An Open Call at Russian House: The India-Russia Art Festival Wants Classical Performers
Cultural diplomacy has a vocabulary all its own. It speaks of "people-to-people connect", of "bridges", of platforms that are always, somehow, international. Strip the phrasing away and what remains is simpler and older: a stage, an audience from elsewhere, and a performer asked to translate a tradition without words.
That is the offer Bharat Art Conclave is making with the India-Russia Art Festival 2026.
The details
Dates: 13 to 22 November 2026
Venue: Russian House, New Delhi
Disciplines: classical dance; music, both vocal and instrumental; theatre, covering plays and performance
Who can apply: solo artists, ensembles and performance groups
How to take part
Registration runs through Instagram. The organisers ask interested performers to comment "PARTICIPATE" on their post to receive full details and the registration form. Neither the poster nor the caption mentions a participation fee, selection criteria or performance slots, so those are the questions worth asking before committing.
Why it is worth a look
Russian House has long served as a meeting point for the two cultures in the capital, and a ten-day window gives the programme room to breathe. For a young Odissi dancer or a Hindustani vocalist still building a repertoire, a festival stage with a cross-cultural audience is a different kind of education from the sabha circuit.
The festival bills itself as a celebration of "art, culture and people-to-people connect." The phrase is familiar. The opportunity, for the right performer, may be less so.
For another open call doing the rounds this week, read about The Rebel Crowd's search for artists in Jodhpur.
Frequently asked questions
When is the India-Russia Art Festival 2026?
From 13 to 22 November 2026, according to the organiser's poster.
Where is it held?
At Russian House in New Delhi.
Who can apply?
Solo performers, ensembles and groups in classical dance, music (vocal and instrumental) and theatre.
How do I register?
Bharat Art Conclave asks applicants to comment "PARTICIPATE" on its Instagram post to receive details and registration information.
Kenneth Hopkins is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AltBollywood. Indofuturist, posthumanist and unapologetically Indocentric, he describes himself as an epimemeticist, a swaraji, a freakonomist, a lexicographer and a cartochronicler, mapping the ideas, words and quiet shifts that shape Indian entertainment. Follow him on Instagram at @kennethhopkins.
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