Arts Educators Converge in Bengaluru for OOTB Soundboard 2026 Symposium
OffSet Education brings its national community of arts practitioners to Bengaluru this Sunday for a high-level summit on pedagogy and creative licensing. The event features specialized workshops and the first public release of data from the OOTB Music Education Survey Report 2025.
Key takeaways
- OOTB Soundboard 2026 transitions from a music-only focus to a multi-disciplinary arts symposium including theatre and dance.
- The event marks the first public reveal of findings from the OOTB Music Education Survey Report 2025.
- Legal expert Sandhya Surendran will provide specialized training on licensing intellectual property and teaching materials.
- The Bengaluru edition introduces a performance showcase specifically for educators to display their artistry alongside their pedagogical skills.
From Digital Experiment to National Network
What began as a pandemic-era podcast has evolved into a national professional network of over 700 arts educators. OffSet Education, founded by Nush Lewis and Shanelle Rodrigues, launched its online community platform in 2024 to address gaps in professional development for music teachers. After a successful pilot in Mumbai, the organization is bringing its flagship symposium, OOTB Soundboard, to The Humming Tree in Indiranagar on August 2, 2026. The move to Bengaluru targets the network’s most active demographic and broadens the event's scope to include practitioners from theatre and dance.
Strategic Workshops and Industry Data
The symposium shifts beyond theory to provide practical assets for arts professionals. Business lawyer Sandhya Surendran will lead a session on the legal complexities of licensing original curricula, while MD Pallavi conducts a workshop focused on creative methodology. A focal point of the day will be the presentation of findings from the OOTB Music Education Survey Report 2025. These data points aim to provide a clearer picture of the instructional environment in India, facilitating a transition from isolated practice to a collaborative industry standard.
Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue and Performance
The event structure emphasizes networking through structured panels and a new performance showcase. Mae Thomas and Wendy Dickson will open with a fireside chat on the relevance of music education, followed by a panel featuring Bindu Subramaniam, Karl Lutchmayer, Shilpa Mudbi Kothakota, and Anupa Gnanakan. In a departure from previous formats, the evening will conclude with performances by educators Vishal Das and Anjali Manoharan, alongside a trio comprising Deepti Bhaskar, Aditi Bharatee, and Amanda Trott. This initiative addresses a specific community request to provide performance platforms for those primarily focused on teaching.
- Event Date: August 2, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM.
- Venue: The Humming Tree, Indiranagar, Bengaluru.
- Registration: ₹1,800 inclusive of lunch and refreshments.
Source: The Hindu – Entertainment
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