9am onwards

All Delegate Check-In & Welcome

10am

Discovery Pavilion Opens

10:00 – 10:45Conference Room 1

WORKSHOP: From Concept to Collaboration: Building Projects for International Grants

& Residencies

Westley Holdsworth, Grants & Programme Manager, PRS Foundation

Philipp Grefer, Founder & CEO, WISE

Strong grant applications begin with strong ideas. Whether applying for an international residency, developing a co-production or seeking project funding, artists are often expected to articulate not only what they want to make, but why it matters, who it is for and how it will be realised.

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of developing projects that are well suited to international opportunities. Drawing on experience supporting artists through grant programmes, the session will explore how to shape a compelling project framework, identify the right funding opportunities, and write applications that clearly communicate artistic vision, impact and feasibility.

While examples may draw from international programmes, the workshop focuses on transferable skills that participants can apply across a wide range of funding and residency opportunities.

10:50 – 12:00Conference Room 1

IN THE SPOTLIGHT – Meet the Festivals / Venues / Projects

Kantha Hubba, Music Stage of BLR Hubba, a city wide arts and culture festival from Bengaluru, India Kalaghoda Arts Festival

The Orange Festival of Adventure & Music, Dambuk, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Stallion Era, China

Universal Music Publishing, India

Linear Festivals – Producers of linearಬೆಂಗಳೂರು, Bangalore’s first 24-hour performing arts festival Chandigarh Citizens Foundation

Ethno Port Festival, Poland

Rina Umaba, Fuji Rock, Japan

Jiggs Thorne, Bushfire, Eswatini, Southern Africa

Hornbill Festival, Nagaland

11:00 – 11:15Audi Nalanda

INVITED LECTURE: Music as Cultural Diplomacy — Sounds of Rising India

Address by Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Artist, Researcher and Chairman Sangeet Natak

Academy, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India

Exploring how Indian music can serve as a tool of cultural diplomacy, connecting the country’s rising global visibility to broader soft-power and cultural-exchange goals.

11:20 – 12:15Audi Nalanda

PANEL: From Showcase to Success: Building Global Futures for Independent Artists

Speakers:

• Laia Canals, Director, Roots Music Denmark/Nordic Folk Alliance/Resonator Festival, Denmark Marc Dubé, Producer/A&R, Wandering Entertainment, Canada
• Dale Packard, Director, The Boîte, Australia
• Talfry – SOI Alumni
• Moderator –
• A showcase festival is not the destination—it is the start of a longer career journey. This panel explores how artists can turn showcases into touring, bookings, collaborations and meaningful industry relationships. This panel explores how showcase festivals fit within an artist’s long-term career development, what delegates and talent buyers are really looking for, and how artists, managers and festival organisers can work together to build sustainable international careers. It also examines the responsibilities of showcase festivals in creating equitable opportunities for emerging talent and ensuring that discovery translates into meaningful outcomes.

12:15 – 13:00Audi Samrasta

FOCUS AFRICA: Export Lessons from Africa

Speakers:

• Journey Ramadhan, Artistic Director, Sauti Za Busara, Tanzania
• Jiggs Thorne, Director, Bushfire Festival, Eswatini
• Neveen Kenawy, Founder and Director, She Arts Festival, Egypt
• Moderator: Lerato Matsoso, General Manager CAPASSO, South Africa
• What export strategies from Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania and Eswatini could India realistically adapt over the next 3–5 years?
• Festival directors and industry leaders from Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania and Eswatini share practical lessons on artist export, audience development, international partnerships and building sustainable music ecosystems beyond traditional industry centres.

13:00 – 14:00

LUNCH BREAK

14:15 – 15:00Audi Nalanda

Mapping the Corridor: Turning India’s Living Sound Into Playable Cultural Data

Presenters

Arin Sharnaz Rashdi, Founder and CEO, Metora

Roc Chyarop Burapat, Chief Creative Officer, Metora

Mike Shyu, Prototype Lead, Metora

Metora demonstrates how community-captured, consented cultural data can become structured, playable cultural intelligence. Drawing on the Lanna Sound Map, an active pilot in Chiang Mai, the session walks through how consented, geotagged sound and place data is captured on the ground and structured into cultural records, before running the same process live on a Delhi map to show the pipeline working on Indian ground. The session also introduces BlumeBox, a music discovery game built on top of this data layer, where real artists and their tracks surface to players through in-game performance and collection, offering a new pathway for artist discovery beyond traditional streaming.

15:00– 15:45Conference Room 1

WORKSHOP: How to Get Booked? – A Festival Programmer’s Guide for Artists

Presenters:

Stani Goma, Founder, Beats of Any Nation Downunder (BAND), Australia

Dale Packard, Director, The Boite, Australia

Led by experienced international festival programmers, this workshop offers a behind-the- scenes look at the programming process. Participants will learn how festivals discover artists, what makes a submission stand out, and why some artists are booked while others are not. Through real-world examples and candid discussion, the session will help artists better understand how to present their work, approach programmers professionally and maximise opportunities before, during and after a showcase.

14:15 – 16:00Conference Room 2

ROUNDTABLE 2: Cultural Infrastructure: The Future of Independent Music Venues

What kind of venues does India’s growing music ecosystem need over the next decade? India often talks about artists and audiences, but rarely about the physical spaces that make cultural life possible. Many cities lack appropriately sized venues, existing venues struggle with sustaining, and cultural infrastructure is rarely considered in urban development. This session examines venues as long-term cultural infrastructure.

14:15 – 15:30First Floor Foyer

SOI MUSIC EXCHANGE

Speed Meetings – One-on-one pitching with Festival Programmers, Bookers, Agents, Labels, – – Publishers, Talent Managers, Artists

– Universal Music Publishing

– Journey Ramadhan – Africa

– Amanda Chan – Singapore

– Marc Dube

– Jiggs Thorne

– Naveen Kenawy

– Philipp Grefer – WISE

– Bharavi – Linear Festivals

– Abhijit Nath, Kantha Hubba (Part of BLR Hubba)

16:15– 22:00BHIM

SOI DAY 2 SHOWCASE

Auditorium

Dipannita Acharya (West Bengal) – Traditional roots folk — a virtuoso across Baul, Sufi-Marifati, Murshidi, Bhaoaiya, and Jhumur, extending into

Bihu, Kamrupi Lokogaan and Goalparia Lokogaan from Assam, and

Rajasthani and Gujarati (Raas Garba) folk repertoire.

Seyie Intrepid (Seyievinuo Chuzho) – Naga Tribal Music Collective: Naga folk tunes, indigenous music.

Jhuma Limbu (Nepal) – Indigenous Limbu folk music, rooted in Mundhum and Hakparay style

Kapil Seshasayee (London, UK) – Carnatic Indian classical guitar fused with experimental/art rock, R&B, and electronic music

Street Stories (Nagaland) – Pop-punk / Indie electro-pop

Tamil Jazz Collective (Karnataka) – World music collective blending the rhythmic intricacies of Tamil heritage with the avant-garde spirit of modern jazz.

Tribemama Marykali (Kochi, Kerala) – alternate R&B, Afro, Electronic,

Kerala folk, and pop — layered with Indian classical touches and Afro- reggae rhythms.

Param (Karnataka) – Hindustani Progressive Rock, fusing rock arrangements with Hindustani classical vocals and instrumentation

All Delegate Check-In & Welcome

Discovery Pavilion Opens

WORKSHOP: From Concept to Collaboration: Building Projects for International Grants

& Residencies

Westley Holdsworth, Grants & Programme Manager, PRS Foundation

Philipp Grefer, Founder & CEO, WISE

Strong grant applications begin with strong ideas. Whether applying for an international residency, developing a co-production or seeking project funding, artists are often expected to articulate not only what they want to make, but why it matters, who it is for and how it will be realised.

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of developing projects that are well suited to international opportunities. Drawing on experience supporting artists through grant programmes, the session will explore how to shape a compelling project framework, identify the right funding opportunities, and write applications that clearly communicate artistic vision, impact and feasibility.

While examples may draw from international programmes, the workshop focuses on transferable skills that participants can apply across a wide range of funding and residency opportunities.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT – Meet the Festivals / Venues / Projects

Kantha Hubba, Music Stage of BLR Hubba, a city wide arts and culture festival from Bengaluru, India Kalaghoda Arts Festival

The Orange Festival of Adventure & Music, Dambuk, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Stallion Era, China

Universal Music Publishing, India

Linear Festivals – Producers of linearಬೆಂಗಳೂರು, Bangalore’s first 24-hour performing arts festival Chandigarh Citizens Foundation

Ethno Port Festival, Poland

Rina Umaba, Fuji Rock, Japan

Jiggs Thorne, Bushfire, Eswatini, Southern Africa

Hornbill Festival, Nagaland

INVITED LECTURE: Music as Cultural Diplomacy — Sounds of Rising India

Address by Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Artist, Researcher and Chairman Sangeet Natak

Academy, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India

Exploring how Indian music can serve as a tool of cultural diplomacy, connecting the country’s rising global visibility to broader soft-power and cultural-exchange goals.

PANEL: From Showcase to Success: Building Global Futures for Independent Artists

Speakers:

• Laia Canals, Director, Roots Music Denmark/Nordic Folk Alliance/Resonator Festival, Denmark Marc Dubé, Producer/A&R, Wandering Entertainment, Canada
• Dale Packard, Director, The Boîte, Australia
• Talfry – SOI Alumni
• Moderator –
• A showcase festival is not the destination—it is the start of a longer career journey. This panel explores how artists can turn showcases into touring, bookings, collaborations and meaningful industry relationships. This panel explores how showcase festivals fit within an artist’s long-term career development, what delegates and talent buyers are really looking for, and how artists, managers and festival organisers can work together to build sustainable international careers. It also examines the responsibilities of showcase festivals in creating equitable opportunities for emerging talent and ensuring that discovery translates into meaningful outcomes.

FOCUS AFRICA: Export Lessons from Africa

Speakers:

• Journey Ramadhan, Artistic Director, Sauti Za Busara, Tanzania
• Jiggs Thorne, Director, Bushfire Festival, Eswatini
• Neveen Kenawy, Founder and Director, She Arts Festival, Egypt
• Moderator: Lerato Matsoso, General Manager CAPASSO, South Africa
• What export strategies from Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania and Eswatini could India realistically adapt over the next 3–5 years?
• Festival directors and industry leaders from Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania and Eswatini share practical lessons on artist export, audience development, international partnerships and building sustainable music ecosystems beyond traditional industry centres.

LUNCH BREAK

Mapping the Corridor: Turning India’s Living Sound Into Playable Cultural Data

Presenters

Arin Sharnaz Rashdi, Founder and CEO, Metora

Roc Chyarop Burapat, Chief Creative Officer, Metora

Mike Shyu, Prototype Lead, Metora

Metora demonstrates how community-captured, consented cultural data can become structured, playable cultural intelligence. Drawing on the Lanna Sound Map, an active pilot in Chiang Mai, the session walks through how consented, geotagged sound and place data is captured on the ground and structured into cultural records, before running the same process live on a Delhi map to show the pipeline working on Indian ground. The session also introduces BlumeBox, a music discovery game built on top of this data layer, where real artists and their tracks surface to players through in-game performance and collection, offering a new pathway for artist discovery beyond traditional streaming.

WORKSHOP: How to Get Booked? – A Festival Programmer’s Guide for Artists

Presenters:

Stani Goma, Founder, Beats of Any Nation Downunder (BAND), Australia

Dale Packard, Director, The Boite, Australia

Led by experienced international festival programmers, this workshop offers a behind-the- scenes look at the programming process. Participants will learn how festivals discover artists, what makes a submission stand out, and why some artists are booked while others are not. Through real-world examples and candid discussion, the session will help artists better understand how to present their work, approach programmers professionally and maximise opportunities before, during and after a showcase.

ROUNDTABLE 2: Cultural Infrastructure: The Future of Independent Music Venues

What kind of venues does India’s growing music ecosystem need over the next decade? India often talks about artists and audiences, but rarely about the physical spaces that make cultural life possible. Many cities lack appropriately sized venues, existing venues struggle with sustaining, and cultural infrastructure is rarely considered in urban development. This session examines venues as long-term cultural infrastructure.

SOI MUSIC EXCHANGE

Speed Meetings – One-on-one pitching with Festival Programmers, Bookers, Agents, Labels, – – Publishers, Talent Managers, Artists

– Universal Music Publishing

– Journey Ramadhan – Africa

– Amanda Chan – Singapore

– Marc Dube

– Jiggs Thorne

– Naveen Kenawy

– Philipp Grefer – WISE

– Bharavi – Linear Festivals

– Abhijit Nath, Kantha Hubba (Part of BLR Hubba)

SOI DAY 2 SHOWCASE

Auditorium

Dipannita Acharya (West Bengal) – Traditional roots folk — a virtuoso across Baul, Sufi-Marifati, Murshidi, Bhaoaiya, and Jhumur, extending into Bihu, Kamrupi Lokogaan and Goalparia Lokogaan from Assam, and Rajasthani and Gujarati (Raas Garba) folk repertoire.

Seyie Intrepid (Seyievinuo Chuzho) – Naga Tribal Music Collective: Naga folk tunes, indigenous music.

Jhuma Limbu (Nepal) – Indigenous Limbu folk music, rooted in Mundhum and Hakparay style

Kapil Seshasayee (London, UK) – Carnatic Indian classical guitar fused with experimental/art rock, R&B, and electronic music

Stories (Nagaland) – Pop-punk / Indie electro-pop

Tamil Jazz Collective (Karnataka) – World music collective blending the rhythmic intricacies of Tamil heritage with the avant-garde spirit of modern jazz.

Tribemama Marykali (Kochi, Kerala) – alternate R&B, Afro, Electronic,

Kerala folk, and pop – layered with Indian classical touches and Afro- reggae rhythms.

Param (Karnataka) – Hindustani Progressive Rock, fusing rock arrangements with Hindustani classical vocals and instrumentation