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Kerala is set to host MATRA: Find Your Rhythm, a new five-day design retreat that will bring together up to 400 designers, architects, artisans, chefs, musicians, filmmakers, technologists and cultural practitioners from across disciplines. The inaugural edition of MATRA, presented by MATRA Design Foundation, will take place from December 2–6, 2026, at the Avani Institute of Design Campus, Thamarassery, Kozhikode.
The retreat was introduced in Bengaluru at The Circle, an intimate gathering that brought together leading voices from architecture, design, art and the creative community to experience the vision behind MATRA and preview the first edition. The gathering featured Tony Joseph, Principal & Partner, Stapati; Bijoy Ramachandran, Partner, Hundred Hands; Naresh Narasimhan, Managing Partner, Venkataramanan Associates; Vinu Daniel, Founder, Wallmakers; Brijesh Shaijal, Founder, DAC Global; Sanjay Mohe, Principal Architect, Mindspace Architects; George Seemon, CEO & Design Director, Stapati; Anupama, Senior Partner, Stapati Global; Ravindra Kumar, Principal Architect, Pragrup Architects; Anant Tambade, Design Leader, Microsoft; Alicia Souza, Illustrative Designer; Chitra Viswanath, Principal Architect, Biome Environmental Solutions; Aparna Narasimhan, Partner and Design Director, Venkataramanan Associates among others.
MATRA is envisioned as a living retreat rather than a conventional conference, bringing together disciplines that are typically experienced separately. Architecture will meet music, craft will meet technology, and food will meet film, creating a space where practitioners can exchange ideas, make things together and experience different forms of creative practice. The retreat will bring together architecture, product, music, film, food, technology, craft and art under one roof.
The five-day experience is designed to begin from the moment participants arrive in Kerala. Mornings will include yoga, bird walks and breathing sessions, followed by talks, shared meals, workshops and informal dialogues. Evenings will bring participants together through music, games, fire and shared dinners, allowing conversations to continue beyond formal programming.
“Design is not an isolated act of making. It is a cultural force that shapes how we live together,” said Tony Joseph, Principal & Partner, Stapati. “MATRA creates the conditions for design to be experienced as dialogue, as environment, and as shared inquiry. By bringing together material innovation, craft intelligence, digital tools, and spatial thinking within Kerala’s landscape, we hope to nurture a more human, forward-looking way of practicing design.”
The idea behind MATRA is rooted in its name, which refers to rhythm, and in the belief that different creative disciplines can find a shared rhythm while retaining their distinct perspectives. The MATRA identity was unveiled in Kozhikode on August 8th, 2026, by Brinda Somaya, Founder & Principal Architect, Somaya Sampat, marking the beginning of the initiative.
“MATRA means rhythm, and I think we all need to find the rhythm of our lives. What I find most interesting is the combination of architecture, food and film, and the way these disciplines can interact with each other rather than remain separate. I think that is very unique. India needs this, and I do hope this idea spreads across our country, which is so full of young and talented people working across design, living, culture and experience,” said Brinda Somaya, Founder & Principal Architect, Somaya Sampat.
Rather than structuring the retreat around a conventional conference format, MATRA is designed to create opportunities for interaction throughout the day. Talks will be complemented by hands-on workshops, shared meals, walks and informal conversations, with the intention of allowing ideas to develop through sustained engagement. The organisers describe the first edition as deliberately intimate, with participants able to engage meaningfully with one another rather than remain an audience.
The retreat will also extend beyond its invited community. The final day will be opened to the public, students and young practices from across Kerala, creating a wider space for participation and exchange.
MATRA is conceived as the first step towards an ongoing platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The December retreat will bring together studios, institutions, patrons and community practitioners with the larger ambition of building relationships and collaborations that continue beyond the five days.
