We are proud to share that FolkDeep’s founder, Samridhi Saini, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Arts & Culture Champion of the Year Award at the MRANI Awards 2026.
This recognition is a meaningful milestone not only for Samridhi personally, but also for the journey of FolkDeep and the communities, cultural traditions, stories, and memories that continue to shape our work.
FolkDeep was founded on the belief that culture is not something distant, static, or confined to institutions. It lives in people and everyday life — in storytelling, movement, food, rituals, art, memory, and the traditions that travel across generations and borders.
Through FolkDeep, Samridhi has worked to create spaces where these traditions can be experienced, shared, and reimagined in ways that bring people and communities together.
Being recognised in Northern Ireland makes this achievement particularly special. Northern Ireland has played a significant role in the development of FolkDeep, providing the environment in which many of its early ideas, workshops, collaborations, and community connections began to take shape.
This nomination also reflects the contribution of the many communities, organisations, participants, and collaborators who have been part of FolkDeep’s journey. Every workshop, conversation, cultural exchange, and shared story has contributed to the wider mission of making cultural heritage more accessible, participatory, and meaningful.
We are grateful to MRANI for recognising Samridhi’s contribution to arts and culture and for celebrating individuals whose work continues to strengthen cultural and community life.
We would also like to congratulate all the other finalists whose work is making a difference across their respective communities.
We now look forward to the MRANI Awards ceremony at Titanic Belfast in October and to celebrating alongside the other finalists.
For FolkDeep, this recognition is another encouraging milestone in our ongoing journey to ensure that culture continues to be lived, shared, remembered, and carried forward.