NEXT Centres are design-led interventions for the future

NEXT is an initiative of the Saraf Foundation, guided by the three pillars of Purpose (Personal), Action (Local), and Impact (Global). Each NEXT centre is shaped by the unique identity of its location and the communities it serves.

It supports community-led initiatives that address local challenges through collaboration, creative learning, and innovation in art and design, helping build sustainable and resilient futures.

As an evolving platform, NEXT brings together communities, artists, designers, educators, and researchers to exchange knowledge, experiment with ideas, and develop creative, context-specific solutions with sustainable action.

Each initiative combines storytelling, creative learning, immersive experiences, and interactive interpretation to make complex social and environmental issues engaging, accessible, and relevant to diverse audiences.

The Foundation currently operates two NEXT centres: Taragaon NEXT in Kathmandu, a cultural hub where architecture, art, and creative learning converge; and Sagarmatha NEXT in Syangboche, along the trail to Everest Base Camp, where initiatives focus on sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship in partnership with local communities in the Khumbu region.

The Saraf Foundation is expanding the NEXT platform across South Asia by establishing new centres that respond to local contexts while fostering meaningful collaboration, learning, and exchange.

Taragaon Next

In 1970, this structure was designed by architect Carl Pruscha as the Taragaon Hostel, which over the years, inevitably succumbed to neglect, until it was restored as a museum and subsequently rediscovered as Taragaon Next – a dynamic cultural center with exhibition galleries, contemporary art spaces, a library, a museum, and archival collections open to all scholars.

Find out about Taragaon Next

Sagarmatha Next

Sagarmatha Next facilitates research on sustainable practices, ecology, and grassroot education interventions. In collaboration with EcoHimal Nepal, Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, and the Himalayan Museum and Sustainable Park, we constructed this center with thepurpose to preserve the local textures of the Khumbu region amidst growing concerns on our carbon footprint.

Find out about Sagarmatha Next

Creative Learning

The Saraf Foundation’s focus, a belief that leads every initiative we lead, is to encourage learning, no matter the age. We believe that everyone has an innate curiosity that we want to foster, and we want to do so by creating experiential learning opportunities for people.

This belief has led us to develop Creative Learning as a core program for each of our initiatives. By encouraging visitors to become learners in our spaces, we are allowing for regular discussions about people’s experiences.

Find out about our Creative Learning programs

Residencies

Each of our institutions host specific kinds of residencies. While NAA has more research and archive based residencies, Sagarmatha Next and Taragaon Next host artist residencies, each focusing on issues that pretain to their geographical location.

Find out about our residencies

Partnerships

At the Saraf Foundation, we believe in working collaboratively to create conversations and spaces. We have collaborated with various organizations, individuals and institutions to host various programs and projects that foster the exchange of ideas.

Find out about our partnerships