Listening Post #2: We at IFA are listening | Register to share with us on Zoom on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 (CLOSED)

India Foundation for the Arts (IFA), like everyone else is worried and anxious about the toll COVID-19 will take on our lives - in the present as well as the near future. The people of the arts and culture world, who we aim to serve, are finding themselves in vulnerable positions both socially and economically. The already fragile ecosystem is perhaps near breaking point.

The team at IFA has been discussing what we should do. As facilitator, catalyst and provocateur in the field, what should our role be? While discussing this we also realised that artists are the hopemakers of the world. We wondered how they will cope and adapt to the new realities and wade through this crisis?

We would like to listen to you - artists, scholars, managers of arts venues, production professionals, arts managers, festival organisers, everyone who sees themselves as part of this arts and culture community in the country.  We would like to listen to your thoughts on how the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has affected your life, your anxieties, your restlessness, your challenges, your hopes, and ideas to adapt and renew. We would also like you to tell us what you would like us to do.

With this in mind, IFA created a Listening Post on April 13, 2020 where 27 artists came and shared their worries about their work, and their suggestions for IFA. It was an experience of deep connection and learning in our isolated times. IFA is creating another Listening Post on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 from 02:30 PM to 04:30 PM via zoom.

If you would like to participate in the same, please write to darshana@indiaifa.org by 12:00 PM (noon) on Friday, April 17, 2020, with your language preference and a short bio of 100 words. Since we would like to have enough time and attention for everyone, we would do this session with 30 people participating. Those participating will receive the Zoom link on mail by Monday, April 20, 2020.

Please know that we will be recording the session for institutional purposes, but it will not be made public.