For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that delves into the material culture linked to the ritualistic practices of Muslims in hinterland Malabar. It also examines the significant contribution made by Mamburam Thangal to the formation of different ritualistic complexes in the region and the evolution of Mappila subjectivity during the 18th and 19th centuries. The outcomes of this project will be a seminar on the evolution of 18th and 19th-century Mappila Muslims, a documentary film, an exhibition of project findings, a manuscript in Malayalam, and publications in online and print media. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA, along with the final reports, will be the documentary film, the items from the exhibition, including videos, photos, and graphic designs, as well as a digital archive of project findings. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, hire of equipment, printing, purchase of books, exhibition, hire of venue, archive fees, stationery and materials.
For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Productions that will enable the creation of a theatrical production centred around the actor and the epic character Shoorpanakha. Imagined as a process that will unfurl the actor-character dichotomy, this work seeks to move beyond conventional frameworks in dance, drama and storytelling to find a new language of performance that will offer a fresh paradigm to artistically engage with a complex, elusive and subversive character such as Shoorpanakha. The outcome of the project will be the performance. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA along with the final reports will be photographs and video documentation of the training sessions, rehearsals and the final performance. Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, hire of equipment, costumes, hire of venue, materials and documentation.
For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will critically explore the experiences of migration of the queer and trans community from Kerala to Bangalore resulting in a report/monograph on the queer history of Kerala drawing primarily from the materials at the Queer Archive for Memory, Reflection and Activism (QAMRA) at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru. The project will critically examine the archival materials at QAMRA, and collect stories pertaining to such migration from the community. The outcomes of the project will be the report/monograph and possibly an exhibition or other cultural productions based on the research findings. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final reports will be the report/monograph and recordings from the exhibition or cultural productions, if any. This is a collaboration with the QAMRA at NLSIU Bengaluru. Project funds will pay for contract fees and travel and living.
For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will examine the significance and impact of printed Arabi-Malayalam magazines run by women publishers and editors from the Mappila community in Kerala in the early 20th century. Through a study of the readers, writers, content, and topics covered by the magazines, the project will explore the subaltern history of Mappila women and document unrecorded and unrecognised voices of this minority community. The outcomes of this project will be an exhibition and audiovisual documentation of the magazines and interviews from the field. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA, along with the final reports, will be a documentation of the exhibition and audiovisual documentation of magazines and interviews from the field. Project funds will pay for contract fees, premiere of the exhibition, documentation, travel and living, hire of equipment, materials, library and archives fees, printing, and software subscriptions.
For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA that will study the Muslim community’s spatial formations and sensorial practices in Kayalpattinam, a southern coastal town in Tamil Nadu. It will examine how various traditions negotiate the influx of modernity in different socio-religious contexts in a Muslim-majority district. The outcomes of this project will be an essay, audiovisual documentation, and a catalogue of ritual performances and built forms. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA, along with final reports, will be an essay, audiovisual documentation, and a catalogue of ritual performances and built forms.Project funds will pay for contract fees, travel and living, premier of exhibition, documentation, hire of equipment, archive fees, library fee, printing, purchase of books, stationery, and materials.
For the implementation of a Foundation Project by IFA under Explorations which will involve traveling through the West Coast of India, to explore imperial fort debris, lagoon ecosystems, and people’s narratives of resistance movements in these places against the onslaught of aggressive development, towards the making of a lecture performance. The outcome of the project will be the lecture performance. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be photographs and audio-visual documentation of the travels and the lecture performance. Project funds will pay for travel and living, contract fees, and materials.
For the making of a series of tricolour gum bichromate prints and sculptures by appropriating images collected from panoramas of India uploaded by Google Street contributors. The outcome of the project will be this series of prints and a lecture-performance. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be the digital images sourced from Google Street, scanned images of the tricolour gum bichromate prints and sculptures, video recording of the lecture performance and photo documentation of the negatives and the tricolour gum bichromate printing process. Grant funds will pay for materials, honorarium and purchase of books.
For the making of an experimental film on the city of Lucknow and its architectonics, based on the literary oeuvre of Urdu litterateur Naiyer Masud. The film, a combination of animation sequences and documentary footage, is imagined as a visual letter and travelogue that speaks to Naiyer Masud about the city of Lucknow - one that was ubiquitous in his literary world. It will attempt to unravel the inherent differences between the Lucknow depicted in Masud’s fictional universe and the real city in the present. The outcomes of the project will be the script and the film. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be a high resolution copy of the film on a hard disk, along with the script, footages, production stills, film deck and publicity materials. Grant funds will pay for honorarium, travel and living, professional fees, post production, equipment hire and an accountant’s fee.
For research on the feminist interpretation of Oppana, a song-and-dance form practised by Muslim women in Kerala. The project will examine the presence of male fantasies and male-centric narratives in the songs of Oppana that reinforce the patriarchal notions about women in everyday life. It will also explore how different Islamic factions have influenced the acceptance of Oppana among Muslim communities in Kerala, and the ways in which a folk practice has become a popular art form. The outcome of this project will be an essay in Malayalam. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA with the final reports will be an essay and audiovisual documentation of the Oppana performances. Grant funds will pay for honorarium, travel, food and living costs, professional fee, books, stationery and DVDs, and an accountant’s fee.
This Grant was amicably cancelled based on reasons mutually agreed upon by the Grantee and IFA due to unavoidable circumstances.
For a residential workshop over six days that will enable an exchange of knowledge and experiences between shadow puppeteers representing six traditional puppetry forms and contemporary projective shadow theatre practitioners. The artists will collaboratively explore contemporary approaches to conceptualising, devising and performing shadow puppetry through an in-depth inquiry into the narratives, aesthetics, techniques, and social contexts of puppetry. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be still and video documentation from the workshop and notes from the session on reflection and evaluation. Grant funds will pay for professional fees, venue hire, travel and living costs, honorarium, local conveyance, material costs, equipment hire, stationery and an accountant’s fee.
