Arts Research and Documentation | 1995-2005 and 2006-2013
This programme was closed in 2013.
This was one of IFA's flagship programmes that evolved over the years, shifting focus, but remaining committed to addressing the dearth of support for serious arts scholarship and archival initiatives in India.
The first version of the Arts Research and Documentation programme that ran from 1995-2005 supported individuals––not just scholars but also arts practitioners––to trigger critical reflection in relation to arts practice. It allowed for the insertion of the personal and the subjective in the domain of research. In addition, this programme supported documentation that attempted to address livelihood issues, triggered advocacy and action in the field of heritage conservation, and created invaluable reference points for scholarship.
The programme was evaluated in 2006 by a panel of experts comprising Rahul Srivastava, Moinak Biswas, MD Muthukumaraswamy and Githa Hariharan. After a thorough review, they suggested that the programme sharpen its focus for greater impact and create a vibrant environment for enquiry and reflection.
The second version of the Arts Research and Documentation programme ran from 2006-2013 and called for projects which either
i) critically investigated the making of cultural traditions, 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.
ii) developed or used new methodologies for studying contemporary arts practices.
The programme was reviewed again in 2014 by a panel of experts comprising Susie Tharu, MD Muthukumaraswamy, Aneesh Pradhan and Rahul Roy. In order to develop a broad sense of the current landscape of arts research in India and understand the relevance of this programme, views from the field were presented to the panel. The panel then made a set of recommendations to IFA and the Arts Research programme (2014 onwards) is an outcome of those recommendations.