Chennai MS Festival

Area of Learning
Exploring Cultural Waves: Celebrating diversity and understanding how cultural shifts shape our world
This festival invites young people to explore how culture evolves and influences identity, community, and creativity—celebrating difference while building connection through the language of theatre.

Festival Story
The festival story is the central idea that inspires exploration and creative work throughout an ISTA festival.

Cultural Experience
Set in the vibrant city of Chennai, participants will experience the richness of South Indian culture through a visit to Dakshinachitra Museum: a living heritage museum. The day will include a guided tour, traditional South Indian dance performances, and, where possible, interactive workshops—offering students an immersive cultural experience to spark creative inquiry and reflection. Website: Final details to be confirmed.

ISTA Global Challenge
This festival is part of ISTA’s season-wide theme: Waves of Change. The challenge invites students to explore how change—across cultures, communities, environments, and histories—shapes the way we live and create. Through collaborative theatre-making, students will reflect on the impact of cultural shifts and their role in shaping a more connected world.

Festival Schedule

• Start: Friday, February 2026 8:30 AM
• End: Sunday, March 1 2026 3:45 PM

Educator Workshops

• One theatre focused workshop for teacher chaperones
• Collaborative resource-sharing sessions

Booking secures your place at an ISTA festival by providing estimated participant numbers and paying a deposit. Registration finalises all participant details to support accurate planning for workshops, catering, and logistics.

Booking

• Opens: 9:00am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Before booking, ensure your school can attend by confirming:
  
  • Travel restrictions and visa requirements
  • Parental approval
  • School authorisation
• At the time of booking, you must provide:
  
  • Estimated number of students
  • Estimated number of educators
  • Lead educator contact details

Deposit & Confirmation

• Once booked, you’ll receive an invoice for a 50% deposit based on student numbers. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Booking is only confirmed once the deposit is received (within 30 days).
• Please only book spaces you are confident you can fill.

Registration

• Opens: 9:00am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Closes: 11:59 pm (UK time), Friday 19 December 2025
• Once registration opens, schools with confirmed places should complete participant registration as soon as possible. You’ll need to provide final student and educator details along with confirmed travel information.

Changes in Student Numbers

• Fewer students than booked? Deposits for those students are forfeited.
• Need more students? Additional spaces may be requested. A 50% deposit per added student will apply.

Waitlist

• If the event reaches capacity, it will be marked Waitlist.
• To be added to the waitlist, email the Event Manager with your requested number of students and educators. Spaces will be offered in the order requests are received.

ISTA festivals follow a two-step automated payment process:

Step 1: 50% Deposit at Booking

• Upon booking, a 50% deposit is required to secure your place. This deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• Bookings are only confirmed once the deposit has been successfully paid.

Step 2: Final Balance After Registration Closes

• After registration closes, schools will be automatically invoiced for the remaining 50% of fees, based on the final number of students registered, plus any applicable surcharges.

Changes in Student Numbers

• Fewer students than booked: Deposits for non-attending students will be forfeited. (e.g. If 15 students are booked but only 10 attend, the deposit for 5 students is not refunded.)
• Additional students: A 50% deposit per added student will be invoiced at the time of the increase.

Arrival & Departure

• Arrival: Afternoon of Thursday 26 February
• Departure: Evening of Sunday 1 March 2026

Transport

• Nearest Airport: Chennai International Airport (MMA)
• Participants will be met at the airport by a representative from the school and tranferred to the hotel by private bus
• Participants will be returned to the airport directly after the event ends on Sunday afternoon
• Travel time between the airport and hotel/school is approximately 30-45 minutes depending on traffic
• Please allow adequate time to account for traffic when booking flights.

Visas

• It is the responsibility of the schools/participants to ensure they have the appropriate visas, as required.
• Please ensure that you start looking into visa requirements sooner rather than later as the process can take a significant amount of time.
• If you require assistance or additional documentation to support your visa applications please ensure to contact the event manager well in advance.

Accommodation

• This is a hotel stay event.
• Participating schools are responsible for arranging their own accommodation

Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway
110 Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Old, Mahabalipuram Rd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041

Contact: Noel Sydney: sales01@hichennaiomr.com

Cost Estimate per room/night with breakfast:

Single room: 9.500 INR + 18% tax
Twin/double room: 11,500 INR +18% tax
Triple room: 14,000 INR + 18% tax

Travel time between the hotel and school is approximately 10 minutes by private bus.
The host school will arrange local transportation during the festival.

🍏 Lunches for all three days and two evening meals are provided by the host as part of this event. Please note this does not include an evening meal the night before the event starts.

Appropriate attire

• All participants must bring clothing that is suitable for physically active workshops during the day (athletic wear, PE kit, performance blacks, etc.)

Please note

• Participants not dressed appropriately for physically active workshops may be asked to sit out.
• Participants may be asked to remove footwear, jewellery etc. for some workshops.
• Chewing gum is not permitted in any of the workshop spaces.

Materials

• Pens, pencils, highlighters etc. for notetaking.
• Refillable water bottle

📄 E-Programmes containing detailed schedules, artist bios, and key event information will be sent to participating organisations two weeks before the event.