Where it began
We started with a simple question.
Where do queer people go when they don't want another party?
In 2022, five humans came together with one shared belief: that community deserves more than a dance floor.
A Rainbow Collective was born from a desire to create spaces where people could feel seen, express themselves freely, and experience genuine connection.
Not everyone fits neatly into the boxes the world creates. Neither do we.
So instead of building another event company, we set out to build a home for the beautifully unexpected — a place where curiosity is welcomed, vulnerability is celebrated, and people are free to arrive exactly as they are.
The collective
Five humans. One vision.
A Rainbow Collective was founded by Vrujen Andhare, Kunal Soni, Jiya Labeija, Ekisha Poddar and Murad Bamehriz, each bringing their own lived experiences, creative practice and perspective. Together, they imagined an umbrella under which artists, performers, activists, dreamers, introverts, extroverts, allies and queer people could all find something that felt like it belonged to them.
Since 2022, ARC has curated more than 30 original experiences across Goa, each designed from the ground up rather than following a formula.
Every gathering begins with
“What experience do people deserve to have?”
“What event should we organise next?”
Because we believe communities aren’t built by programming — they’re built by creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be themselves.
What we make
More than events.
Moments that change people.
You'll never find a single formula at ARC.
Some nights become ballroom competitions where chosen families take the runway. Others become intimate listening rooms filled with poetry and live music. Sometimes we're hosting film screenings, panel discussions and storytelling circles. Other times we're organising queer sports days, dating experiences, drag performances, wellness gatherings, HIV testing camps, sound baths, creative workshops or community meals.
But what we're most proud of isn't the diversity of our events. It's what happens because of them.
01
Artists have stepped onto a stage for the very first time after believing they had nothing to say.
02
Musicians, poets and performers have returned after years away from their craft, finding the confidence to perform again because the room felt safe enough to begin.
03
Someone unsure of their gender identity has spent an evening without feeling pressured to define themselves; to simply exist, ask questions and be held by community.
04
Open mics have become first chapters. Conversations have become friendships. Collaborations have become careers.
05
Ideas shared over a meal or after a performance have gone on to become entirely new collectives, projects and community initiatives across Goa.
For us, success isn't measured by attendance. It's measured by the lives that continue long after the lights go down.
Our values
What we believe.
We believe community is built through shared experiences, and that queer spaces should be joyful without needing intoxication as a fuel. We believe art can be activism, healing and celebration all at once. We believe people don't have to arrive with certainty — you don't need to know your label, your identity or your place in the world before you walk through our doors. You simply need to show up. And we believe the strongest communities are built when queer people, allies, artists, activists and curious strangers gather with empathy, respect and an openness to learn from one another.
Because belonging isn't something you earn. It's something you should be able to feel.
An invitation
Welcome home.
A Rainbow Collective isn't defined by one venue, one founder or one kind of event. It's an evolving community of artists, collaborators, volunteers, performers, partners and first-timers who continue to imagine what artist culture can look like.
Every experience is intentionally designed. Every story adds to ours. Every person who walks through our doors changes what this collective becomes.
We don't curate events. We curate the feeling of finding your people.