For working with the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bangalore, founded by Nobel Laureate Sir CV Raman which houses more than 5,000 historical photographs, handwritten letters, artefacts and instruments that Prof Raman used in his lifetime. This fellowship supports research that will lead to a permanent display of archival material at the Raman Research Institute. The outcome will involve the designing and curating of this permanent display that will both accommodate and showcase the material from the past, together with current research that is underway in the Institute. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be process images, images of the exhibition, texts and publication if any.
For working with the Barpeta District Museum in Assam, which was established in 1987 and houses more than 450 artefacts including a number of objects from the satras – the neo-vaishnavite monasteries that also served as important sociocultural centres for the Assamese society. This fellowship supports research that will lead to a permanent exhibition at the Barpeta District Museum. The outcome will be an inventory of the objects in the collection, a catalogue with brief descriptions, and a permanent exhibition that will be designed and curated to showcase the objects in an engaging and informative manner. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be process images, images of the exhibition, texts and publication, if any.
For working with the cluster of three museums - Goa Chitra, Goa Chakra and Goa Cruti - which narrates the history of Goa through objects, texts and oral histories. This fellowship supports research that will unravel stories about 15 iconic objects from the museum’s collections. Using objects as the point of departure, the project attempts to make visible the many layers of narratives around them through engagements with a diverse range of people that includes experts in the field, artists, anthropologists and children. These stories hope to reveal not only the historic and contemporary significance of the objects but also the material, aesthetic and human histories around them. The outcome will be mobile exhibitions where select objects can be exhibited outside the museum space, gallery walks, children’s workshops, repair cafes, sound and light projections, performances, talks, and demonstrations by craftspersons. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be process images, audio recordings, texts and publication, if any.
For working with the cluster of three museums - Goa Chitra, Goa Chakra and Goa Cruti - which narrates the history of Goa through objects, texts and oral histories. This fellowship supports research that will document, disseminate and make accessible, knowledge about objects in the collections through digital and immersive media. Mobile applications created around the collection attempt to not only extend the reach of the museum, but also engage and educate a younger generation steeped in technology and social media. The outcome will be augmented reality workshops, mobile apps and an exhibition of the content created during the workshops. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be process images, audio recordings, images of the exhibition, the apps and a publication, if any.
For working with the Saptak Archives in Ahmedabad, which has over 20,000 recordings of exponents from various gharanas, traditions, and styles within Hindustani Music, both vocal and instrumental. This fellowship supports research that will make accessible and available the forgotten recordings of celebrated exponents of Hindustani Music through audio/video podcasts. Each podcast will be about 40 minutes long and engage the work of a particular artist, theme, gharana, etc chosen from the recordings at the archives. These podcasts will be of interest to both the initiated as well as the new listener. The other outcome of the fellowship will be ‘listening sessions’ that will be open to the public held at the archives. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be the podcasts, audio recordings of listening sessions if possible, process images, texts and publication if any.
For working with the Saptak Archives in Ahmedabad, which has over 20,000 recordings of exponents from various gharanas, traditions, and styles within Hindustani Music, both vocal and instrumental. This fellowship supports research towards documenting the journey of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, one of the ‘newer’ gharanas of Hindustani Music founded by Ustad Alladiya Khan. Despite being a recently developed style of singing, there is no written record of the lyrics or notation of these musical pieces. The outcome will be a compilation of ragas including the notations, lyrics and technical details of raga-swaroop that are a specialty of this gharana, presented as a book, CD or website. And an exhibition on the emergence of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana; audio-visual presentations on the life and music of select musicians; guided listening sessions on ragas and compositions of this gharana; and a live concert by the Fellow herself displaying the gayaki of the gharana. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the Final Report will be a book, CD or website, together with images of the exhibition and audio-visual sessions, audio recordings of 'listening sessions' if possible and process images if any.
For working with the cultural history archive at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC) which contains a wide variety of visual materials across genres from 19th and 20th century Bengal that includes books, journals, popular paintings, prints, posters, hoardings, advertisements, and commercial art productions.The archive has also recently acquired the digitised records of the Calcutta Improvement Trust (CIT) which records the urban and municipal history of 20th century Calcutta. This fellowship supports research that will focus specifically on the legacy of the Calcutta Improvement Trust, studying the growth of the city of Kolkata in the years preceding the formation of the Trust, as well as the alterations in the years that came after. The outcomes will be an exhibition, seminar, publication and other neighbourhood engagements in different parts of the city. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the Final Report will be images of the exhibition, process images, audio recordings and texts, if any.
For working with the cultural history archive at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC) which contains a wide variety of visual materials across genres from 19th and 20th century Bengal that includes books, journals, popular paintings, prints, posters, hoardings, advertisements, and commercial art productions. This fellowship supports research that will explore the relationship between the city of Kolkata and its citizens, and the many different registers through which the city is experienced. The project will locate Kolkata as a site of both colonial encounter and colonial modernity, and investigate the many mechanisms through which an ‘authentic’ experience of the city is constructed, distributed and negotiated in the everyday. The outcomes will include an exhibition, and other public events around the archive. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the Final Report will be process images, audio recordings, texts and a publication, if any.
For working with the Archaeology Museum in Deccan College, Pune, which has a rich collection of antiquities and specimens, sourced from excavations and explorations carried out across India over the decades. This fellowship supports a series of public events around the museum collections, with the intention of making the museum a social space—one that will encourage people to think, talk, communicate, meet, learn, and enjoy. This will also be supported by a strong online presence. The outcome will include an experiential exploration of some of the museum galleries, a series of interactive events designed for audiences of different age-groups, an exhibition, talks, and an online presence that will aim to create a virtual community. The Fellow’s deliverables to IFA with the Final Report will be images of the process, audio/video recordings, texts, and a publication, if any.
For working with the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) in Bangalore, which has a rich collection of science and technology objects.For the creation of a programme titled ‘The Mystery-Gen Gadgets’, which will constitute the history and technological development of early gadgets. Their study will focus on the design history of these gadgets and the cross-cultural perspectives connected with their design, production, use, and disposal. The outcome will include an exhibition, workshops, and talks that explore the role and future of contemporary gadgets. The Fellows’ deliverables to IFA with the final report will be images documenting the process, video recordings, texts, and a publication, if any.
For working with the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) in Bangalore, which has a rich collection of science and technology objects.For the creation of a short theatrical performance with young members of the Hyderabad-based theatre-family group Surabhi, that will make visible the scientific processes that are at work in their theatrical productions, especially in their stagecraft. The outcome will include a mini lecture-demonstration production in VITM, Bangalore followed by a workshop led by young members of Surabhi for an audience in Bangalore; and short YouTube videos made with the children about science in their theatre. The Fellows’ deliverables to IFA with the final report will be process images, audio/video recordings, and texts and publication, if any.
For working with the Delhi Visual Archive housed in the Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK), Ambedkar University, Delhi. The Delhi Visual Archive is a repository of the visual history of Delhi, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which includes a current holding of 4,500 digitised photographs. This fellowship supports research that will lead to a curated, online, visual exhibition which will use various vantage points in the city to explore life around it. The Fellow will also collect metadata for images/collections, which will become an important resource for future projects at the Delhi Visual Archive. The outcome of the project will include a virtual exhibition. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be images, audio recordings, texts, and a publication.
For working with the Delhi Visual Archive housed in the Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK), Ambedkar University, Delhi. The Delhi Visual Archive is a repository of the visual history of Delhi, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which includes a current holding of 4,500 digitised photographs. This fellowship supports research that will lead to a curated, interactive, virtual exhibition with experiential visual and audio inputs. In addition, the Fellow will create public programmes through the use of memory pods, using an app and the website, aimed to connect different communities and members of families with each other and the Centre for Community Knowledge. The outcome will include a virtual exhibition and the installation of memory pods. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be images, audio recordings, the memory pod/app activation, and a publication.
For working with the Delhi Visual Archive housed in the Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK), Ambedkar University, Delhi. The Delhi Visual Archive is a repository of the visual history of Delhi, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which includes a current holding of 4,500 digitised photographs. This fellowship supports research that will explore a middle ground between the two dominant discourses of architecture and anthropology. While architecture has always focused on built structure and monumentality and anthropology on the relationship between material culture and people, this project will explore the role that the built environment has had on shaping peoples’ lives. The outcome will include public programmes such as workshops, lectures, and field trips. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be images, audio recordings, texts, and a publication.
For working with the collections of ‘Mann Maps’ at the Kalakriti Archives in Hyderabad, Telangana. This fellowship supports research on the maps of Hyderabad, commissioned by the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1908 in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the city. These maps were created under the supervision of Leonard Munn, chief inspector of mines under the Nizam regime. The research aims at studying the idea of map-making and cartography on the one hand, and interaction between the map and its user on the other, in an attempt to understand the human experience of maps. The outcome of the project will include a video art installation, a publication, workshops, talks, and events.
