Grant & Projects

Aniruddh Shivakumar Menon


Project Period: One year

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Arts Projects (Research/Practice) will explore Bangalore’s hidden insect diversity through short films and a zine. By combining interviews with scientists, animation, and sound design, to trace how centuries of horticultural exploration introduced new species and reshaped local ecologies of Bangalore, this project bridges science and storytelling to foster public awareness of the city’s overlooked, but vital insect life. The outcome of the project will be a series of short films and a zine. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be a series of short films and a zine. Project funds will pay for Contract Fees, Hire of Equipment and Printing and Publication.

Isha Harsha Mangalmurti


Project Period: One year

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Arts Projects (Research/Practice), will capture the lives of young women footballers in Bangalore, as a participatory art project, through workshops, interviews, and storytelling, by transforming their experiences into a graphic novel, that empowers them to share their journeys while addressing gender in the urban space. The outcome of the project will be visual storytelling workshops, a manuscript of a graphic novel and a storytelling toolkit. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be the audio-visual documentation of the workshops, and digital copies of the graphic novel manuscript and the storytelling toolkit. Project funds will pay for contract fees, printing and publicity, materials, travel and living, hire of equipment, and hire of venue.

Iyesha Geeth Abbas


Project Period: One year and three months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will facilitate research on the interconnectedness and interdisciplinary links in the materials (writings, photographs, oral history recordings) of select collections in the Archives at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, Karnataka, to provide an accessible window into the history and practice of science and its potential to help us imagine inclusively meaningful futures. The outcomes of the project will be audiovisual presentations that will weave material from across the collection under selected themes; a digital pictorial book; screenings of archival footage; and curated film screenings exploring the themes of human and nature. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be the digital copy of the pictorial book, archival footage and images, and documentation of the audio visual presentations, film screenings and public programming. This is a collaboration with the Archives at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, Karnataka. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, production, archives and museums fees and subscription to software. 

Ashrita Achar


Project Period: One year and three months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will facilitate research and production of an audio guide for the Rani Abbakka Tulu Nadu Museum. Focusing on the collection of the museum, the audio guide seeks to create an immersive walkthrough of the museum. The primary outcome of the project will be seven and half hours of audio housed on Soundcloud and Youtube. In addition, there will be audiograms for social media platforms. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be the audio files of the guide, an introductory film and the audiograms. This is a collaboration with the Rani Abbaka Tulu Nadu Museum, Bantwal, Karnataka. Project funds will pay for travel and living, contract fees, production and subscription of software services. 

Moomal Shekhawat


Project Period: One year and three months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will facilitate research towards creative outcomes on the letters of correspondences in the collection of the Archives at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), through a feminist epistemology entry point. The outcomes of the project will be a collapsible-extendable-mobile performance script and a sound installation inspired by the ideas of opacity and translucency in archives and acts of listening. The Project Coordinator’s final deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be the performance script, audio-visual documentation of the online and offline performances, photos and audios of the installation. This is a collaboration with the Archives at NCBS, Bangalore, Karnataka. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, and production. 

Abhilasha NS


Project Period: One year and three months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will facilitate research to trace the path of public health discourse in popular written texts, such as novels, poetry, and newspapers to name a few, using the example of Swasth Hind, a health magazine published by the Central Health Education Bureau, New Delhi and circulated in India from 1958 to 1999. The primary outcome of the project will be a manuscript of an article. In addition, there will be an attempt to create an annotated archival catalogue along with an exhibition and workshop. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be the manuscript of the article, annotated archival catalogue and images and video documentation of the exhibition and the workshop. This is a collaboration with the Archives at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, Karnataka. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, production, purchase of equipment, printing and stationery, archives and museums fees. 

Pakhi


Project Period: One year and three months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will facilitate research and creation of an interactive website featuring animated textile stories, put together from various textile related issues from the archives of The Marg Foundation. The primary outcome of the project will be an interactive website with animated textile stories, along with short-form videos and social media clips. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA, along with the final reports will be 10 animated textile narratives, a user-friendly site, and content created for social media platforms. This is a collaboration with the archives at The Marg Foundation, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Project funds will pay for contract fees, publicity and marketing, website and domain charges and purchase of software. 

Bharath V Murthy


Project Period: One year and six months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions that will be a comic book on Mahatma Gandhi. Using comics as a medium to engage and interpret the life and work of Gandhi, the project aims to arrive at an imagery, a form of graphics which can depict complex ideas about the legendary figure. Engaging critically with themes such as his political philosophy and political action, critique of modernity, caste, notions of freedom, ideas of Gram Swaraj and grassroots democracy, and sexuality, the comic book would be in the form of episodes, where each episode would be followed by an essay comic as a meta-narrative that engages with Gandhi’s thought in the contemporary context. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project, and a comic book. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, materials and printing, publication, purchase and subscription to softwares.

Zubeni Lotha


Project Period: One year and six months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions that will focus on the themes of self-representation and the photographic tradition in Nagaland, particularly in the context of its historical struggles and colonial legacies. By exploring how Naga people have represented themselves through photographs, the project hopes to subvert colonial and post-colonial stereotypes, offering a more complex and lived history of Nagaland. The outcome of this project will be a travelling exhibition and virtual platform featuring a digital exhibition and annotated media resources. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project, the travelling exhibition, and a digital resource. Project funds will pay for travel and living, contract fees, printing, domain charges, hire of equipment, materials, hire of venue, and consumables.

Elroy Pinto


Project Period: One year and six months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions that will be a retelling of a mid-19th Century Ballad called Governor and Koli: A Fisherman's Legend through the medium of dance and music presented in a docu-fiction short film. In the film the protagonist – a contemporary dancer embarks on a journey to uncover the Koli identity of her family. Her exploration leads her to reinterpret and recompose a traditional ballad for the 21st century, using movement to express its modern-day significance. The outcome of this project will be a docu-fiction film. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project and the docu-fiction film. Project funds will pay for contract fee, hire of equipment, travel and living, exhibition, and library and archive fees. 

Barun Chattopadhyay


Project Period: One year and three months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will facilitate research and analysis towards creation of a publication and exhibition based on materiality of 'paper' and how it was positioned, discussed and not-discussed mainly in the advertisements published in Marg during the first decade, ie 1946 to 1956. The primary outcome of the project will be 100 copies of an artist book and an exhibition. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be the artist book, along with texts, samples of paper-materials generated as part of the project, a manuscript, materials and elements, mainly papers and auxiliary objects which will emerge from making the book, the documentation of the exhibition and a dossier of the ephemera related to the exhibition. Additionally, the Project Coordinator will submit audiotapes of the interaction with different people during the course of the project. This is collaboration with the archives of The Marg Foundation, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Project funds will pay for contract fees, exhibition, travel and living, materials, publication, hire of equipment, archives and library fees.

Pankaj Saikia


Project Period: One year and six months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions, which will be a graphic novel tentatively titled Kookmuk set in Assam, designed for children aged eight and above. The book will highlight a region that is often underrepresented in children's stories, while delivering an engaging and adventurous narrative that will resonate with the intended age group. The project aims to weave local storytelling traditions into the fabric of the narrative, presenting the stories in a way that is both culturally rich and appealing to young readers. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project and the graphic novel. Project funds will pay for contract fees, hire of venue, printing, exhibition, materials, publication, travel and living, and workshop.

Richa Kaul Padte


Project Period: One year and six months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions, which will be the first Indian anthology of creative nonfiction in the fields of ecology and human-nonhuman relations. The book is tentatively titled, Kin: relating to the nonhuman world. It will feature 10 essays, photo essays and illustrated pieces that challenge divisions between humans and their environment. The book addresses the various crises impacting the planet, with a particular focus on how their effects are disproportionately felt by the Global South. The anthology is intended for audiences including students, conservationists and climate conscious folk. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be the anthology. Project funds will pay for contract fees, printing, and postal and courier services. 

Lipika Singh Darai


Project Period: One year and six months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions which will be a 30-minute docufiction film titled Rediscovering Sita Bibaha. The film will discover the captivating history of Sita Bibaha, the first Odia film from the state of Odisha, and explore its forgotten legacy—its missing print, its profound influence on Odia cinema, and its role in shaping the cultural heritage of the region. It will reimagine the cultural backdrop of early 20th-century Odisha and brings it into a dialogue with the present day. The film will encompass - quest, exploration, discovery, documentation, and fictional interpretation. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be the film. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, equipment hire, and materials.

Nikhita Thomas


Project Period: Five months

For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Neighbourhood Engagements that will entail a mapping exercise outlining some of the places where women hung out in Bangalore Cantonment between the years 1984 and 1994. This project will look at how the popularity of the automatic gear Kinetic Honda scooter among women in the 1980s helped them occupy public spaces and shaped their visibility in the city. The outcome of this project will be an art essay book, conceptualised as a heritage walk with free-flowing interplay of text and images of narratives of eight to ten women hanging out in the city. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be the art essay book, and audio-visual documentations of the exhibition, quiz, and interviews. Project funds will pay for materials, hire of venue, printing, contract fees, documentation, and travel and living.

Pages