DASTAK is the brainchild of Shalaka Ranadive, Founder & CEO of WeCanDoIt, a Singapore-based pioneering theatre company. Most of its editions, since its inception in 2009, have been supported by the ‘National Arts Council’, Singapore. Through DASTAK, WeCanDoIt has provided a platform for aspiring and professional talents across Singapore, has staged over 70 plays, and has produced five films.
The vision for DASTAK 2024 in India is to create a vibrant, collaborative platform, uniting talents from Singapore and India in theatre and filmmaking. DASTAK’s three-day festival aims to raise awareness of critical social, environmental, and sustainability issues, inspiring change through the powerful medium of the arts while also tapping into the country’s rich yet unexplored talent pool.
Speaking about the festival and its debut in India, Shalaka Ranadive, Festival Director for DASTAK 2024 and Founder & CEO of WeCanDoIt, said, “I am truly honoured and excited to bring DASTAK to my homeland, India. After six successful editions in Singapore, it feels incredibly special to share this festival’s artistic spirit with India’s vibrant and culturally rich audiences. DASTAK has always been about fostering creativity, collaboration, and meaningful conversations through the arts, and to now do that in Vadodara, which was my hometown and instrumental in shaping me as an artist, is a surreal moment and a dream come true. I look forward to the powerful exchanges between artists from both countries and hope this marks the beginning of a long and inspiring journey for DASTAK in India.”
DASTAK 2024 will be hosted in the vibrant Art City of Western India—Vadodara, in Gujarat. Vadodara, erstwhile Baroda, has long been a cradle of creativity, fostering a cultural renaissance since the pre-independence era that continues to flourish. Today, the city is home to a thriving community for performing and fine arts, theatre, and filmmakers, along with many patrons of the arts, making it a vibrant hub for creativity and talent. This rich artistic legacy and cultural heritage make Vadodara the perfect setting for DASTAK ‘s debut edition in India.
Festival Highlights:
At DASTAK 2024, attendees can look forward to an immersive and vibrant experience in storytelling, theatre, short films and interactive exchanges with reputed directors. The festival will commence with a grand launch event, setting the stage for an exciting celebration of the arts. Audiences will be treated to daily performances featuring five curated 20-minute plays, each offering a unique narrative highlighting Singapore and India’s diverse storytelling traditions. In addition to these captivating plays, the festival will present a selection of curated short films from Singapore and India, screened daily to provide a rich visual bonanza. Engaging in panel discussions and thought-provoking dialogues with theatre directors and filmmakers will add to the learning of the participants. For those eager to dive deeper, workshops led by industry experts will provide hands-on opportunities in filmmaking and theatre. Interactive pop-ups throughout the festival will further enhance the experience with dynamic cultural activities.
In the lead-up to the festival, DASTAK 2024 is creating opportunities to engage with the community by curating scripts, plays, and films through a jury selection process. It will also host short filmmaking workshops in select schools and colleges across Gujarat. This comprehensive approach will further enable a rich and engaging experience for all attendees, celebrating the intersection of storytelling through theatre and films, culture, and social impact.
About DASTAK:
Founded by Shalaka Ranadive in Singapore, DASTAK has earned recognition for fostering cultural exchange between Singapore, India, and Malaysia. The festival continues to push boundaries with innovative productions, offering a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talents. Over the years, DASTAK has attracted over 1,000 attendees per edition, supported by 50+ cast and crew.
About Page to Stage:
Founded by Suchitra Parikh and Neena Arora in Vadodara, Page to Stage offers a platform for children and adults of all ages and abilities to find their voice through theatre. Page to Stage has produced more than 30 plays and productions in Vadodara, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Under its vertical “Theatre for a Cause’, Page to Stage collaborates with NGOs and social causes to further their message through storytelling, offering theatre to underprivileged and disadvantaged communities.
About 3 Peepul Productions:
Founded by Neena Arora, Priya Krishnaswamy, and Suchitra Parikh in Vadodara, 3 Peepul Productions is a film production house focused on stories rooted in the Indian ethos. Their first short film “Vishwamitri Villa, shot on Zoom, was a fully improvised, inclusive, experimental short film; the cast has deaf and hearing amateur teenagers with Hindi, English, Gujarati and Indian Sign Language, English. The film has won awards at several USA, UK, and UAE film festivals. Their first feature film, “Kundaalu”, won 7 awards at Jaipur International Film Festival-JIFF 2024.
Join us at DASTAK 2024: Theatre and Short Film Festival, in Vadodara from 22nd to 24th November, where theatre and films meet purpose and creativity, resulting in positive social impact.
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