For research into four performative practices of the Char-Chapori Muslims of lower Assam namely, Lathibari, Naukhela, Gasshi Rati and Kobi Bayati. The project aims to explore the history of these cultural practices in the light of historical, political and religious pressures that have often questioned their legitimacy in the region. The outcome of the grant will be a set of four films.
For research on the evolution and cultural significance of the handmade Axomiya Gohona (jewellery) of Assam and the rise of the new jewellery industry. The project will examine the various shifts in the designs, aesthetics and presentations of the jewellery over time and the contentious relationship between rural labour and the urban market place. The outcome will be a monograph, photo documentation and audio-visual recordings in the field. The grant funds will cover honorarium, travel and living costs, reference materials, and an accountant’s fee.
For research into the work of the Wancho Literary Mission in Arunachal Pradesh towards the development and propagation of the Wancho script. The outcome of this project will be a video of the documented material.
For research on the role played by progressive theatre in Haryana, through the work of the Haryana Gyan Vigyan Samiti, in the struggle for the freedom of expression of women over the past forty years. The outcome of this project will be a monograph.
For support towards the study of the history of Bengali posters from 1930s to the present time. The project aims to understand the political, social, cultural and aesthetic parameters of the posters and their transformations over the years. The outcomes of the grant will be a book, essays and collectible prints of old posters. Grant funds will pay for honorarium, travel, photocopy, photography, transcription, materials, publishing and an accountant’s fee.
For research into the narratives of the Khla or the tiger as a cultural, social and political symbol in Khasi cultural practices. Inquiring into oral traditions, existing literature and cultural artefacts, this project seeks to understand the gender and political connotations of the tiger; the transitions that have taken place in the tiger cult of Meghalaya post the influence of Christianity; and the changes in human-tiger relationships that have been affected by modern environment laws. The outcome of this project will be an exhibition and a website.
For research to develop a modern, metaphoric interpretation of classical Tamil poetry and artistic depiction of the desert landscape of Palai in Sangam literature. In a cinematic form, the exploration will foreground the context of Tamil workers who have migrated to the Middle East.
For research into visual arts and other cultural forms associated with the notion of representing the landscape of the Rahr (red soil) region of the district of Birbhum, West Bengal. The project will critically engage with the methodology of documentation as collective recollection. Through a dialogic method of archiving these practices, the researcher will engage in workshops with various scholars and practitioners of the region. The outcome of this project will be a visual book of images and processes of the workshops at the six locations.
For research into the progressive transformation of the raagini in Haryana through the expressions of women and Dalits. Exploring the effects on the social structure of Haryana through the 19th century reform movements and the freedom struggle, the project will focus on the experiences of participation and acceptance of women and Dalit writers and practitioners in the art form. The outcome of this project will be a monograph.
For a film, that will depict through a musical journey, the narrative of a community called the Savita Samaj whose story has remained untold in spite of being musicians of the Nadaswaram over centuries. Using the instrument as a visual metaphor, the film will explore the socio-economic issues that are influencing the sweeping changes in the lives of the community members and the agony of their loss of a great open-air musical school.
