Sutra – Weaving Arts Practices for Inclusion
A National Conference hosted by Snehadhara Foundation
What Emerged from SUTRA 2026
SUTRA 2026 unfolded as a space of both magic and madness—bringing together 150 individuals across sectors to sit with the idea of inclusion, not as a fixed concept, but as something to be experienced, questioned, and reimagined. What emerged was not a set of answers, but a shared inquiry. Through the arts, inclusion shifted from being something to explain into something lived and felt—in how people listened, engaged, and held space for one another.
The gathering dissolved boundaries between disciplines, allowing participants to see common threads across education, mental health, and community work, and to recognise inclusion as a collective responsibility rather than an individual effort.
More than anything, SUTRA reminded those present that inclusion is not a destination or a checklist—it is an ongoing practice of being, unlearning, and creating together. What remains are not just moments from a day, but threads that continue to extend into future work, conversations, and spaces yet to be held.
The First Weave
Belonging Has a Body: Trauma, Conflict & the Lived Cost of Exclusion
This weave explored how belonging and exclusion are experienced in the body and in everyday life. Bringing together voices working in conflict contexts, child protection spaces, and environments shaped by invisible power dynamics, the conversation reflected on how arts practices create spaces for safety, voice, healing, and resistance. Through stories from their work, the speakers shared moments where the arts shifted their understanding of belonging and inclusion.
Speakers:Â Kumam Davidson, Cristelle Hart Singh, and Romana Shaikh.
The Second Weave
Why Inclusion Is Easier Said Than Done: Practice, Resistance & the Inner Work of the Practitioner
The second weave turned inward to examine what resists when inclusion moves from belief to practice. This conversation brought together practitioners working across community art spaces, institutional settings, and marginalized communities to explore how resistance appears in habits, comfort, and everyday behaviour, and what inner work practitioners must undertake to practise inclusion meaningfully.
Speakers:Â Ashita, Anuradha HR, and Neelansh Sethi.
The Third Weave
What Might Shift if Institutions Embraced the Arts as a Way to Build Cultures of Belonging?: Play. Pause. Presence.
The final weave explored how institutions and cultural spaces can cultivate belonging through presence, play, and pause. Drawing from work across institutional design, education, and embodied practice, the speakers reflected on how the arts can influence the tone, pace, and culture of organisations, inviting a shift from urgency toward more thoughtful and humane ways of working together.
Speakers:Â Meghana Rao, Dr Naveen I Thomas, and Gurupriya Atreya.
The Song of Inclusion
Music became a powerful medium for experiencing inclusion in real time. Vasu Dixit led not just a performance but a collaborative creation. Participants contributed their own thoughts, reflections, and lived experiences of inclusion, which were then woven into the lyrics and composition of the song.
What emerged was a shared piece of art that held multiple perspectives, yet felt cohesive and collective. In this context, inclusion was not discussed as an idea—it was practiced. It meant listening with intent, making space for diverse voices, and allowing the final outcome to be shaped by everyone in the room.
API Journey and Compendium Launch
Positioning Arts Practices for Inclusion as a National Framework for Relational and Systemic Inclusion and Impact | Insights from Snehadhara Foundation’s Journey (2011–2025) was launched at SUTRA 2026, marking a significant milestone in Snehadhara Foundation’s journey of over a decade of practice, research, and reflection.
The launch brought together collaborators and practitioners who have shaped and supported this work, as the compendium was unveiled as a living document—one that captures the evolution of API and opens pathways for continued dialogue, practice, and inquiry into inclusion.