Announces top 100 finalists for its coveted scholarship and mentorship program

Bangalore, October 2020: SIFF Young Artiste2020, a national level talent competition across various genres of music and dance, today announced their Top 100 finalists. The initiative received over 12000 entries across India from students between the ages of 11-18 to find avenues to pursue arts. Earlier this year, the program was launched by maestros of international stature such as Amjad Ali Khan, Terence Lewis, Shovana Narayan, Shalmali Kholgade and Aruna Sairam.

The Top 100 finalists are being conferred with scholarships worth Rs. 25 lakhs involving a high-quality mentorship program and cash awards at the finale. The finalists are currently joining the Young Artiste Advanced Mentorship Programme (YAMP) in which they would be mentored in their chosen area. Music and dance virtuosos such as Dr. L Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Madhavi Mudgal have consented tomentor the participants. Additionally, experts in the field such as Rukmini Vijayakumar (Bharatanatyam), Anupama Bhagwat (Sitar/Sarod), Nikhita Gandhi (Indian & Western Vocal), Sagar Bora (Hip-Hop), among others, will be driving the category specific sessions. The finale, which will be a showcase of the exceptional talent recognized, will be hosted in accordance with the evolving COVID-19 situation and government guidelines issued at the time.

“It has been extremely rewarding to bear witness to the process of unearthing these exceptional talents and we are proud to announce the selected finalists. We are thankful to the mentors and jurors who have been so kind as to join us in this endeavor” said Kavita Iyer, Co-founder, Young Artiste

Young Artiste Season 1 received a tremendous response, with entries pouring in from various parts of the country. We’ve had participants all the way from Ujjain to Imphal, from the capital of Delhi to the culturally rich Dimapur, from North 24 Parganas to Udupi and Kozhikode! As the nation went into lockdown and art became a luxury for most, we continued to strive for the zenith of this competition and conducted auditions in the most unpredictable manner. The finalists have demonstrated exceptional prowess and command over their respective fields and an unwavering passion towards pursuing the arts, each in their unique ways. We’ve seen students coming from artistic families and oneswho do not have anyone to share their interest in dance with. Spanning across demographics. During this process of witnessing thousands of stories in our search for India’s best, we have definitely learnt one thing – Art knows no discrimination, no boundaries. Anyone can be an Artiste!

“Young Artiste has been instituted with the view to set up a national level platform to tap into and recognize the hidden potential of young artistes in India and provide a fertile learning ground for them to harness their skills. Furthermore, we are certain that the mentorship program and the opportunity to interact with diverse art forms, will surely aid in broadening their scope of knowledge and exposure.” said Sandeep Singhal, Trustee SIFF

YAMP will involve a combination of masterclasses, workshops, and collaborations among fellow Young Artistes in preparation for the finale performance. Young Artiste has an esteemed panel of jury who have been involved in the judging process since the inception of the program and these experts will be conducting the workshops for YAMP for each of the 20 categories.

“I am happy to be associated with the Young Artiste Mentorship Program. India is a country that is packed with hidden talent, waiting to be discovered. It is indeed encouraging to meet these budding artists. I applaud SIFF – Young Artiste for doing a wonderful job of discovering and nurturing our nation’s talented youth”, said Dr. L. Subramaniam, Young Artiste Mentor.

The Young Artiste Advanced Mentorship Program is set to be a gamechanger in arts education, providing pathbreaking exposure to the students across India and building a community of likeminded artistes. To access the full list of the selected 100 finalists, you can visit the Young Artiste website.

Young Artiste Journey: https://youtu.be/kwVrSloA_v0

About Young Artiste 2020

Young Artiste 2020 is a national level talent competition for school children across India. The purpose of the platform is to provide motivation and accreditation to students. Young Artiste wishes to award and encourage as many students as possible and hence will be conferring 100 scholarships worth 25 Lakhs to the finalists in all the 20 categories. It aims to find and celebrate truly outstanding student talent and support them in their journey through Arts. The students will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform on a national stage, acknowledged and mentored by the finest and legendary artists in the country namely Amjad Ali Khan, Terence Lewis, Shovana Narayan, Shalmali Kholgade, Aruna Sairam and many more. Their guidance, mentorship and knowledge are crucial in creating the Young Artiste Experience.

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