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WHERE WELLBEING AND SOCIAL CHANGE GATHER

at Bangalore Creative Circus

9th & 10th November, 2024

HOSTED BY
IN COLLABORATION WITH
ANCHOR PARTNER
PATRON

ABOUT SUMMIT

Invoking the spirit of a hearth – the space around a fire, where since the dawn of humanity, we have met to gather, bond, and connect – the Hearth Summit is a gathering to spark a new culture of social change. The time is now to advance a vision where the inner wellbeing of changemakers enables them to be more impactful and effective at addressing our most pressing global challenges.

The Hearth Summits are groundbreaking events inviting changemakers around the world to explore and embrace the wellbeing for welldoing movement. Building on the success of The Wellbeing Project’s first-ever global summit in Bilbao, 2022, the Bangalore summit is one of fifteen regional Hearth Summits around the world in 2024.

Hearth Summit Bangalore is hosted by Bangalore Creative Circus, an urban living lab for regenerative systems, communities, and cultures.

Program

Hearth Summit Bangalore is a gathering to bring together diverse changemakers to advance a vision of the interconnected wellbeing of individuals, communities, systems, and planet.

The summit is designed to provide an emotional and intellectual journey exploring the relevance and need for wellbeing in social change, approached from many different perspectives. It will bring together around 200 changemakers who work at various levels and capacities, across sectors of climate, health, justice, equity, and education.

Click below to expand and view the Agenda

Rohini Nilekani

Keynote speaker

Aaron Pereira

Keynote speaker

Conversations at the Hearth: Wellbeing for Welldoing

Shruti Shibulal

speaker

Dr. Bindu Kutty

speaker

Vishal Talreja

speaker

Conversations at the Hearth: Ecological Belonging

Abhayraj Naik

Speaker

Dr Mala Kapadia

speaker

Naveen Vasudevan

speaker

Spiritual Ecology by Abhayraj Naik

Avoiding the Rat Race by Rajni Bakshi

Ancestral Healing by Sahil Raina

Dance of Oneness by Natasha Mahindra

Sufi Perspective by Basit Jamal

Thinking Living Ecosystems: A Framework for Organisational Wellbeing by Aakash Sethi

Art for Thought by Museum of Art and Photography (MAP)

Listen to You by Kshetra Foundation For Dialogue

Magic Carpet Ride by Viridus Impact Solutions

The Rest-less Changemaker by Foundation for Arts and Health India (FAHI)

Conflict Alchemy by Roy Jacob

The Conscious Breath by Arjun Lall

Farm to table meals by The Circus Canteen
Engaging collective practices like Dances of Universal Peace
Interactive art installations in the space
Co-creation of art
Captivating folk and classical fusion performances and experiences

Agenda coming soon

meet the contributors

Rohini Nilekani

keynote speaker

Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Co-founder and Director of EkStep
Read More

Aaron Pereira

speaker

Project Co-Lead at The Wellbeing Project
Read More

Abhayraj Naik

Speaker & workshop facilitator

Educator (Climate, Justice, Spiritual Ecology)
Read More

Rajni Bakshi

workshop facilitator

Speaker and Founder of Ahimsa Conversations
Read More

Shruti Shibulal

speaker

Shruti Shibulal is trustee of Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives
Read More

Vishal Talreja

speaker

Co-founder and Trustee of Dream a Dream and Founder of The Cocoon Initiative
Read More

Dr. Mala Kapadia

speaker

Director of Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, at the Anaadi Foundation
Read More

Dr. Bindu Kutty

Speaker

Incharge Professor and Coordinator of NIMHANS Center for Consciousness Studies
Read More

Sahil Raina

Workshop facilitator

Holistic Wellness Practitioner
Read More

Natasha Mahindra

Workshop facilitator

Founder, Anam Cara Yoga Retreats
Read More

Basit Jamal

Workshop facilitator

Social Entrepreneur
Read More

Aakash Sethi

workshop facilitator

Founder, Quest Alliance
Read More

Arjun Lall

workshop facilitator

Breathwork Facilitator

Read More

Naveen Vasudevan

Speaker

Ritambhara, Auroville
Read More

MAP

Workshop facilitator

Museum of Art and Photography
Read More

Kshetra Foundation

Workshop facilitator

Krishna Udayashankar & Trina Talukdar
Read More

Roy Jacob

Workshop facilitator

Trainer, and Conflict Mediator
Read More

Viridus Social Impact Solutions

Workshop facilitator

Shashi Nair and Ruchi Ghose

Read More

(FAHI) Foundation for Arts and Health India

Workshop facilitator

Sri Vamsi Matta, Mohini, Andrea Pereira, and Maitri Gopalakrishna
Read More

Archana KR

Keynote Speaker

Sanitation Ninja

Read More

Bangalore Adavu Jam

Performance

Bharatnatyam performance
Read More

Siddharth Venkat

Collective Practice

Sound Exploration with Xenkat!
Read More

First Drop Theatre

Performance

An Ode to the changemakers
Read More

Urban Folk Project: Shilpa Mudbi

Performance

Songs of My Ancestors
Read More

Dances of Universal Peace

Collective Practice

Read More

Shruti Bode and Vighnesh Bhagwath

Performance

Presented by Indian Music Experience

Read More

Poornima Sukumar

Ritual alchemist

Founder, Arvavani Art Project
Read More

Madhuri Umashankar

Artist

Read More

Contributors

  • Dr. Richard J Davidson, Center for Healthy Minds
  • Rohini Nilekani, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
  • Shruti Shibulal, Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives
  • Rajni Bakshi, Ahimsa Conversations 
  • Indian Music Experience
  • Foundation for Arts and Health India
  • Poornima Sukumar, Artist
  • Dr Bindu Kutty, NIMHANS
  • Vishal Talreja, The Cocoon Initiative
  • Museum of Art and Photography
  • Basit Jamal, Social Entreprenuer
  • Abhayraj Naik, Educator – Climate Justice, Spiritual Ecology
  • Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue
  • Shilpa Mudbi, Musician

Attend

Hearth Summit Bangalore is an opportunity to spark a shared conversation around wellbeing in changemaking, build relationships and enhance collaboration, and co-create a strong, engaged and compassionate network of changemakers. Express your interest in attending now with this form

Express your interest

Contact Us

  • info@blrcreativecircus.com
  • 12/2 Yeshwantpur Industrial Estate, Bangalore 560086

  • 12/2 Yeshwantpur Industrial Estate,
    Bangalore 560086

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Rohini Nilekani

Keynote Speaker

Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Co-founder and Director of EkStep

Rohini Nilekani is an author and philanthropist and has been a strong influence in the Indian social sector over the past three decades. Currently, she is the Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and a Co-founder & Director of EkStep, a nonprofit education platform. She founded Arghyam, a foundation for sustainable water & sanitation, and co-founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit children’s book publisher.

A former journalist, she has written for many leading publications such as Times of India, India Today, Mint, etc. Penguin Books India published her first book, Stillborn, and her second book, ‘Uncommon Ground’. Her third was a self-published book, Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar. She has written 17 books for young children including the famous Sringeri Srinivas series.

Aaron Pereira

Keynote Speaker

Project Co-Lead at The Wellbeing Project

Aaron is excited about the interplay between our inner lives and the broader world. Aaron Pereira is currently Project Lead for The Wellbeing Project. The Wellbeing Project is focused on catalysing a culture of inner wellbeing for all changemakers. It emerged from a 7 year sabbatical ending in 2012. The Wellbeing Project is co-created with Ashoka, Georgetown University, Impact Hub, Porticus, the Skoll Foundation, and Synergos.

Aaron worked with the Guggenheim on an urban labs project, co-founded a pilot social enterprise to address housing issues in Mumbai slums, and explored neighbourhood life through a project in Paris. Aaron was co-founder of CanadaHelps and Vartana. CanadaHelps engages over 3 million Canadians and raises over $400 million a year for social sector organizations. It also works with over 20,000 charities on capacity issues. Vartana was focused on addressing financing needs in the social sector. Vartana played a key role in the early development of the field of social finance in Canada, and with early policy development that led to significant financing for social enterprise. In addition Aaron co-founded a multimedia business in the early days of the internet.

Aaron is an Ashoka Fellow and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Aaron completed a degree with a minor in Economics from Queen’s University, studied at Oxford University as a Skoll Scholar, and completed an executive education program at Harvard.

Aaron Pereira was born in Goa, and grew up in India, the Middle East, and Canada. He now loves making his home in Paris, with a lot of time in India.

Abhayraj Naik

Speaker & workshop facilitator

Educator (Climate, Justice, Spiritual Ecology)

Abhayraj is an activist, educator, community builder, and system change practitioner. His current work focuses on decolonial climate justice, spiritual ecology, and transformative learning. He coordinates strategy and research at Pipal Tree (https://www.pipaltree.org.in), and is a co-founder of the Initiative for Climate Action (https://actionclimate.org), a visiting faculty member at Krea University (https://krea.edu.in), a justice/transformation/evaluation consultant, and an advisor to a number of progressive social and environmental causes in India and other parts of the world. He is also the vision-holder for: an online resource space -“Climate Justice India” (https://climatejustice.in), an emergent educational network called the South Asia Network for Justice Education (https://sanje.org), and an upcoming centre for spiritual ecology in Bengaluru, India.

The workshop and conversation will explore facets of spiritual ecology

Rajni Bakshi

Workshop Facilitator

Speaker and Founder of Ahimsa Conversations.

Rajni Bakshi is a Mumbai-based author, speaker and founder of Ahimsa Conversations.

Her books include: Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom: for a market culture beyond greed and fear (Penguin, India, 2009 and Greenleaf, UK, 2012), which won two Vodafone-Crossword Awards; Bapu Kuti: Journeys in Rediscovery of Gandhi (Penguin, India, 1998) which inspired the Hindi film Swades; Long Haul: the Bombay Textile Workers Strike 1982-83 (BUILD, India, 1986). Rajni has also written several monographs including: Trusteeship: Business and the economics of well-being (2016); Civilizational Gandhi (2012); An Economics for Well-Being (2007); Let’s Make it Happen: a backgrounder on New Economics (2003); A Warning and an Opportunity: the Dispute over Swami Vivekananda’s Legacy (1994). On 30th January, 2020, Rajni launched a Youtube Channel called Ahimsa Conversations, which is a platform for exploring the possibilities of nonviolence.

Rajni has a BA in Journalism and Political Science from George Washington University and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Rajasthan.

Her workshop will explore if it is possible for individuals to not only avoid the rat race trap but in practice go beyond the competitive ethos to flourish and live in an ethos where deep well-being is the anchor not a fleeting or ephemeral outcome.

Shruti Shibulal

Speaker

Shruti Shibulal is trustee of Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives

Shruti strives to create thoughtful business models that harmonise people, planet and profit. Under her value-driven leadership, Tamara Leisure Experiences has grown to become synonymous with responsible tourism. The organisation’s ecosystem of sustainable initiatives closely integrate climate resilient policies including green building practices, wildlife preservation, and optimised use of resources among other factors. Tamara’s culture and operations also combine to address three key arenas that stand especially close to Shruti’s personal vision: gender parity, human capital building and meaningful job creation to uplift local economies. Tamara operates three distinct hotel brands in South India as well as independent business hotels in Germany. Shruti was named a Young Global Leader of The World Economic Forum in 2017 and served as a Co-lead on the Responsible Destinations workstream of the Global Future Council for Sustainable Tourism for two years. For her continued notable contributions towards building responsible hospitality models, Shruti was named among Fortune India’s 40 under 40 in 2022, 2023, and 2024 consecutively. Shruti serves as a Trustee for all Foundations of the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives, which provide educational opportunities and healthcare assistance to underprivileged sections of society. Shruti is on the Governing Board of ATREE – Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment. In 2019, Shruti launched SAATHIYA – a hospitality skilling program which enables young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to become employable within the restaurant and hotel industries. Focussing on industry-relevant skilling, building careers, and creating a community, SAATHIYA has already shown positive results in improving the lives and prospects of its graduates.

Vishal Talreja

Speaker

Co-founder and Trustee of Dream a Dream and Founder of The Cocoon Initiative

Vishal co-founded Dream a Dream along with 11 others. Vishal is an Ashoka Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow and a Board Member at PYE Global and Goonj. He has previously been a Founder Director of Unltd India and Board Member of India Cares Foundation. Vishal is a Steering Committee Member of Karanga – A Global Alliance on Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills. He is a Founding Member of The Weaving Lab – A Global Learning Ecosystem of weavers who are advancing the practice and profession of weaving thriving learning ecosystems. He is a Founding Member of Catalyst 2030 – A global movement of social change innovators collaborating to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He is also part of the Informal Working Group on the Future of Education & Skills 2030 project by OECD where he has been a Co-chair and Moderator at various convenings.

Dr. Mala Kapadia

Speaker

Director of Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, at the Anaadi Foundation

Dr. Mala Kapadia is a highly accomplished scholar and practitioner with a distinguished career spanning research, education, journalism, human resources, and consulting. She is a passionate advocate for integrating ancient Indian wisdom with modern approaches to well-being, leadership, and organisational development. Dr. Kapadia is currently the Director of Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, at the Anaadi Foundation and the Principal Investigator for a Ministry of Education (India) Indian Knowledge Systems Research Project on Wellbeing and Happiness based on Ayurveda. Grateful to Gurus- an initiative by Indica Academy selected Dr. Mala Kapadia as one the Guru in 2023, inspiring young minds in ancient wisdom. Dr. Mala is member of the Advisory Council of Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems at Chanakya University, Bengaluru, India. She was Professor & Director, Centre for Wellbeing & Wellness, Rashtram School of Public Leadership, Rishihood University, Sonipat. She is the Founder of Human Potential Consulting named ‘Tame the Monkey’.

Dr. Bindu Kutty

Speaker

Incharge Professor and Coordinator of NIMHANS Center for Consciousness Studies

Dr. Bindu Kutty is Professor at the Dept. of Neurophysiology and Incharge Professor and Coordinator of NIMHANS Center for Consciousness Studies. She is also the dean of basic sciences at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)

Sahil Raina

Workshop facilitator

Holistic wellness practitioner

Sahil is a holistic wellness practitioner bridging ancient shamanic wisdom with contemporary therapeutic practices to bring an integrated approach to healing.

His workshop revolves around ancestral healing. Ancestral Healing offers a unique way to understand the lives of those who have come before us. When we make visible those unseen forces that have been sending us love and guidance throughout our lives, it opens our hearts to a deep love. When we honour the sacrifices and wisdom of our ancestors, we begin to accept the ways in which life has flowed to us, remembering both the blessings and burdens that have been passed down.

This spiritual bond with our ancestors is our connection to the wholeness of life. This bond awakens the knowing that we have always belonged, that we can heal from the most severe of traumas and that our life can be a life enriched with a deep sense of purpose.

Natasha Mahindra

Workshop facilitator

Founder, Anam Cara Yoga Retreats

Natasha is a certified Yoga therapist, creates beautiful spaces and intimate gatherings blending Yoga, Ancient Practices, Chakra Healing, Vedic Wisdom, Fire Ceremonies, Sound Healing, Art Therapy , Ayurveda and Dance Therapy . Her retreats uniquely combine trekking, jungle safaris, and spiritual pilgrimages, making them truly one of a kind.

Her workshop at the Hearth Summit Bangalore will explore movement and manifestation through various practices such as the “dance of oneness”.

Basit Jamal

Workshop facilitator

Social Entrepreneur

In his journey so far, Basit has donned many personalities. As a young boy growing up in Delhi, Basit lived a comfortable, middle-class existence. His father was an IRS officer whose beliefs swung from communism to Sufism, while leaving the family to develop their own beliefs. Basit grew up removed from the religion he was born into—Islam—and his only interaction with other Muslims would be through his extended family.  In college, Basit began to find connections between science, which he loved, and Islam. Because of this, his interest in the Quran grew rapidly, and a strong belief in God developed. While on the one hand Basit was getting more interested in the religion, on the other, he relied heavily on the interpretations of extremist clerics and extremist Muslim leaders to explain what Islam stood for. A significant inflection point in his journey came when one of his other natural inclinations, of research and reflection, began conflicting with this approach to Islam. He began to pull away from his extremist teachers towards more progressive Islamic scholars who preached a more peaceful version of Islam. These Maulanas went on to contradict Basit’s extreme positions and taught him the key lesson of how the same religious text could have multiple interpretations.

The workshop will delve into Sufism, feature poetry and jokes to create a space for the participants to step back into harmony with themselves, helping them shift from living a life with a heavy heart to a lighter heart as well as understand what they are about in this universe.

Aakash Sethi

Workshop Facilitator

Founder, Quest Alliance

Aakash is empowering unemployable youth to navigate the future of work & learning in India by mastering 21st century skills through self-learning. He is integrating the culture, tools and practice of self-learning in the Indian education and vocational training system and transitioning teachers as champions of 21st century skills.

Quest Alliance’s approach to organisational design and development is grounded in the belief that we function as a living ecosystem, where each part is interconnected and vital to the whole. Drawing inspiration from permaculture,
where every element is intentionally designed, they have embraced structures that allow us to stay adaptable, continuously evolve, and keenly listen to the worlds outside and within.

In their process of nurturing the soil, they have redefined how we co-exist as a system, our leadership and people philosophy, our strategy for growth and sustenance. Essential nourishment to this ecosystem comes from our cultural ethos: WIBE (Wellbeing, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity).

The workshop will explore the core design principles of permaculture and their adaptations to organisational evolution in creative and inspired ways

Arjun Lall

Workshop Facilitator

Breathwork Facilitator

Arjun learns (ed) yoga from his mother, her stories and her old books, injuries and heartache, many masters (young and old), his charioteer, eagles, acceptance, abundance, silence, new books and the internet, his breath, wife and daughter.

He retired from a two-decade career in corporate law to explore the breath – mind- body relationship through conscious breathing practices and mindful movement. He is certified yoga teacher (RYT 500) and a breath coach and facilitator.

He shares his love for yoga and the breath through group and one on one classes at his studio in Frazer Town, Bangalore – Ujjayi Movement Studio. He works closely with corporates on building a culture of consciousness, coherence and community through conscious breathing, mindfulness and other modalities.

His workshop will explore the conscious breath. The workshop will feature some different breath modalities, setting the tone for a deeper self-discovery dive, just with the power of the breath

Naveen Vasudevan

Speaker

Ritambhara, Auroville

Naveen is a student of Yoga. Over the last 20 years he has been engaged with the questions: “What does it mean to live meaningfully in today’s times?” and “How may I offer the best of myself to the Whole?”. This unfolding journey has been richly rewarding and fulfilling. He is a co-founder of Ritambhara and the steward of Aram. His interests include Evolutionary Leadership, Integral Psychology, and Process Work. He is particularly keen on working with young changemakers and those interested in bridging spirituality and social change.
 

MAP

Workshop facilitator

Museum of Art and Photography

Located in the heart of the city, MAP is home to a growing collection of paintings, sculptures, textiles, photographs, popular culture and more, dating from the 10th century to the present day. The museum spans 6 storeys and includes art galleries, digital experience centres, a dedicated research and conservation lab as well as a shop, cafe, member’s lounge and rooftop alfresco restaurant.

MAP is a melting pot of ideas, stories and cultural exchange where we hope to encourage humanity, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world we live in, through art.

Their workshop, Art for Thought is a collection of mindful learning exercises that brings together art and mental health with the aim to non-confrontationally guide self-reflection and self-care while engaging with artworks from the MAP and Wellcome collections. It is packaged as a box experience that opens up thought-provoking avenues to explore your inner self, body and environment – inviting you to ponder, imagine and create.

Kshetra Foundation

Workshop Facilitator

Krishna Udayashankar and and Trina Talukdar

Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue aims to drive social change through ecosystems for and through dialogue by enabling changemakers to solve complex societal problems using the Dialogic Method practice framework.

The Dialogic Method is a framework that draws on multiple disciplines including mediation, behavioural science, and systems thinking to help changemakers define, understand, and solve complex problems.

Krishna Udayasankar is the founder and current CEO of Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue. Krishna has over two decades of experience across academia, business, publishing, and legal arenas. She has experience working with multiple stakeholders – ranging from migrant workers to C-suite executives, government officials and policymakers. Her work led her to her current work in the area of using dialogue to drive social change.

Trina Talukdar heads Fundraising and Partnerships at Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue. . Her interaction with commercial sex workers in Kalighat, one of Asia’s largest red-light areas spurred her passion to co-found Kranti at the age of 22. Kranti empowers girls from Mumbai’s Red Light Areas to become social change leaders.

Their workshop will draw on The Dialogic Method to show empathy to oneself as a way to problem-solving sustainably

Roy Jacob

Workshop Facilitator

Trainer, and Conflict Mediator

Roy is a facilitator, trainer, and conflict mediator. He grew up in the U.S. and worked as a software engineer before finding his true calling 20 years ago and coming to India, where his family is from. In India he facilitates workshops and retreats including Yes! Jams, Conscious Communication and other programs for organisations and for young people. He believes in the transformative power of ‘slowing down’.He also enjoys organic farming, playing frisbee and watching the stars at night.

His workshop will explore Conflict Alchemy. Conflict Alchemy is a practice of turning conflict into something positive: it can lead to the ‘gold’ of deeper understanding of what each of us wants, what isn’t working for us, and how we can make things better.

Viridus Social Impact Solutions

Workshop Facilitator

Shashi Nair and Ruchi Ghose

Shashi is a seeker, practitioner and facilitator in inward journeys of individual and organisational wellbeing. Compassion toward the struggles of individuals and organisations compels him to work in this area. He is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore, with 27 years of corporate experience, and 18 years of social sector experience.

Ruchi’s experience has been in the areas of design, leadership development and educational change, deeply rooted in schools. An alumnus of Calcutta University and University of California, she has over 30 years of work experience of which the last 20 have been in education and the social sector.

Social sector practitioners work with problems of great complexity and magnitude. As they work in these challenging environments to create meaningful impact, they often experience frustration, disappointment, stress and burnout. The wellbeing team at Viridus supports individuals and organisations explore how they can thrive and flourish, living in harmony with themselves, with others, and in teams and organisations. Their workshop will be a Magic Carpet Ride exploration of how your wellbeing and your work might change when driven by love and compassion.

(FAHI) Foundation for Arts and Health India

Workshop facilitator

Sri Vamsi Matta, Mohini, Andrea Pereira, and Maitri Gopalakrishna

Foundation for Arts and Health India (FAHI) is a coalition of creative arts therapists, artists, mental health practitioners, and researchers; dedicated to the engagement of the arts as a resource for individual and community health and well-being.

Facilitating the exploration on REST at the Hearth Summit are Sri Vamsi Matta. Mohini, Andrea Pereira, and Maitri Gopalakrishna.

Vamsi, is a Bangalore-based theatre, visual artist and facilitator whose practice is influenced by his Dalit identity, experience, and location. His work engages with the histories of his community and family, addressing themes of oppression and discrimination. Mohini is a psychotherapist and expressive arts practitioner. She has a background in applied clinical psychology and works with a social justice perspective that is queer informed and anti-caste. Andrea is an educator and an expressive arts facilitator, advocating for creative play and kindness in spaces of learning and labour. She has worked across the country in education, activism and the arts. Maitri is a drama therapist, counselling psychologist, and practice-researcher who works in community building and mental health support through an anti-oppression and systems framework.

This workshop invites participants to explore the vital role of rest in their lives. It will aim to create with the participants, a manifesto that recontextualizes how we as a community look at ‘REST’.

Archana KR

Keynote Speaker

Sanitation Ninja

Archana KR is an award-winning change leader, social entrepreneur, and sanitation campaigner from rural Karnataka, India. With 15 years of experience in the social development sector, she has worked on improving education, and health, and addressing climate issues, with a focus on building leadership skills in youth and women from marginalized communities,

One of her biggest achievements was leading a campaign that secured a ₹1 billion (100crore) budget from the Karnataka government to improve toilet facilities in 49,000 government schools, helping reduce dropout rates among girls. Using technology, data, and community support, she has created meaningful change at the policy level.

Archana is passionate about building leaders from marginalized communities, encouraging them to speak up and take part in making positive changes. She was honored with the Web Wonder Women Award from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, for my work in sanitation. Her mission is to continue creating opportunities for underrepresented voices to drive social impact.

Bangalore Adavu Jam

Performance

Bharatnatyam performance

A Bharatnatyam dance performance titled The Triangle of Life (Nritta – Nritya – Abhinaya) by Bangalore Adavu Jam (BAJ)!

BAJ is a community of dancers who simply want to sweat it out together, creating a space to bring in different dancing bodies to communicate, comprehend and collaborate for LIFE!

Siddharth Venkat

Collective Practice

Sound Exploration with Xenkat!

This collective practice will feature a short activity bringing us together into the world of rhythm and melody. We will journey together as one through soundscapes in a brief, yet smooth sojourn, facilitated by Siddharth Venkat (Xenkat). Playing with and observing our combined breath, bodies and voices, and finally ending with an immersive Sound Bath.

Xenkat is a musician, educator, and sound therapist with a unique approach to using sound and indigenous instruments as tools for reflection, introspection, and healing.

First Drop Theatre

Performance

An Ode to the Changemakers

An Ode to the Changemaker’ revolves around stories of struggle, of persistence, of the highs and lows, of the stress, the support systems (or lack of them) in the journey of bringing change.

In this Playback Theatre, the audience will get to share their real-life moments and stories of struggle, challenges, the experiences, triumphs, failures, learning, and hope. The team of actors from First Drop will reflect back these stories, in an engaging and respectful manner, on-the-spot, using text, poetry, movement, metaphors, music and more.

First Drop Theatre is a Bangalore-based Applied theatre company that uses the powerful tools and techniques of Applied Theatre, Applied Improvisation, and Expressive Arts, to create customised, activity-driven, and experiential engagements. They endeavour to use the medium of Applied Theatre to create awareness, bring communities together, promote wellness, create safe spaces of dialogue and encourage opportunities for multiple voices to be heard.

Partake in a Playback Theatre and share stories of struggle, of persistence, and of the highs and lows of the journey at Hearth Summit Bangalore, on 9th and 10th November, 2024.

Urban Folk Project: Shilpa Mudbi

Performance

Songs of My Ancestors

Songs of My Ancestors is a celebration of love, joy, grief, nostalgia, and the art of deep listening. This unique performance that brings to life the Kannada and Bidari songs passed down through generations—songs that mark the most important moments in a person’s life, especially in a woman’s journey. From lullabies to baby shower songs, from festival hymns to death rituals, each song carries the weight of tradition, emotion, and collective memory.

This musical storytelling performance will feature a sing-along format, lyrics will be projected onto a screen, inviting the audience to become part of the experience. All of the songs are from the North Karnataka region, passed down to Shilpa Mudbi by her grandmother, Gundamma Mudbi, who passed away three years ago. Shilpa will perform these songs alongside a chorus of singers and musicians playing the shruti and chowdki, while sharing heartfelt stories of her life with her ‘Ajji’ (grandmother).

Shilpa Mudbi Kothakota is an artist currently living in Kalaburgi. Born and brought up in Bangalore, she graduated in Media Arts and production from Sydney, Australia. She has been in the field of social justice as a social activist and media consultant with NGOs working on youth, women and child rights. She taught Documentary filmmaking in Mount Carmel Collage, and has worked at Ranga Shankara Theatre Bangalore as a Program Coordinator. She is the Co-founder of Urban Folk Project, a collective that looks that collating of folk knowledge systems of North Karnataka. She has been a Karnataka Janapada Academy member for the three years 2019 to 2022. She is currently on the Academic Advisory Committee of the IGNCA, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Bangalore.

Join us for a narrative and celebration of love, joy, grief, and nostalgia through music that breaks the boundaries of the traditional proscenium stage and embraces the power of embodying these ancestral songs as a group. Come listen and connect at Hearth Summit Bangalore, on 9th and 10th November, 2024

Dances of Universal Peace

Collective Practice

Dances of Universal Peace as a collective attunement practice for all the attendees at Hearth Summit Bangalore!

From the beginning of time, songs, stories and dance have brought people together in daily life, ceremonies and celebrations. Born from this timeless tradition is a simple yet powerful collective practice called the Dances of Universal Peace. Drawing on the sacred phrases of the many spiritual traditions of the world, the Dances blend singing, live music and guided meditative movement into a prayer for peace and a celebration of oneness.

Shruti Bode and Vighnesh Bhagwath

Performance

Presented by Indian Music Experience

Shruti has been learning and performing for around 24 years. Her Gurus are Vid. Vani Hardikar ji and Dr. Bharati Vaishampayan ji.

Shruti is a B High grade artist at All India Radio in both Classical music and light music. She recieved 2 years scholarship from the ministry of culture in the year 2013. She was a semi finalist in ETV Kannada music television show Ede tumbi haaduvenu, hosted by late Sri S. P. Balasubramaniam ji in the year 2008.

Shruti has also performed devotional music for DD Chandana channel and Kasturi channel.She has performed in Germany and Bali along with several cities in India. She has sung for samskruta albums of Sri Sri Aadi Shankara stotras and has also sung for kathak and Odissi dance projects. Shruti now resides in Bengaluru and teaches music. She also sometimes writes songs in kannada and composes them.

Vighnesh Bhagavat Yellapur started learning Hindustani Classical Vocal and Harmonium from Vidwan Dattatraya Gaonkar of Yellapur. Presently he is learning from renowned Harmonium maestro, Pandit Vyasamurthi Katti. He completed B.Music at Karnataka Fine arts and Music college Dharwad and he completed M.Music in Hindustani Vocal with Gold Medal at KSGH Music and Fine arts University Mysore.

He has performed with well-known musicians and so many Young Artists. He is known for his sensitive accompaniment and mature understanding of Indian Raga music.

Poornima Sukumar

Ritual alchemist

Founder, Arvavani Art Project

We’re proud to introduce Poornima Sukumar of Aravani Art Project who has taken on the role of Ritual Alchemist – creating a unique and magical experience, together with transgender individuals that she works with, around the concept of Ecological Belonging at Hearth Summit Bangalore. The Ritual Alchemist project is supported by @commartsnetwork

Poornima Sukumar is a notable community artist and dreamer known for her work with the transgender community. She founded the Aravani Art Project, an initiative that uses art to create safe spaces for transgender individuals to express themselves and build connections with the larger community. As a community artist, Poornima Sukumar focuses on bringing art into public spaces to inspire social change and foster inclusivity, especially for marginalised groups. he aims to challenge stereotypes and offer transgender people a platform for self-expression, skills development, and empowerment. She aims to challenge stereotypes and offer transgender people a platform for self-expression, skills development, and empowerment. The art they create are often vibrant, colorful depictions of resilience and joy, conveying powerful messages of pride and solidarity.

Madhuri Umashankar

Artist

Founder, Anam Cara Yoga Retreats

Thrilled to welcome the artist behind the art and interactive installations being created at Hearth Summit Bangalore, Madhuri Umashankar!

Madhuri Umashankar is a self taught, multi-disciplinary artist based out of Bangalore. She works with a variety of materials including unconventional materials like coffee, wine, tea, 3D glasses, upcycled cassette tapes, eggshells, old newspapers, etc. She uses her art practice and regular workshops to inspire creativity in everyone, as well as drawing attention to themes of sustainability, mental health, and wellbeing.