I design and lead initiatives for children and aspiring artists of all ages to explore and share their creativity. My goal is to create spaces for self-expression, creative discovery and connections.
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I pursue this through three initiatives:
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Creative Learning and Expressions Program: This program facilitates children’s connection with themselves and their surroundings, allowing them to express their aspirations and ideas through writing, art, and performance-based activities. It aims to promote emotional and creative growth while supporting their adaptation to the changes around them.
Kauri: Located in Varanasi, Kauri is a centre for art and storytelling. It aims to create opportunities for children to explore their creative interests and connect with artists from diverse backgrounds. The centre hosts a children’s library, art gallery and studio, dramatics and screening area, and a multi-purpose community hall.
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Mysticeti: An online art community and journal that supports writers and artists of all ages in curating and showcasing their work.
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Before starting these initiatives, I worked on international development projects with the United Nations Office in Geneva, Development Alternatives, and Quicksand Design Studio.I graduated with a Master’s in Public Policy from King’s College London with a scholarship.
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I live in Varanasi and Goa, and outside of my work, I enjoy scuba diving, sketching, and reading.
"Run by Stuti Sareen, Mysticeti is part of the niche albeit growing, set of cultural experience centres located in tier 2 and 3 cities and towns. These centres are not just opening up new ways of thinking about art but are also rooted in the context of the city, and have emerged as meaningful spaces for both locals and families visiting from other parts of the county."
Featured Projects
Kauri, Centre for Art & Storytelling
Case: Creative Programming
The first series of workshops at Kauri introduced children in Varanasi to new artists, experts, and areas of art, including poetry, foraging, zine-making, comic-making, stop-motion animation, short story writing, mixed media art, and world-building. These workshops were facilitated by a group of artists from across India. My role involved curating the workshop series, collaborating with the artists, and managing outreach and registrations. Despite the challenge of introducing these new creative areas to the community, I reached the maximum registration limit. In the coming months, workshops with different experts will be organised at varying frequencies to continue providing children with diverse and enriching experiences.
Mysticeti
Case: Curatorial Publishing
Mysticeti’s online journal is a curated collection of short stories and artist features. It has a growing archive of over 50 carefully crafted stories by both emerging and established writers.
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Each story is edited in collaboration with contributors and curated to ensure it visually reflects the story’s unique essence. My role at Mysticeti involves overseeing open calls for submissions, selecting stories for publication, and managing the editing and curation process on the website and across digital channels.
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What makes Mysticeti stand out is its commitment to creative freedom—it does not impose fixed themes or a strict publishing schedule. This flexibility allows Mysticeti to feature a wide variety of voices and artistic expressions.
creative learning and expressions program
Case: Play-based Learning
Slogan Impact is a card game born from discussions with children (ages 7-9) about key challenges faced by India. The children brainstormed solutions and expressed them as slogans, which were then turned into mixed-media posters. These posters became part of a card game where players match solution-based slogans with problem scenario cards.
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I designed the session and curated the card game, which is now played by the children's school community, across age groups. Slogan Impact is also available as a game set for other child development initiatives and community spaces interested in it.
Kauri, Centre for Art & Storytelling
Case: Children's Community Space
The children's library at Kauri is my favourite room, and it’s a space that captivates visitors as soon as they step inside. It houses a carefully curated collection of level-specific children's books on themes such as people and places, art, identity, social movements, and folk stories, among others. The library is thoughtfully designed as a reader-centred environment and visually engaging displays. It also features a digitised, user-friendly self-issue system that is both efficient and cost-effective.
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I led every aspect of the library’s creation—from designing the space and curating the book collection from various bookstores to developing the self-issue system.
Mysticeti
Case: Storytelling in product development
I conceptualised "Maple" in collaboration with the home decor and art studio, Armatuer. Each candle in this collection is paired with a story card, designed to match the candle's fragrance and evoke a sense of calmness. I wrote the stories and supported the design of the products.
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"Maple" has gained attention for its design-forward approach, being featured by Vogue, and for its immersive concept by The Hindu. This project reflects my interest in blending art, storytelling, and everyday objects into a calming experience.
creative learning and expressions program
Case: Reflective Storytelling
A Little Girl Named India is a collection of short stories and poems by children aged 8-11 at Kenzen School, where they personified India as a girl their age. Through this imaginative exercise, the children explored how India might look, her travels, values, and personality traits, reflecting their aspirations and hopes for their country.
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This collection was shared as an online zine and podcast with the school community and is available to read or listen to upon request. I designed and facilitated the sessions, curated the publication and the podcast.
Collaborate
Creative Learning and Expressions Program
The Creative Learning and Expression Program uses a child-centered, inquiry-based approach to facilitate children’s connection with themselves and their surroundings, allowing them to express their aspirations and ideas through writing, art, and performance-based activities. It aims to promote emotional and creative growth while supporting their adaptation to the changes around them.
The program's design and implementation are adaptable to the needs of different schools and community spaces.
Co-host an art or literary event
I design art and literary events that allow participants to interact with various mediums and express their thoughts. These events are typically facilitated with a small group of participants and can be organized as part of Mysticeti's Pod (a reading and writing group), at Kauri (which offers spacious areas with equipment and display options), or at your community space.
Curate mixed-media stories and art for publication
I curate mixed media stories and art for both online and offline publications. These projects welcome contributions from all age groups, including children.
Facilitate a workshop at Kauri
Kauri welcomes artists from all fields to facilitate workshops for all age groups. Our centre provides a supportive space for creative exploration and skill-building.
Share a story with Mysticeti's Journal
Receive editing and publishing support for your stories and artwork through Mysticeti's Journal. Mysticeti provides accessible services to edit and curate your work, and share it with a wider audience through our platforms.