Request for Proposals: IFA’s Arts Research and Documentation Programme

India Foundation for the Arts is happy to announce that we are inviting proposals under our Arts Research and Documentation programme for the year 2013-2014. The last date for the receipt of draft proposals is June 15, 2013and the last date for the receipt of final proposals is July 15, 2013. So mark your calendars and start writing!

For details on the grant application procedure please read the complete Request for Proposals below. You can alsoDOWNLOAD a pdf version of the file in English. The document will soon be available in other languages on the IFA website.

We hope you share this email on your organisational website, blog, Facebook and Twitter page and with your friends because we want as many people as possible to hear about this opportunity. Please help spread the word!

Last but not the least, stay in touch; call us, write to us and ask us a million questions. We are here to help you develop your proposal.

Looking forward to hearing your ideas!

Warm regards,
The IFA Team

INDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

Request for Proposals: Arts Research and Documentation

Are you a researcher or an artist interested in: 1) Studying the changing practices in the contemporary arts? Or 2) Exploring how artistic practices are constructed and come to be regarded as ‘tradition’?

ScopeThis grant programme supports scholars/researchers and artists to undertake research and documentation projects falling under either one of the two following themes:

1) Research and documentation that seeks to study new developments in contemporary arts practice.
As a researcher or artist, you may want to study new developments or changing practices in the contemporary arts. For instance, you may want to study the intersection of technology-television and the Internet-and contemporary art. You may want to investigate site-specific work that engages with local communities or the natural environment. Or you may want to examine democratic art practices that blur the boundary between the artist and the audience.

You might want to use existing methods of research and/or create new conceptual or technical tools that depart from existing disciplinary methodologies to illuminate and contribute to the study of contemporary arts practices.

2) Research and documentation that critically examines how artistic traditions are constructed or reinvented.The word ‘tradition’ comes from the Latin word traditionem, which literally means ‘handing over’. What is handed over from one generation to the next may be knowledge, beliefs, legends, practices and so on. Tradition can also refer to long established ways of thinking or acting within a continuing pattern of cultural beliefs or practices.

However, because tradition provides a powerful source of endorsement and sanction for certain practices, beliefs, values and norms of behaviour, it is often invented or reconstructed, as against simply inherited. Many practices which are seen as tradition are in fact quite recent inventions, often deliberately constructed for a variety of reasons, such as to legitimize certain actions, power equations or social hierarchies, to foster group cohesion and cement collective identities, or to support political ideologies, agendas or interests. Artistic traditions are also deliberately re-described and reinvented to create new audiences and markets for them.

Support under this theme is available for researchers or artists who are interested in studying why or how traditions are constructed. For example, you may be interested in examining the new meanings, values and symbols that are created when a tradition is invented or reinvented or what might be excluded, lost, concealed or suppressed in the process. You may be interested in how this phenomenon alters the relationship between the artist, the art form/practice and the context of its production and reception. Or you may be interested in looking at the influences and ideologies that underlie or determine such constructions of tradition.

ApplicationIFA staff would be glad to answer your questions regarding this grant programme. You are welcome to approach us to discuss your ideas or send us a draft proposal for our suggestions and comments no later than June 15^th, 2013.

Your final applications should be in hard copy and reach us on or before 15^thJuly, 2013. You can expect grant awards to be announced by October 2013.

You may choose to write your proposal in any Indian language including English.

Your project may have a minimum duration of twelve months and a maximum duration of eighteen months.

You can request for support up to Rs 3 lakh. If you are a filmmaker, you can request for support up to Rs 5 lakh.

You may budget for an honorarium of Rs 12,000/- per month subject to a maximum limit of Rs 1,44,000 for theentire duration of the grant. Please note that the total grant amount is inclusive of the honorarium.

To apply, please send us a proposal describing:

• The specific artistic tradition(s) OR contemporary art practice that you seek to research and/or document.
• The research questions central to your project.
• The research methodology that you seek to follow and/or new methodologies that you wish to pursue in order to tackle your subject of inquiry.
• The anticipated duration of your project, as well as a work plan.
• The proposed outcomes of your project.

The proposal will be considered incomplete if you do not include the following:

1. Supporting material, if any, which gives us a sense of your work.
2. Your bio-data.
3. A detailed budget breakdown that explains how funds will be used. Please also mention funds anticipated from other sources, if any.
4. Your address, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail address.
5. If you are applying on behalf of an institution, please include background information on the organisation as well as the memorandum of association/trust deed, annual reports, and audited statements of accounts for the past three years.

General Information1) Our funds will cover only project-related personnel costs, activities and travel, and can provide for modest equipment and materials, if necessary. Please ensure that each budget category pertains to a specific item of project-related expenditure.

2) If you are an individual, please budget for an accountant.

3) Please do not budget for institutional overheads, building costs and infrastructural development.

4) Please do not make your identity evident in the text of the proposal.

5) You can send us your draft proposal by email but your final proposal, including your supporting material should be in hard copy only, and should reach us on or before July 15^th, 2013.

6) You are responsible for the delivery of your proposal and supporting material to IFA by the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted.

7) If your proposal is short-listed, you may be requested to respond to evaluations.

8) Your proposal will be assessed with the help of external evaluators, and IFA’s decision on grants will be final.

Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national, a registered non-profit Indian organisation, or have been resident in India for at least five years.

Call for proposals under IFA's Arts Research and Documentation Programme

 INDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

Arts Research and Documentation

Are you a researcher or an artist interested in: 1) Exploring how artistic practices are constructed and come to be regarded as ‘tradition’? Or 2) Studying the changing practices in the contemporary arts?

Scope

This grant programme supports scholars/researchers and artists to undertake research and documentation projects falling under either one of the two the following themes:  

1) Research and documentation that critically examines how artistic traditions are constructed or reinvented.

The word ‘tradition’ comes from the Latin word traditionem, which literally means ‘handing over’. What is handed over from one generation to the next may be knowledge, beliefs, legends, practices and so on. Tradition can also refer to long established ways of thinking or acting within a continuing pattern of cultural beliefs or practices.

However, because tradition provides a powerful source of endorsement and sanction for certain practices, beliefs, values and norms of behaviour, it is often invented or reconstructed, as against simply inherited. Many practices which are seen as tradition are in fact quite recent inventions, often deliberately constructed for a variety of reasons, such as to legitimize certain actions, power equations or social hierarchies, to foster group cohesion and cement collective identities, or to support political ideologies, agendas or interests. Artistic traditions are also deliberately re-described and reinvented to create new audiences and markets for them. 

Support under this theme is available for researchers or artists who are interested in studying why or how traditions are constructed. For example, you may be interested in examining the new meanings, values and symbols that are created when a tradition is invented or reinvented or what might be excluded, lost, concealed or suppressed in the process. You may be interested in how this phenomenon alters the relationship between the artist, the art form/practice and the context of its production and reception. Or you may be interested in looking at the influences and ideologies that underlie or determine such constructions of tradition.

2) Research and documentation that seeks to study new developments in contemporary arts practice.

As a researcher or artist, you may want to study new developments or changing practices in the contemporary arts. For instance, you may want to study the intersection of technology––television and the Internet––and contemporary art. You may want to investigate site-specific work that engages with local communities or the natural environment. Or you may want to examine democratic art practices that blur the boundary between the artist and the audience.

You might want to use existing methods of research and/or create new conceptual or technical tools that depart from existing disciplinary methodologies to illuminate and contribute to the study of contemporary arts practices.

Application

IFA staff would be glad to answer your questions regarding this grant programme. You are welcome to approach us to discuss your ideas or send us a draft proposal for our suggestions and comments no later than June 30^th   2012.

Your final applications should be in hard copy and reach us on or before 31^st July 2012. You can expect grant awards to be announced by October 2012.

You may choose to write your proposal in any Indian language including English.

Your project may have a minimum duration of twelve months and a maximum duration ofeighteen months.

You can request for support up to Rs 3 lakh. If you are a filmmaker, you can request for support up to Rs 5 lakh.

You may budget for an honorarium not exceeding Rs 1,44,000 for the entire duration of the grant. Please note that the total grant amount is inclusive of the honorarium.

To apply, please send us a proposal describing:

a)      The specific artistic tradition(s) OR contemporary art practice that you seek to research and/or document.

b)      The research questions central to your project.

c)      The research methodology that you seek to follow and/or new methodologies that you wish to pursue in order to tackle your subject of inquiry.

d)     The anticipated duration of your project, as well as a work plan.

e)      The proposed outcomes of your project.

The proposal will be considered incomplete if you do not include the following:

a)      Supporting material, if any, which gives us a sense of your work.

b)      Your bio-data.

c)      A detailed budget breakdown that explains how funds will be used.  Please also mention funds anticipated from other sources, if any.

d)     Your address, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail address.

e)      If you are applying on behalf of an institution, please include background information on the organization as well as the memorandum of association/trust deed, annual reports, and audited statements of accounts for the past three years.

General Information

1)      Our funds will cover only project-related personnel costs, activities and travel, and can provide for modest equipment and materials, if necessary. Please ensure that each budget category pertains to a specific item of project-related expenditure.

2)      If you are an individual, please budget for an accountant.

3)      Please do not budget for institutional overheads, building costs and infrastructural development.

4)      Please do not make your identity evident in the text of the proposal.

5)      You can send us your draft proposal by email but your final proposal, including your supporting material should be in hard copy only, and should reach us on or before July 31^st   2012.

6)      You are responsible for the delivery of your proposal and supporting material to IFA by the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted.

7)       If your proposal is short-listed, you may be requested to respond to evaluations. 

8)      Your proposal will be assessed with the help of external evaluators, and IFA’s decision on grants will be final.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national, a registered non-profit Indian organization, or have been resident in India for at least five years.

Visit www.indiaifa.org for more details

Grant for New Performance Programme (India Foundation for the Arts)

India Foundation for the Arts

New Performance Programme

IFA’s New Performance programme supports reflective performance practices that extend beyond prevailing idioms and forms of performance and/or create new modes of presentation. Performing arts groups and individuals working in or across music, dance, theatre and puppetry can apply keeping the broad thrust areas in mind. The programme is also open to light or set designers, puppeteers, sound artists and writers working in the area of performance.

Pre-production: This programme supports performing artists to germinate and nurture fresh ideas and reflect on the immediate context of their practice. This may include researching towards a performance script and/or collaborative or improvisatory work towards creating a text or other resources and references for the proposed performance.

Performance: Risk-taking and experimental performances that tackle unexplored themes or critically engages with changing contexts of performance will be supported. These productions could introduce fresh content, investigate unexplored but meaningful themes, or straddle different genres in the performing arts. These are only examples, however, and do not exhaust the possibilities offered by this programme.

Dissemination: IFA grantees can apply for follow-up grants that will enable a wider public to critically engage with their IFA-supported work and the larger issues it throws up. This may include disseminating knowledge acquired and expertise gained with the grant in imaginative and innovative ways.

Residencies/Workshops: Performance residencies and workshops are ideal environments for questioning and reflecting on contemporary performance practices. Innovatively modeled artist residencies and workshops that nurture emerging performing artists, encourage collaboration, and support dialogue with a wider field of practice may be considered under the programme. Workshops that focus on imparting new idioms and facilitating experimentation may be considered under the programme. We are particularly interested in supporting residencies and workshops hosted by emerging organisations in the early stages of institutional building.

Public  Platforms: Public platforms like conferences and seminars that bring together diverse stakeholders in the field of performance to discuss newly emerging and unconventional practices may be considered under the programme. Also, we encourage performing communities to engage in initiatives towards building a network of mutually supportive practitioners in the field. Initiatives that look to encourage dialogue and collaboration between performing artists working in different languages and regions may be considered under the programme. These are only examples, however, and do not exhaust the possibilities offered under this category.

You are welcome to discuss your ideas and develop your proposal through dialogue and interaction with IFA staff. To apply, please send us a short note describing 1) your existing practice and your concerns and interests as a practioner and, 2) the nature of work for which you are seeking funding and how it addresses the programme.

A budget should not exceed Rs 1,50,000 for pre-production work, Rs 3,00,000 for developing a production, and Rs 6,00,000 for a residency. The budget for seminars, conferences, network development and workshops may be developed in consultation with programme staff.

APPLICATION

Applications under this programme can be submitted for consideration at any time. You may write your proposal in any Indian language. Please ensure that we receive a draft proposal three months prior to your need for funds to support the project. You may email your queries on any matter pertaining to this programme to sumana@indiaifa.org  or write to:

Sumana Chandrashekar, Programme Executive - New Performance, India Foundation for the Arts, 'Apurva', Ground Floor, No 259, 4th Cross, Raj Mahal Vilas 2nd Stage, 2nd Block, Bangalore-560 094. Phone: 080-2341 4681 / 82

You can expect to receive a reply from us within ten days, indicating whether your proposal is being considered for support.

ELIGIBILITY

You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national, a registered non-profit Indian organisation, or have been resident in India for at least five years. Your collaborators, if any, should also fall into one of the above categories.

Translations of this circular are available in other Indian languages on request and can also be downloaded from www.indiaifa.org

Art for arts’ sake - The Big Picture

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

The Big Picture is a concerted effort that brings together 57 artists for a fund raising event in Bangalore. Organized by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) the art exhibition presents a wide range of paintings, mixed media works and photographs by young and upcoming, and a few senior artists as well.
According to Arundhati Ghosh, the Deputy Director of IFA, “the idea of organizing an art show as a fund raiser germinated last year and then Abhishek Poddar offered to curate it.” This happens to be the Foundation’s first art exhibition. In fact, in a tremendous show of solidarity, the artists have come forward to donate, in full or in part, the sale proceeds of their works for IFA. Incidentally, IFA is an organization that provides grants for art and culture activities and has been supporting independent research and teaching institutions, cultural and development organizations, musicians, visual artists and filmmakers amongst a host of other professionals in related fields.


For this particular event, well known artists such as Gulammohammed Sheikh, N S Harsha, Jayashree Chakravarty and Mithu Sen, and photographers such as Raghu Rai, Shahid Datawala, and Navroze Contractor are just a few names that comprise the vast list. All the works have been priced under Rs 5 lakhs. The online catalogue offers a promising line-up of works with a significant section devoted to prints.
While, many of the artists may not be a familiar sight on the Bangalore art scene, they have been exhibiting elsewhere. “These are outstanding works by some of our most talented artists and very well priced too keeping in mind the economic situation,” writes Abhishek Poddar in his curatorial note.
The exhibition although happening in Bangalore is also being showcased online and as Arundhati describes it, “It is a national show with a local physical presence.” Here’s hoping that art connoisseurs come forward to support art for arts’ sake.

(The Big Picture will be held between April 5 - 8, 2009, at WelcomArt Gallery, ITC Windsor and from April 10 - 15, 2009, (Sunday closed) at Gallery Sumukha, 24/10, BTS Depot Road, Wilson Garden, Bangalore).
(Published in Bangalore Mirror)