Projects + Research
Schwules Museum
Unknown Objects
“A Letter to Our Queer Ancestors” is an incantation for the queer siblings we have lost through out our generations. Part of the “Unknown Object” exhibition at the Schwules Museum, artist were commissioned to write and perform a text for lesser known objects within the Schwules Museum collection.
Goethe Institut + Berlin SenatePoetic Interventions
Poetic Interventions began in 2019 as a process of archiving queer voices through poetry. Initially conceptualized as a day long poetry workshop where queer participants wrote poerty together and then shared their work online grew in 2020 after receiving funding from the Berlin Senate and the Goethe Institute Mumbai. Since then Poetic Interventions has taken place in Germany and in India, been featured in “The Hindu” India’s largest newspaper, and is currently being funded by Migrationsrat and the Berlin Senate towards the publication of it’s first queer poetryzine.
Rituals of Real(ease) x OyoUniverseAncestral Body Noise Residency
Ancestral Body Noise Residency (ABN)- ABN brought together a three year family archival project researching the life of Dr. Vemu Mukunda in Europe. A renowned atomic physicist, Carnatic Classical Musician, creator of the Nada Brahma technique for sound healing Mukunda’s life was largely a mystery to the family. With over three years of interviews, uncovering of lost musical archives, and researching techniques for sound healing this archival project culminated in the creation of a poetry film incorporating the works of Dr. Vema Mukunda and original poetry written by Sailesh Naidu symbolizing the connection with ancestors through ritual practices.
Alexander von Humboldt StiftungGerman Chancellor’s Fellow
Under the mentorship of Chancellor Angela Merkle this two year research fellowship looked out how migrant and refugee youth were engaging with the Berlin public school system. Working with schools, community based organizations, teachers, families, and students this two year study involved interviews, focus groups, in-class room experiences, and workshops to better understand the needs of migrant and refugee students within their educational context.
International Rescue CommitteeRefugee Youth Summer Academy
Sailesh served as the head administrator for the Refugee Youth Summer Academy run by the International Rescue Committee in NYC. Overseeing 100+ volunteers and staff serving close to 200 newly arrived refugee/asylee/migrant youth the Academy sought to provide a safer space for the students to understand what it would be like enter the NYC public school system. Sailesh ensured there was an alignment between all arts-based and academic activities to the IRC social-emotional learning standards. As well as managed the public image and partnerships for the school.
Open Society FoundationsEquity and Sustainability Indicators for the SDG
As a part of a consulting team Sailesh helped co-create learning indicators for equity and sustainability for Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. The team looked at issues of gender, sexuality, abilism, economic status and other factors that may inhibit equitable access to education. Through this consultation process the indicators proposed led to recommendation document published by the Open Society Foundation and presented to larger civil society working groups to ensure multiple perspectives were engaged in the development of the SDG indicators. Read the report here.
Nike FoundationGirl Effect
Girl Effect was an initiative by the Nike Foundation to raise the awareness of investing in adolescent girls in a development context. Part of that mission was to also train private, public, and civil society organizations on how to better work with adolescent girls. Sailesh development the training curriculum as well as implemented trainings to multi-lateral stakeholders at the United Nations, Foreign Ministry levels. He also oversaw trainings that took place for civil society partners in Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.