India residency adds new chapter to artist’s family story

Nadia performing at the People Tree Poetry Circle, Maah Space

Travelling to India for an arts residency was significant for me in both expanding my connections but to also for my development as an artist. In the busyness of everyday responsibilities, sustained artistic focus can feel elusive. To arrive in India with dedicated time to work on my art felt like a rare and precious luxury.

That sense of significance was deepened by my own heritage. I am of South Asian descent and much of my work explores the history of my family’s connection to India through Fiji.

India is not an abstract place in my imagination. It is layered with stories, migrations, losses, and continuities that shape how I understand myself and my creative practice.

Undertaking an arts residency there felt like stepping into a living context for questions I have been carrying for many years.

Beyond the desire for uninterrupted creative time, I wanted to connect with artists working in South Asia and to experience contemporary artistic practice within its local cultural and social contexts. I was curious about what it would mean to develop my work while being immersed in a place that is both culturally familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Maah Space, where I was based in Jaipur, offered exactly that kind of environment. Run by dancers Shreeya Kishanpuria Agarwal and Kamakshi Saxena, the studio is a beautiful and welcoming space that encourages diverse and progressive art while remaining strongly connected to the local community.

From the moment I arrived, Maah felt alive with possibility. It was not simply a place to work, but a place where conversations, experimentation, and care were part of the daily rhythm.

Nadia running a poetry development workshop at Maah Space

My focus during the residency was the development of a sensor based MIDI controller for use in my music performances. The project sits at the intersection of sound, movement, and technology. 

Shreeya and the volunteers at the space helped me explore the different opportunities presented by the project, allowing me to consider new ideas about how the sensor might interact with different environment as well as my body. 

They also connected me with artists who could support me with its development, including Somil Mehta, a visual designer who works with dancers and sculptors to create pieces that integrate movement and visual graphics. These exchanges helped me consider different technological options for my work.

Some of the most meaningful moments of the residency came through community engagement.

Maah Space regularly hosts events that bring people together around shared creative interests, and being part of that felt like being welcomed into an ongoing dialogue.

I attended the Poetry Circle, where local lovers of poetry shared work in both English and Hindi. Even when I did not understand every word, the emotion, rhythm, and generosity in the room were palpable. Poetry became a shared experience rather than something bound by language.

I also had the opportunity to contribute by hosting workshops and events. I ran a poetry development workshop, facilitated a performance and theatre making session with a creative youth group, and delivered a demonstration of my electronic music methods at a meet and greet with artists, artist managers, and event coordinators in Jaipur.

These moments of exchange were energising. They reinforced my belief that art is not only made in solitude, but grows through conversation and shared curiosity.

Nadia: " I left India with many new connections in the arts sector and a renewed sense of connection."

Alongside the residency, I attended the Jairangam Arts Festival, an experience that felt both celebratory and deeply engaged.

Jairangam showcases theatre, music, and dance from Jaipur and across India and is widely regarded as a highlight of the cultural year. The audiences are attentive, enthusiastic, and genuinely invested in encountering new work.

The festival is hosted at Jawahar Kala Kendra, a multi arts centre designed around the nine planets. Moving through the space felt symbolic, as though art was unfolding within a structure that reflected balance, multiplicity, and movement.

I was invited to attend evening dinners with the festival directors, where conversations ranged from artistic process to social responsibility. This year’s focus on women directors felt particularly significant, foregrounding voices that are shaping contemporary Indian theatre.

I had the privilege of meeting renowned director Makarand Deshpande, who was performing his work Einstein, as well as festival director Mann Gera, whose enthusiasm for international artists and collaboration is infectious. These encounters, like many others during my time in India, highlighted how differently cultures reflect on the meaning and purpose of art. Engaging in these conversations was both humbling and deeply fulfilling.

What stayed with me most was witnessing the direction of contemporary art in India. From dance works exploring the role of women in society, to documentary filmmaker Suruchi Sharma’s work archiving tribal folk musicians, I saw artists responding thoughtfully to questions of change, preservation, and identity.

I left India with many new connections in the arts sector and a renewed sense of connection, both to my own heritage and as an artist. The residency affirmed for me that art deepens when it is given time, space, and the courage to sit within complex histories.

The Foundation's Arts Programme brings Asia into the mainstream of New Zealand arts by inspiring New Zealand arts professionals to grow their connections and knowledge of Asia. It also supports the presentation of Asian arts in partnership with New Zealand arts organisations and events.

The Arts Experience Fund (formerly Art Practitioners Fund) supports self-directed opportunities for New Zealand-based arts practitioners to build meaningful artistic and professional connections in Asia. This can include residencies, research tours, work placements and exchanges.