[Reader-list] Of art, morality, etc.

[Logos Theatre]

This is a question I'd like to pose to all arts practitioners on this list,
with the hope that it will generate some meaningful discussion. A few days
ago, I received a message on my facebook inbox from an acquaintance who
works for the India Foundation for the Arts. Here is the message, which was
sent to a group of people, most of whom are arts practitioners of some
description or the other:

*"The Theatre Infrastructure Cell at India Foundation for the Arts (IFA)
is looking for a freelance researcher to lead a research project. Here
is a brief description of the role:


Position: Senior Researcher

Location: Bangalore

Project: A baseline study of theatre infrastructure across four
states-Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In each
state, three cities will be covered. We will be capturing information
under the following areas through the study:


• Growth and decline of groups and performances over the last ten years

• The needs and problems faced by performance groups and festival
organizers

• The advantages and disadvantages of performance spaces in each city

• The ways in which grantees of different Tata Trusts have tried to
address some of the needs and issues of performance infrastructure

The Senior Researcher will be responsible for leading the project,
guiding and monitoring the team, analyzing the findings, and preparing
the final reports and databases. He/she will have a team under him/her
which will be responsible for data collection. Research design and
tools will be overseen and guided by us. This is not a full-time
position and the person can work flexitime from home. They will need
to come in to the IFA office for meetings from time to time.


Qualifications:

Experience with guiding / conducting a social research project

Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data

Excellent writing and editing skills in English

A basic understanding of theatre


Project Duration: August 1 - October 15, 2008


If you know anyone who may be interested, please ask them to get in
touch with Anindita Sengupta, Programme Executive (Theatre
Infrastructure Cell), IFA. Email: anindita at indiaifa.org.




----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------

India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) makes grants to individuals and
organizations with the aim of filling important gaps in private and
public assistance for culture and the arts in India. Our grant
programmes variously respond to existing demand for assistance,
provide opportunities for artists to explore untried processes and new
connections in the arts, or address systemic issues in the field.
IFA's grants support all forms of cultural expression, while
accommodating work that falls outside specific domains of art, blurs
disciplinary boundaries or anticipates new modes of artistic
production and presentation.The Theatre Infrastructure Cell (TIC) was
set up earlier this year with the support of the Navajbai Ratan Tata
Trust to look at strengthening theatre infrastructure in the country.
**http://www.indiaifa.org* <http://www.indiaifa.org/>"

To this, I sent a reply (to everyone addressed in the original message)
which was:

*"Off topic, but this a part of this message related to a question I have
been grappling with the last few days:

How does an artist take money from the Tatas and yet retain a shred of
self-respect and ethics?

I happen to be from West Bengal, so I suppose the dillemma is stronger in my
case, because I cannot speak of Singur on the one hand, and grovel with a
begging bowl in front of Ratan Tata on the other. Not that I stand a ghost
of a chance of ever getting a Tata grant - I don't 'belong' to that exalted
circle of artistes with an E after all, nor am I a 'theatre activist' - just
a mediocre chap trying to work with his own ideas of performance making. But
in as much as theatre itself is an act of taking a stance, an act of
principle that takes immense moral courage to execute, I wonder how an
artist or an artiste could work with Tata money (or money from any
organization funded by them) and yet be at peace with himself/herself? And
does such 'art' have any integrity? Any moral leg to stand on?"*

**
This was on July 23rd. Predictably, I received no response to my quarry,
either from the original sender of the message or any of the others in the
thread. Hence, as I said at the beginning, I'd now like to pose the same
question to this group. As arts practitioners, (and assuming that any work
of art, even the most apolitical one, is by definition a stand one takes),
how do you reconcile yourselves (if you do) to asking for grants from the
Tata Trust, or their underlings such as the IFA, knowing full well that the
same corporate is responsible for untold human misery in Singur. Of course,
this is only a case in point. IFA is supported by other entities with
equally unenviable records, and there are other, similar organizations,
though none that I know of profess to be the sole arbiter of what 'art' is
as the IFA does. That's beside the point, but the essential question of the
moral aspect of being an artist, especially one pursuing a non-populist
form, in this age of the politics of grant-making, is hopefully relevant,
and as an arts practitioner, I'd be interested in a few answers.
Warm regards,
Arka




-- 
Logos Theatre
          In the beginning was the word
No. 126,
3rd Main Road,
Jayamahal Extension,
Bangalore 560046
--------------------------------------------------------
If it be now, 'tis not to come;
if it be not to come, it will be now;
if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all.
Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?
Let be.