Applications are open for the fourth edition of Theatriculate Fellowship 2026-2027.
Theatriculate is a fellowship for artists who have an idea for a performance and wish to take the time and space to explore, develop, and bring that idea into a theatrical form.
The fellowship is open to a solo artist or a group of up to six artists.
The selected artist/group will receive a grant of ₹2.5 lakhs, along with accommodation, meals, access to rehearsal spaces and the theatre, technical support, and mentorship during the residency periods at Adishakti.
The fellowship includes residency periods at Adishakti during December 2026 and April 2027.
“Anything or everything could be theatre.”
– Veenapani Chawla, our founder
Rightly so, Adishakti believes in rewriting norms of what theatre could be.
As an institution working in the field of theatre since 1981, constantly involved in research, creation and dissemination of various performance methodologies, Adishakti understands the journey and the hurdles one must cross for an idea to manifest into a theatre production.
The Theatriculate Fellowship instituted by Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research is a yearly fellowship program for aspiring performers. The fellowship started in 2022 as part of celebrating Adishakti’s 40 years of existence. As part of the celebrations, through this fellowship, we want to enable you to translate your ideas into reality onstage. Adishakti’s Theatriculate Fellowship will thematically look at solo and group work creation.
Here’s how we envisage your journey if you are awarded the fellowship.
In December 2026, the recipient will be invited to stay at Adishakti to begin work on the script. Adishakti’s creative team can be the sounding board.
December 2026 – Script Writing
10–19 December 2026 – 10-day Residency at Adishakti
This residency is dedicated to developing the script and exploring the theatrical possibilities of the proposed work. There will be a public reading of the script at the end of this residency to incorporate ideas and feedback from experts in the field, curated by Adishakti. After this, there will be a break of four months for the awardee to go back, reflect, and make changes to the script.
April 2027 – Work Development & Performance
12 April – 5 May 2027 – 21-day Residency at Adishakti
This residency is dedicated to:
• Rehearsals
• Experimentation
• Research
• Performance-making
Technical Rehearsals & Production Setup
3–4 May 2027 – These two days are reserved for technical rehearsals and production setup.
Public Performance
5 May 2027 – The fellowship concludes with a public presentation of the developed work at Adishakti.
The selection will be solely based on the originality of the idea and the creative possibilities of the concept submitted. Shortlisted candidates will have two rounds of online(Zoom) interviews with the selection committee of Adishakti. For the second round applicants must be willing to demonstrate/perform a snippet of the evolving idea based on the concept note.
Application Deadline
15 October 2026
Late applications will not be considered.
Applications should be sent to:
theatriculatebyadishakti@gmail.com
Queries
For queries, please contact (WhatsApp only):
Subbu: +91 73488 19832
- Open to Indian nationals only.
- The participant must be 18 years and above.
- Proposal or the concept note on the idea must be submitted in English. However, the language for the work can be in English and/or any of the Indian regional languages.
- The participants must be able to commit their time at the Adishakti campus for 2 months (December and April) or during the duration of the fellowship as decided by the selection committee.
- Submitters of the first edition of Theatriculate Fellowship-2022 can also apply
(Optional – Include some samples of your previous work)
Application
The proposal/concept note must
be submitted in English.
The final performance may be
presented in English or any Indian regional language.
Applicants may submit their
concept note in either of the following formats:
Written Proposal
- Maximum 1,000 words
OR
Video Proposal
- Maximum 5 minutes
- Uploaded as a private YouTube link or shared
through Google Drive with viewing access enabled
The concept note should include:
- The central idea or theme of the proposed work
- The artistic approach you wish to explore
- The visual and theatrical possibilities of the idea
- Possibilities for research and experimentation
during the fellowship
Applicants may also include
samples, links, or documentation of previous work.
Selection Process
Selection will be based on:
- Originality of the idea
- Strength of the concept
- Creative and theatrical possibilities
- Potential for research and exploration
- Possibility of translating the idea into a visual
and performative form
Shortlisted applicants will have two
rounds of online interviews with the Adishakti selection committee.
For the second round, applicants
should be prepared to demonstrate or perform a short section of the evolving
idea based on their concept note.
- ₹70,000
will be released before the December 2026 Script Development Residency.
- The
remaining grant amount will be released during the April–May 2027
residency, in accordance with the fellowship schedule and participation in
the residency.
The sum of Rs 2.5 Lakhs will cover all the costs from conception to creation of the play. In addition to this, Adishakti will also provide accommodation and food at the campus. Please note that there shall be no other reimbursements made by Adishakti outside of whatever is mentioned above.
Theatriculate Fellowship -2022
The fellowship for the year 2022 is awarded to Aaditya Rawat .
Aaditya Rawat started off as an assistant director for various TVCs. After attending a clowning workshop facilitated by Rupesh Tillu, he decided to further his theatre training at the Drama School, Mumbai. He worked as a theatre curriculum planner for a educational company while also working on some of his own ideas for a theatre production.
Play Name: A Lullaby to Wake Up
Premiered: Remembering Veenapani Festival 2023
1st Tour :
Mysore: Natana Rangashaale ,16th April 2023
Bengaluru: Shoonya Center for Art and Somatic Practices,21st and 22nd April 2023
Synopsis
Our Protagonist Kaavish, an archiver of lullabies, is stuck in his dreams. The playmaker invites you to join him in his dream and help him make a lullaby for him to get out of his dreams.
