatsApp community where you can get updates on our activities as well as chat with other TGPians. You can join it here.)

Meet our presenters. One has been reporting up and down the country on the digital arrest phenomenon, including, quite bizarrely, when his father fell victim to one. Our other speaker is an ex-IPS officer, who has some pointers for law enforcement officials on how to deal with the ever-evolving digital scamming industry.

On a neon pink background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Science & Technology Below, the headline: Unwarranted arrest Below, a subhead: How cybercriminals impersonate cops and steal your money Next, the session date: 8 February Next, a circular window with a portrait of the presenter, in black-and-white. Next to that, the presenter’s name: Abhik Deb And below that, a descriptor: Journalist Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Abhik has been a digital journalist for almost a decade. He is currently a chief sub-editor with Collective Newsroom, the sole content provider for the BBC’s Indian language services. Previously he has worked for Times of India, The Quint, NDTV and Scroll. During his stint with Scroll, while working on a story on the digital arrest scam, his father became a victim of the same and lost ₹10 lakh. 

On a neon blue background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Science & Technology Below, the headline: Cybercrime and punishment Below, a subhead: Ten hot tips for law enforcement Next, the session date: 8 February Next, a circular window with a portrait of the presenter, in black-and-white. Next to that, the presenter’s name: Nandkumar Saravade And below that, a descriptor: Founder/CEO/Advisor/Mentor/ex-IPS Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Nandkumar is a senior strategy advisor and seasoned board member with nearly four decades of experience across law enforcement, banking, cyber security, and technology governance. A former IPS officer, he has held leadership roles across government, regulators, and industry. He was the founding CEO of ReBIT, RBI’s cyber security and technology arm, where he built and scaled a high-impact institution. Currently, he serves on multiple boards, including financial services and fintech entities, and advises key regulatory committees. Widely regarded as a “knowledge-seeker with action bias,” he is a frequent speaker and thought leader on risk, technology, and governance.

High resolution: You

On a dark grey background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Open House Below, the headline: High resolution Below, a subhead: How do you plan to make 2026 special? Next, the session date: 11 January Next, a circular window which usually has a portrait in it, but this time is blank Next to that, the name: You And below that, a descriptor: TGP Community Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, online.

This TGP Sessions is an open house. 

Our topic is, broadly, new year’s resolutions.

Come share one thing you have decided to do differently in 2026. It need not be big and dramatic — though if it is, we are all ears! — it could be something you have been putting off for a long time, or something you have decided you will treat yourself to, or a way you have decided to be kind to yourself, or something you want to do for someone else, or the next step in something you have already started, or… anything you please, really.

You can attend just to listen — simply accept this invitation to add it to your calendar — but we would love it if you also decided to speak.

If you do want to share your resolution, aim for about two to three minutes of microphone time. And please share a little about what you want to say in advance (by noon on Saturday, 10th January would be good) at info@thegoaproject.com and thetgpsessions@gmail.com.

In case you think at this point you have nothing to share, but change your mind on the day, no worries: while we will prioritise those who have mailed us in advance, we will do our best to make space for everyone who wants to speak.

Note: We will be be using Jitsi’s free videoconferencing service for the first time.  We will update this event page with the exact meeting link a few days before the meet and send you a mail with the meeting link.

End-e-mic: You

On a dark grey background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Open House Below, the headline: End-e-mic Below, a subhead: Talking about the year that was Next, the session date: 14 December Next, a circular window which usually has a portrait in it, but this time is blank Next to that, the name: You And below that, a descriptor: TGP Community Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

This Sunday, 14th December, at 5:30 p.m., we are hosting our traditional year-end meet, where we invite you to reflect on, and share, what the year about to end has taught you and what you will take with you into the coming year.

Aim for things that the rest of the attendees can learn from and apply, but that is not mandatory. And also, while the discussion is meant to be about personal learnings, it does not mean that world events that impact all or most of us — climate change, the rise of the far right, the spectre of generative artificial intelligence that looms over so many livelihoods — should not come up; in fact it seems likely they are bound to, and that is fine. 

If you want to speak, we ask you to aim for about two to three minutes of microphone time, and to share a little about what you want to say in advance: write to us at info@thegoaproject.com and thetgpsessions@gmail.com. This does not mean you will not get to speak at our meet if you change your mind, just that we will give priority to the people who have written in before Sunday.

Do not forget to register, please. https://bit.ly/TGPSessions

Dial-up days: You and your memories

On a yellow background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Open Table Below, the headline: Dial-up days Below, a subhead: Lists, forums, and the early Indian webscape Next, the session date: 16 November Next, a circular window with a picture in it; this one is the old Windows graphic for a modem connection, an old-style telephone connecting two desktop computets Next to that, the name: You And below that, a descriptor: And your memories Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

This Sunday, 16th November, we try out a new format, an ‘open table.’ That is, there will a few pre-agreed speakers, but anyone else in the room — we’re looking at YOU — is welcome to ask for a seat at the table. Think of it as a round-table flavoured by the unconference spirit.

Our topic is the early Indian online communities. We are particularly interested in hearing about communities that took shape in the period between 15 August 1996 (when VSNL first launched a publicly available Internet service) and 2000, but earlier groups are very welcome, and a wee bit later is fine too. Let’s say no later than the early days of blogging.

We hope to discover many different kinds of communities and the diversity and optimism and the finding of tribes that they fostered. But we are also open to hearing the darker tales too.

The discussion will be steered by Udhay Shankar, who, besides being one of TGP’s founders, has been active on various internet communities since the 90s, and previously founded one of India’s oldest surviving listservs. Among the folx who have volunteered are Nadika Nadja, who  got online in 1995 and found affirmation in LGBTQI+ communities and Madras groups, Swati Sani, poet, author, translator, and entrepreneur, Amitha Singh, writer, storyteller, marketer, self-described ruiner of workplaces since 1993, and possibly the first female webmaster in India, Frederick Noronha, an online community builder since 1995, mostly preferring old-fashioned email lists and long involved in India’s FOSS networks, Creative Commons and  Wikipedia, Peter Griffin, who spent countless hours immersed in Geocities, chat and messengers, message boards, and a now-defunct writing community, all using his workplace internet connection, and helped persuade his then-employer to use online tools.

​If you have stories about finding community in the early public internet in India, please write back to info@thegoaproject.com​ and thetgpsessions@gmail.com (you can also just raise your hand on Sunday).

Register here to join in.

Urban bungles: Christopher Kelty

On a green background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Society Below, the headline: Urban bungles Below, a subhead: What we get wrong about animals in our cities Next, the session date: 26 October Next, a circular windows with a portrait of person, head and shoulders, looking at camera Next to that, the name: Christopher Kelty And below that, a descriptor: Anthropologist, mazerunner Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Christopher is professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.  His ethnographic and historical work explores the intersection of science, technology and social/political theory. He is the author of Two Bits (Duke University Press, 2008) and  The Participant (University of Chicago Press, 2019) as well as articles on freedom, responsibility, participation in science and engineering. His current work is The Labyrinth Project,  a multi-disciplinary collaborative research inquiry into  conflict and controversy in urban ecologies in Los Angeles, California, based in fieldwork with pest-control professionals, wildlife managers, biologists, and veterinarians. Also, Satan.

Monkey baat: Anindya Sinha

On an orange background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Society Below, the headline: Monkey baat Below, a subhead: Non-human primates and the city Next, the session date: 26 October Next, a circular windows with a portrait of person, head and shoulders, looking at camera Next to that, the name: Anindya “Rana” Sinha And below that, a descriptor: Researcher, fellow primate Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Anindya had earlier researched the social biology of wasps, classical genetics of human disease, and social cognition in macaques at the Indian Institute of Science and National Centre for Biological Sciences, both in Bangalore. His principal research over the last three decades, conducted mainly at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, also in Bangalore, has encompassed behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, population and behavioural genetics, evolutionary biology, urban ecologies, and conservation studies, primarily of nonhuman primates. His current studies in natural philosophies, art heritage, and performance studies concern ethnographic explorations of human–nonhuman relations and lived experiences of non/humans, promising unique understandings of more-than-human lifeworlds over history, today, and in the future.

Copyright vs Right to copy: Anivar Aravind & Siddharth Bharadwaj

On a yellow background, a headline in large black type: Copyright vs Right To Copy Below, a subhead: The TGP Debate: Are intellectual property laws hindering the development of generative AI? Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Recently, AI firm Anthropic agreed to pay USD 1.5 billion to settle a class action lawsuit filed by authors who said the company stole their work to train its AI chatbot, Claude. US District Judge William Alsup found that using books to train AI did not violate US copyright law but ordered Anthropic to stand trial over its use of pirated material. Effectively, Anthropic will pay a much lower amount compared to the USD 750 billion they might have had to pay had the piracy case gone to trial. 

This settlement comes a mere 12 years after the “accidental” death of American hacktivist Aaron Swartz who was arrested on charges of pirating academic journal articles. Websites like Libgen and Sci-hub — which have arguably continued Swartz’s work — were banned by an Indian court this year.

The question to ask is, are copyright laws being applied differently for individuals compared to corporations? Do courts need to uphold copyright rules more stringently to ensure timely compensation for content creators? Is the development of LLMs and GenAI tools so critical to humanity as to set aside all concerns of legality and respect for human dignity?

In The Goa Project’s latest debate, we will hear arguments on the issue from a public-interest technologist and digital rights activist, and a music technologist and entrepreneur.

On an blue background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Debate Below, the headline: A different tune Below, a subhead: Content creators must win too Next, the session date: 21 September Next, a circular windows with a portrait of person, head and shoulders, looking at camera Next to that, the name: Siddharth Bharadwaj And below that, a descriptor: Music technologist, entrepreneur Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Siddharth Bharadwaj, a music technologist, is the co-founder and CTO of Beatoven.ai, a music creator tool for content creators. An alumnus of Music Technology Group, UPF, Barcelona, Spain and IIIT-Allahabad, India, he has worked on problems related to audio signal processing, machine learning, deep learning, and generative music in the past.

On a pink background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Debate Below, the headline: AI win, you win. Below, a subhead: Fix laws, not large language models Next, the session date: 21 September Next, a circular windows with a portrait of person, head and shoulders, looking at camera Next to that, the name: Anivar A Aravind And below that, a descriptor: public interest technologist, free software advocate, digital rights activist Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Anivar A Aravind is a public interest technologist, free software advocate, and digital rights activist. He has contributed to making Digital India significantly more inclusive by guiding the development of Indian language computing through his participation in publicly funded research initiatives. Anivar currently leads technology strategy and platform evolution for one of the UK’s largest unified commerce platforms, and was recognised as a Deccan Herald Changemaker in 2024.

Food fight: Monika Manchanda & Karthik Srinivasan

On a yellow background, a headline in large black type: Food for thought Below, a subhead: The TGP Debate: Stronger regulation of food and nutrition influencers? Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

For our next TGP Sessions, we are introducing a new format: a debate. Think of this as one more way to spark interesting conversations. (This will not be our sole format going ahead. We will circle back to workshops, showcases and open platforms, and of course the short presentations that have been our regular fare since we launched the Sessions in the early lockdown era.)

Our first debate could not get more basic and universal. We are talking about food. And to narrow it down, food and nutrition influencers

It feels like every day, some person with thousands of followers (or hoping to get that many) is telling us not to eat this or drink that (or extolling the miraculous benefits of some other ingredient). And soon there would be someone saying just the opposite. Are these claims and counterclaims based on science? Do the people making them have any qualifications? To whom are they accountable?

Or to put it another way, should these folx be regulated  by the government? Sounds like something you would like to sample? Please register here. 

For the purposes of our debate, we are defining ‘food and nutrition influencers’ as anyone telling us what to eat and what not to. We are not including restaurant reviewers, folx who teach us recipes, or food historians

Per the guidelines recently prescribed by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI):
• Food influencers are free to offer general food and nutrition advice on SM;
• BUT only influencers with proper qualifications can give more specific, targeted information  

Should this regulation be strengthened and apply even to general advice by food influencers?

Exploring the nuances of this proposition, we have:

On a green background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Debate Below, the headline: Hold their tongues Below, a subhead: Nutrition influencers need tighter regulation Next, the session date: 27 July Next, a circular windows with a portrait of person, head and shoulders, looking at camera Next to that, the name: Monika Manchanda And below that, a descriptor: Culinary writer, consultant, trainer Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Monika is a former tech professional with over a decade of expertise as a culinary writer, consultant, and trainer. She is widely recognised for designing innovative recipes and menus, as well as for her engaging culinary teaching. As co-founder and Chief Culinary Officer at LiveAltLife, Monika drives food and nutrition initiatives that champion healthier living, integrating practical culinary know-how with the latest in nutrition. Her passion lies in making the art of cooking accessible while guiding people toward balanced, healthful choices through inspired cuisine.

On an orange background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Debate Below, the headline: No gags, please Below, a subhead: We shouldn’t over-regulate nutrition influencers Next, the session date: 27 July Next, a circular windows with a portrait of person, head and shoulders, looking at camera Next to that, the name: Karthik Srinivasan And below that, a descriptor: communications strategy consultant Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Karthik is now a happily-independent communications strategy consultant after having participated in the full-time employment rat race for over 20 years across organisations like Flipkart, Ogilvy, and Edelman. He now consults clients on marketing and communications strategy, besides training corporate leaders, across organisations like Deloitte, Kotak, Accenture, Citrix, Akamai, EY, among others, on how to define, build, and maintain their personal brand on social media.

Laugh lines: You

On a yellow background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Showcase Below, the headline: Laugh lines Below, a subhead: An open mic for comedy Next, the session date: 29 June Next, a circular window, which frames a picture of a microphone, and besides it, a name: You And below that, a descriptor: An amateur stand-up comic Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

We regret that we will have to cancel our comedy open mic session on the 29th June due to not getting a single submission.

We would love to have your feedback on what we could do differently. Please see our newsletter for a more detailed explanation.

Eligibility.

You must be in the early stages of your comedy journey, and you must be over 18.

Please see the submission form for a more detailed explanation of what that means.

Our team will pick up to 10 applicants who will attend a feedback and mentoring group session with a professional stand-up comedian, the wonderful Aditi Mittal. (The feedback session with Aditi had to be cancelled because we did not get sign-ups.)

On a yellow background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Showcase Below, the headline: L.O.L. Below, a subhead: Lots Of Learning: a comedy workshop Next, the session date: 16–17 June Next, a circular window, framing a portrait of the presenter, and a name: Aditi Mittal And below that, a descriptor: Comedian, actor, writer, teacher Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. IST, on Zoom.

Aditi has been doing stand-up comedy for over 15 years. Starting at open mics, she has now taken her brand of sharp, fearless comedy to stages on five continents, specials on Netflix and Amazon Prime, radio and television shows, and podcasts. She also writes in the media.

She is an experienced educator and facilitator, teaching in mass media courses and schools across Mumbai. And, directly relevant to this feedback and learning session, she has her own workshops for comedy aspirants, Crash Burn Learn, and Punchlines and Powersuits, which you would have to have to pay to join.

How it will go.

You must write a rough set designed to be performed for three to five minutes to the theme ‘My First…’ You will need to send us a sample of this material in the application and bring it to the workshop. The earlier you apply, the more time you will have to work on your material. Aditi will give you feedback on your material and help you refine your set. And, along the way, pass on some practical wisdom about the art form. (This too is laid out in more detail in the submission form.)

The workshop will be split into two two-hour sessions over two days, 16th and 17th June (The dates may change, but not by more than a day. Exact times will be confirmed.)

Here is the submission form.

Deadline for submissions: 13 June 27 June (we may close the form earlier).

Session date (for the final performance): 29th June.