To provide professional development opportunities for the artist
“The concept of an artist-in residence program is no new phenomenon. It existed in ancient India when the kings, wealthy landholders and merchants, invited the artist of their choice to come and spend some years in their courts, cities or villages. The purpose was to give the artists a new ambience to be creative and to share their creativity with the people of the court, kingdom and district.”
– Gowri Ramnarayan
It is notable that these programs benefited not only local artists but also artists from far away. It was not unusual for a Hindustani musician from Lucknow to become a resident in Mysore as a poet/musician laureate. On occasion, Western violinists and pianists were appointed as court musicians.
In Europe, artist groups began to reside in a local site, starting with the Medici family setting up an art academy in Italy around the16th century. Then came the practice of instituting scholarships to assist artists. In the 19th century artist communities were set up in the countryside, both for inspiration and the collaborative development of artistic ideas among the communities.
Artist residencies, as we know them now, sprang up in the 20th century. The idea was certainly to support artists, but with this equally strong corollary – to promote the influence of art on society. In other words, it promotes the influence of society on art so that both artists and people gain from each other’s perspectives on the world and different approaches to life.
More and more people realized that the arts were not meant for an exclusive coterie of the elite but to improve the lives of every member of the community.
Today, globalization has made artists’ residencies more accessible to artists from overseas, with programs including international artists.
A 2013 survey conducted by the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) studied the general motives and intended impacts of artist residency programs.
Collecting data from 18 countries and six continents, IFACCA found the most popular motivations fell under 4 categories:
These four goals apply to both the guest and the host and are hugely beneficial to the community that supports the programme.
GOALS FOR THE DHVANI ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
- Mutual cultural enrichment throughout the Indian diaspora and other non-Indian communities
- Outreach – to non-Indian communities & to groups that may not fall under the familiar groups –
- Exposure, widening of perspective
- Increase in experimentations and innovations in both creativity as both artist and community adapt their modus operandi
- Inclusive approach (such as holding short special events for senior citizens & for very young children – age 5 to 8).
- Collaborative endeavours – such as creating a performance piece in world music, where different genres may contribute in what is called a work of ‘fusion’.
- These can also be trial sessions where Indian dancers experiment with ballet or hip-hop music or Western dancers try out adavus. Musicians may also try similar ideas.
- The artist in residence can observe classes held by local teachers and hold short interactive sessions at the end of the session.
- The artist in residence can hold talks, workshops, and interactive sessions in local schools and colleges, for students in general and for specific art departments in those institutions.
GOALS FOR THE ARTIST
COMMUNITY BENEFITS
BENEFITS FOR NON-INDIAN COMMUNITIES
In today’s world where people are keen to know others’ culture and traditions, music is the best catalyst for opening windows. It empowers further exploration and understanding. Music is ideal for building such new connections. Music is also an experience that unites people from diverse backgrounds.
LOGISTICS
- Workshops
- Talks, dialogues, panel discussions, workshops, lecture demonstrations, other interactions.
- Performances – individual (that showcase their style) and collaborative
Who will be involved?
- Schools
- Colleges/universities
- Local groups
- Zoom event so people in other cities can participate
1) One for rasikas
2) One for other artists
Content
- Genres from art music/dance to folk songs/performance forms
Record of residency
- Video clips of events as they happen posted on the website
- Writing sessions for students – keep a record of whatever they have received
- Appoint someone from each group to scribe/report what has happened
- Interviews of the artist by local community
- A photographic exhibition of some of the sessions, taken by the participants during the sessions – put up either online or even in some informal space
- Partcipants may record details of of sessions
1) Date 7 Time
2) Number of attendees
3) Subjects discussed/taught - At the end of residency, each scribe/record keeper must relate what happened at each session, give an overview of the whole residency
- The artist in residence must give a written report of the residency as a whole.
Dhvani is eager to participate in such an exciting journey of learning in both practice and pedagogy and in strengthening and building new bonds. Most of all, the program contributes to developing a greater understanding of the arts by enabling the community to become informed listeners and viewers. It can stimulate the discovery of new ways to enjoy the arts, which is a way of understanding the world—an empowerment in itself.