For research into the poetry of Malayalam poet Kadamanitta Ramakrishnan and the ritual folk performance form, Padayani, towards the creation of a new performance work. The resulting performance will try to combine Kadamanitta’s lyrics, the rhythms and theatrical expressions of Padayani—which the poet often used to accentuate and embellish his public performances—with the sound of rock, reggae and the blues.
For research towards a travelling exhibition kit consisting of materials from the Archives of Indian Labour. This project will also extend earlier research with migrant labourers in Bangalore that culminated in a short film titled In Transience. The kit will make material from the Archives available to a wider public and the footage gathered during the filming of In Transience will be deposited in the Archive.
For research towards a book on the impact of recording technology on South Indian classical music, especially the role played by women singers of the early twentieth century, who adapted an elaborate art form to the demands of a fledgling audio recording medium. The study will reconstruct the lives of these forgotten women and analyse how their refashioning of ragas and compositions for the three-minute recording format contributed to the subsequent development of Carnatic music.
For the creation of a contemporary soundtrack for a silent India film. The soundtrack will be performed live alongside the film at a gallery or an old cinema theatre in Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. While attracting a newer and wider audience for the film, the soundtrack will respect the original ‘silent’ pacing and mood of the film in order to preserve the feel of the pre-talkies era.
For a one-day symposium on 'Theatre Pedagogy for Children' and a ‘Teacher Training Initiative’, both intended to spark a long-term engagement of teachers with education through theatre. Ranga Shankara will organise these two-day activities under the umbrella of its first ever theatre festival for children. Some of the teachers from Kali-Kalisu workshops will also participate in the one-day training.
For a residency programme which nurtures collaboration and exchange among emerging Indian artists. Four artists from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds will spend three months at the BAR1 studios in Bangalore, developing individual pieces of art work and interacting with fellow artists. The artists’ work in progress will be exhibited at the end of the residency.
For a three-month residency programme for emerging Indian artists from an extended field of arts practice, towards nurturing collaborations and collective exchange. Six artists from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds will spend between six weeks and three months at the BAR1 studios in Bangalore, developing individual pieces of art work and interacting with fellow artists. A public event showcasing the artists’ work in progress will be held at the end of the residency.
For training teachers in using the visual arts to enhance the quality of elementary education in several districts of Karnataka. This project will upscale the Art-in-Education component of the earlier District Quality Education Programme in Chamrajnagar district and simultaneously extend it to select blocks in several other districts.
For preparatory research and documentation towards a dance production titled Dance and the City. Four dancers will share their personal experiences of Bangalore with one another, record interviews with other city residents, and undertake photo and video documentation. This material will be used to generate narratives and movement ideas that will form the basis of the proposed production.
For research into the oral narrative tradition of Manteswamy, a sixteenth century saint of Karnataka, and its performance by the Neelagaras, the traditional singers of the Manteswamy epic. The study will excavate the historical origins of the tradition, scrutinise its representation as a Dalit tradition, and examine its contemporary performance contexts.
