My experience at the Departure 2025 conference

It was nice to see someone who looks like me on the stage speaking to the audience while inspiring change for the future conferences to come.

As a Sikh journalist, I’ve covered many conferences. I’ve sat through endless industry panels where the South Asian presence was either non-existent or tacked on like an afterthought. So, walking into Departure 2025, I braced myself for the usual: a sea of industry folks who looked nothing like me, talking about things that had nothing to do with my community.

But what do I experience?

It shook me in the best way possible.

This wasn’t a token moment. This wasn’t "diversity" for the sake of optics. This was our moment. South Asians didn’t just show up at Departure—we took over in the most powerful, intentional, and inspiring way. It felt like witnessing history.

ArtHaus Presents: The Renaissance of South Asian Music

This panel alone was worth the trip. I walked in expecting another polite discussion on diaspora identity and left completely recharged.

Harpo, Divya Jethwani, Trips Tripathi, Neesha Hothi, and Parvesh Dhillon didn’t just talk about music—they spoke of building a legacy. About shaping the sound of the future, not waiting for anyone’s permission. It was electric. They spoke with pride, hunger, and vision. Trips said something that stuck with me: “We’re not fitting in—we’re taking up space.” And I felt that in my bones.

As a Sikh, hearing that in a major conference setting—on a mainstage, not a side room—was almost surreal. We’ve come from playing basement shows and fighting for airtime to being the center of the conversation. This is a renaissance, yes—but it’s also a reckoning. We’re here, and we’re not fading into the background.

Designing Social Change

Harpo reappeared on this panel, and again, I was blown away—not just by him, but by the honesty from the entire group. Social change is messy, vulnerable work, and too often, our communities are left out of those discussions. But this panel pulled back the curtain.

As someone who constantly writes about justice and representation, I felt like I was sitting in a live-action version of all the articles I’ve ever tried to write. Harpo, Keziah Myers, Lesley-Ann Noel, Cynthia Lickers-Sage—they weren’t theorizing. They were living this change. And they reminded me that storytelling is resistance. Representation isn’t about being seen—it’s about being heard, on your terms.

It made me think about how many Punjabi kids are watching the world shift and wondering if there’s space for them. There is. I saw it with my own eyes.

Late Bloomer: Jasmeet Raina

The screening of the Late Bloomer episode 6 was hilarious, yes. But after the laughter, hearing Jasmeet speak about directing “New Canadian” just hit different. He spoke about identity, about belonging, about the weird limbo so many of us live in as children of immigrants trying to do something new while honouring where we came from.

I grew up watching TV that never reflected who I was. Never saw a turban. Never heard Punjabi unless it was the butt of a joke. Watching Jasmeet own that space—not apologetically, but proudly—was deeply emotional. Because it wasn’t just him up there. It was all of us.

This Wasn’t an Afterthought—This Was a Launchpad

Let’s be clear: Departure launching this South Asian programming this year is a huge deal. It tells me this isn’t just a box being checked—it’s a foundation being laid. It’s a signal to South Asian artists, especially Punjabis, that this is your platform too.

And with ArtHaus Music launching the South Asian Music Accelerator (SAMA), it’s obvious this isn’t a one-time celebration. It’s a commitment. Travel covered. Per diems offered. Mentorship, song camps, showcases—it’s everything we’ve always needed, finally being built for us, by people who get it.

I sat in those rooms and thought: Our parents couldn’t even imagine this. And now we’re living it. Creating it. Owning it. Not just making noise, but shifting culture.

Next Year, We Come Back Louder

This year showed us what’s possible. But next year? Next year we will double it. More South Asians. More Punjabis. More unfiltered voices, more music that bumps with truth, more stories that speak from Scarborough to Surrey and everywhere in between.

I walked out of Departure 2025 with more than a notebook full of quotes. I walked out with fire. And I know I’m not the only one.

So here’s to the brown kids with big dreams: We’re not just part of the story anymore—we are the story. And we’re just getting started.