Toyota Popi Sarmiñ Studio

At the Toyota Popi Sarmiñ Studio, the festival comes alive with free workshops open to everyone. Artists, musicians, designers, and makers lead sessions that spark curiosity, creativity, and conversation. Local schools are also invited in, with dedicated sessions that bring students into this shared journey of learning and discovery. It’s a vibrant space to gather, reflect, learn new skills, and dive into cultural exchange. Whether you’re listening, trying your hand at something new, or simply soaking in the energy, the studio is where ideas flow and communities connect.

 2026 sessions 

Explore Live Electronic Music (ages 14 & above, 05-10 Participants)
Explore the world of live electronic music through hands-on demonstrations and practical exercises. Discover how machines work together to build a live set, create transitions, construct a track from A to Z, process field recordings, and shape energy and dynamics using effects.
Facilitator: Owelle

Explore Traditional Irish Music (ages 18+)
Explore Irish traditional music through rhythm, melody, and song. Discover how the music has evolved over time, learn about its cultural roots, and experiment with its rhythms, sounds.
Facilitator: Saltaire

Explore the Sounds of Jeju,Korea (Open to all) 
Explore the sounds and traditional music of Jeju Island through listening, rhythm, and song. Turn sounds into words and body percussion, learn the call-and-response style of singing, and come together to create and perform a new song.

Flow Arts (Open to all)
The workshop will be focused on disciplines of poi, staff spinning along with different props like dragons and flags which create a state of flow or be in the zone. Participants will learn to move with props and blending that movement into dance.
Facilitator: Ashutosh Anand
A dynamic performer from Ranchi, Jharkhand, blends linguistic precision with kinetic artistry. With over five years of experience, Ashutosh has carved a niche in the movement arts community through his fluid, intricate, and fiery style.

Improv Theatre (ages 12-15, Participants 30)
Explore imagination through drama games, movement and improvisation. Children create together, respond, play and build confidence while discovering that there is no single right answer in creative play.
Facilitator: Abhishek Banerji
Abhishek Banerji is a Karmaveer Chakra Awardee, psychologist, expressive arts therapist, TEDx speaker, and creative leadership consultant. A Gold Medalist from TISS, he blends trauma-informed psychology, expressive arts, and theatre across Clinics, Classrooms, Corporates, and Communities. He has led 500+ wellness sessions, 100+ workshops, and performed in 25+ multilingual plays.

Learn Apatani Pottery (Open to all) (10 Participants)
Explore traditional Apatani pottery through its history, cultural roots, and connection to the Ziro landscape. Learn about the clay, tools, and techniques used to shape pottery, and experience the craft through hands-on making with a traditional artisan.
Facilitator: Dulley Otung
The single surviving woman carrying the traditional pottery knowledge of Bamin Michi. A knowledge holder committed to passing the tradition forward, she carries not only the techniques of Apatani pottery but also the stories, memories, and cultural meanings surrounding this living tradition.

Learn Beat Sampling from South Africa (ages 16+, 05-10 Participants) 
Make music using everyday sounds, and samples from early South African traditional music. Explore field recording, sampling, beat-making, and looping to create and share a short track of your own.
Participants need to carry their phones and headphones.
Facilitator: Naledi Chai

Learn Origami
Discover the Japanese art of folding paper into creative shapes. With easy steps and endless possibilities, participants explore patience, play, and imagination – one fold at a time.
Facilitator: Shubha Das
A storyteller, facilitator and art therapist, who creates story- and art-led experiences that help people slow down, de-stress, and reconnect. She works with diverse audiences across ages and backgrounds, creating spaces for expression, reflection, and connection.

Make Apatani Paddy Flute (Elu) (Open to all)
Craft a flute from paddy stalks and discover its unique tones. Participants learn how this traditional Apatani instrument is made and explore the sounds and stories connected to it.
Facilitator: Narang Yania
An Apatani elder who continues to preserve an old art practice and the local way of life. She transforms paddy stalks into traditional flutes and shares this heritage at the festival, weaving stories and chants into flute-making for an immersive cultural experience.

Make Bamboo String Instruments (ages 15+, 10-15 Participants)
Work together to transform a piece of bamboo into a playable string instrument. Learn and try each step, from measuring and shaping to assembling and stringing, before hearing the finished instrument played on stage.
Facilitator: Rizal Hadi

Music & Rhythm (ages 4-14)
Discover your voice through breathing, rhythm, singing, and playful vocal exercises. Learn simple songs, and enjoy making music together.
Facilitator: Mex Borbora
An independent singer-songwriter and composer and educator from Nagaon, Assam. His music blends folk, indie and contemporary acoustic sounds, rooted in personal stories and the culture of Northeast India. Alongside performing and creating original music, he has conducted vocal, songwriting and composition workshops for 200+ students across Assam, especially focusing on making music fun and accessible for children.

Mindful Movement (ages 18+, 15-20 Participants)
A guided workshop using breathing, rhythm, simple movement, mirroring, and stillness to help participants slow down, connect with their bodies, and be more present. There is no choreography or performance involved; participants are encouraged to move freely and without judgement. The session ends with a calming Zentangle activity. 
Facilitator: Abhishek Banerji
Abhishek Banerji is a Karmaveer Chakra Awardee, psychologist, expressive arts therapist, TEDx speaker, and creative leadership consultant. A Gold Medalist from TISS, he blends trauma-informed psychology, expressive arts, and theatre across Clinics, Classrooms, Corporates, and Communities. He has led 500+ wellness sessions, 100+ workshops, and performed in 25+ multilingual plays.

Self-Expression & Sharing (ages 18+, 15-20 Participants)
A playful, interactive workshop using games, creative activities, and simple exercises to explore imagination, spontaneity, and self-expression. Participants are encouraged to let go of the pressure to be perfect, have fun, and connect with others, followed by a short story and sharing circle to reflect on the experience.
Facilitator: Abhishek Banerji
Abhishek Banerji is a Karmaveer Chakra Awardee, psychologist, expressive arts therapist, TEDx speaker, and creative leadership consultant. A Gold Medalist from TISS, he blends trauma-informed psychology, expressive arts, and theatre across Clinics, Classrooms, Corporates, and Communities. He has led 500+ wellness sessions, 100+ workshops, and performed in 25+ multilingual plays.

Sonic Meditation (ages 16+) 
Explore the sounds of Kashmir through deep listening and guided sonic meditation. Listen to traditional music, environmental sounds, archival recordings, and electronic textures, and discover how sound can shape sensations, evoke imagery, and shift our sense of time and space.
Facilitator: Zequenx

Storytelling (ages 4-14)
Gather around for stories that spark imagination, bring characters to life, and take you on unexpected adventures. A fun session to listen, imagine, laugh, and wonder.
Facilitator-Shubha Das
A storyteller, facilitator and art therapist, who creates story- and art-led experiences that help people slow down, de-stress, and reconnect. She works with diverse audiences across ages and backgrounds, creating spaces for expression, reflection, and connection.

Yoga (ages 18+)
Explore yoga through mindful movement, breathwork, and simple asanas. Adults focus on balance and ease, while children discover yoga through playful movement, breath awareness, and mindful connection.
Facilitator: Kavya
Kavya is a certified yoga instructor based in Goa with 4 years of experience teaching. Her work explores yoga as a tool for mental well-being, nervous system regulation, mindful movement, and deeper body awareness. Her sessions blend traditional yoga practices with an accessible, grounding approach designed to help people reconnect with themselves. 

 

Guitar: From Basics to Jazz 
Explore the language of guitar through melody, harmony, rhythm, scales, and fretboard mapping. Journey through blues, rock, funk, R&B, and soul, and discover how these foundations connect to improvisation, advanced harmony, and jazz.
Facilitator: Sanjay Joseph

 

Live Music Production Workshop 
Follow the making of a track from start to finish as the artist works live, sharing her creative process, decisions, and approach to producing music.
Facilitator:Lua Jungck

 

 

 

 

 

 

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