For collaboration between three contemporary dancers from different regions who will work with a sculptor and a musician to create new pieces of individual and group choreography. A network of contemporary dance practitioners is a possible outcome.
For a visual artist and a carpenter/carver from Mumbai, Adivasi wood carvers, and traditional painters and bell-metal sculptors from Madhya Pradesh, to appreciate one another’s aesthetic concerns, techniques, processes and milieu. An art historian will document their interaction and they will develop wooden sculptures to be exhibited in Kondagaon, Bastar District and at urban public sites.
For a theatre director, a contemporary actor and an exponent of the classical theatre of Kerala to jointly develop actor-training methods and explore how the language and content of Koodiyattam and Nangiar Koothu can be made more contemporary and accessible. The interaction will lead to two productions.
For the study and documentation of the commercial visual art of Calcutta at the turn of the century. The project will result in an illustrated monograph and an extensive visual archive of prints, paintings, illustrations and photographs that is expected to open up new avenues for research in history and cultural studies.
For an interdisciplinary study and documentation of five significant compositions of south Indian classical musician-saint Muttusvami Diksitar, resulting in an audio-visual archive. The study hopes to contribute fresh theoretical perspectives to ethnomusicology, music theory and cultural anthropology.
For the development of a manual/activity book to sensitise students to Indian craft traditions, craftspersons and their social environment. The manual is intended for use in educational institutions run by central and state governments, and national NGOs.
For the study of Karaga, a traditional ritual practice in honour of Draupadi, viewed as a social performance. The published outcome is expected to contribute to studies that probe the intersections between cultural anthropology and performance studies.
For assessing, documenting and cataloguing an existing collection of photographs, magazines, books and videos on Indian and Asian cinema. The project is expected to add value to the only library and archive of its kind in North India and strengthen its position as a film centre.
For the survey and documentation of the problems and needs of Indian museums of art and archaeology. INTACH’s subsidiary, the Advanced Centre for Conservation Research and Training, Lucknow, will closely examine the current status of museums and bring out a report that outlines nationwide strategies to improve their functioning.
For research and documentation of the history and practice of cinematography in India, throwing fresh light on visual aesthetics. The study is expected to result in articles for film magazines and journals and a possible book on Indian cinematography. The resulting material will be placed with institutions that teach and archive film.
For the development of a new analysis of the evolution and structure of ragas in Hindustani classical music based on movements and their interplay. The ensuing publication in Hindi and Marathi is expected to facilitate the teaching of raga sangeet at music institutions and university departments.
For research and documentation of the educational practices within the performing art traditions of Kerala. The study will lead to a teaching methodology for a proposed school for the performing arts, with a specific focus on modern dance. Audio and video recordings and a computerised information bank are the anticipated outcomes.
For preparatory research towards the development of a concept and treatment for a film on the crafts persons of Shahjahanabad. The study will document personal histories, religio-spiritual foundations of crafts traditions, and the effects of unplanned urbanisation on the cultural ethos of the area.
