Naadlok is an artist community centre for Talent Development, Innovation & Research, Culture Preservation, and Industry Collaboration which is being developed in Jambhulpada, around 100 kms from Mumbai.

Naadlok is founded by Mahesh Babu and Nandini Mahesh (Founder & Director of Banyan Tree Events) under Banyan Tree’s non-profit organisation - Tender Roots Academy of Performing Arts.

To support and build a world-class performing arts centre Banyan Tree is organizing a grand Classical Music Concert 'Splendor of Masters' in Mumbai.

The festival features three exceptional musical minds - each bringing forth their unique artistic flair and genius for Mumbai’s audiences. These include instrumental performances by Rakesh Chaurasia (Flute) and Rahul Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor), then culminating with a vocal recital by the legendary Hariharan (Khayal, Thumri and Ghazals).

The proceeds from this event will go towards supporting the next phase of construction at Naadlok. This will play a vital role in the conscious promotion and propagation of our rich intangible cultural heritage. 

Naadlok is more than just a space, it is a vision, a sanctuary, and a movement dedicated to fostering artistic excellence. As an artist community centre, Naadlok is serving as an incubation and acceleration hub where the performing arts ecosystem is being nurtured, nourished, healed, and blossomed. The world of performing arts thrives on creativity, collaboration, and continuity. However, despite the immense talent within the community, there remains an unmet need for a tangible space where artists can hone their craft, engage in research, preserve cultural heritage, and push the boundaries of innovation. Naadlok is being developed to be that space—a dedicated environment for artists to grow and inspire.

Currently, many talented artists lack the infrastructure, support, and resources to explore, experiment, and excel. Traditional spaces are often fragmented, commercialized, or inaccessible. Naadlokis a first-of-its-kind centre designed to supportstate-of-the-art facilities for rehearsals, performances, and workshops; research and innovation labs; a nurturing space for cultural preservation; mental and physical wellness programs for artists and industry collaborations connecting artists with mentors, institutions, and global platforms.

Naadlok’s vision has already started to manifest. As part of the first phase, through the ‘Kamaicha Project’ Naadlok is reviving the Manganiyar music by empowering senior artists to pass on their knowledge about the instrument and sensitizing young Manganiyar to this rich legacy. This has resulted in a sustainable model comprising mentorship & knowledge transfer, providing financial assistance to aspiring Kamaicha artist to pursue their dream and helping them collaborate with mentors and institutions to provide a platform for showcasing their talent.These steps are ensuring that this indigenous instrument does not fade into obscurity.

In addition, Naadlok has been conducting folk artist community camps with an intention to map, document and revive rare folk forms of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal. These camps are serving as a listening space for folk artists, allowing them to share their challenges, aspirations, and visions for the future of their art.

Through these engagements, it has been possible to identify a wide variety of endangered folk formsfrom obscure tribal musical traditions to rare storytelling performances, understand the reasons behind the decline of these traditionsincluding economic struggles, lack of performance opportunities, and generational disconnect. The team at Naadlok has been providing professional advisory assistanceto equip them with marketing strategies to increase their visibility and reach wider audiences.

Through numerous workshops, the impact has been fulfilling. Many of the rare art forms have been identified and reintroduced to contemporary platforms, ensuring their continuity. Through skill development and artistic refinement folk artists have received expert guidance to enhance their performance techniques, making their art more engaging while preserving its originality.

As part of talent development, the aspiring artists have been guided to market their talent effectively, which has resulted them to generate more performance opportunities and income, creating a sustainable livelihood.Young artists have been inspired to take up traditional folk forms, ensuring they do not disappear with the older generation.

Join us in shaping the next chapter of performing arts. Together, let’s build Naadlok.

Details:

Venue: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA

Day & Date: Thursday, 27^th March 2025

Time: 6:15 pm onwards

Tickets: BookMyShow.com.