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| Media, Art and Culture |
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 In August-September 2005, Art and Culture was recognized by the Trusts as an emerging and growing area of engagement and the Trusts decided to proactively look at art and culture projects and ‘up’ its engagement in the arts. The interest within the Trusts to develop a mature art and culture portfolio was high, as the importance of this area of work and potential link with other sectors, such as education and livelihoods, became more and more evident.
In the ensuing months a sector scan was done by the Trusts and several leading art and culture practitioners and academics were consulted. During this period the parameters of the portfolio were expanded to include media as this was seen to be an integral part of the development discourse As a result the following thrust areas were identified as key areas of intervention in grant making.
Thrust Areas: |
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To build and promote arts scholarship and archival facilities |
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Protection and conservation of cultural heritage and dying art forms |
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To support research and development activities of the Arts
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To provide support to media projects engaged in the development discourse as well as to support cutting edge and newer technologies |
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By February 2007, ‘media, art and culture’ was formally hived off into an individual sector.
The scan and the approach paper included in the Strategy Plan for MAC projects identified Arts Scholarship as the area most deserving of attention and engagement.
Key grant making strategies have included: |
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Creating academic scholarships such as funding fellowships and academic/university departments
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Encouraging the traditional system of guru-shishya learning
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Encouraging innovative programs |
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In addition to Arts Scholarship, Media projects which were practically non-existent have been introduced in to the portfolio over the recent past so that this thrust area is now a growing area.
Key grant making strategies have included: |
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Providing a space for alternative and innovative forms of media |
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Emphasizing the cross-cutting nature of this sub-area. |
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Use the media to address gaps in the education system |
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Emphasize documentation |
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Emphasize the dissemination aspect through different models |
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Upping the Trust’s engagement in Arts Scholarship and Media is a major highlight and the projects reach both rural and urban beneficiaries. Additionally, several bench mark programs that will make a lasting contribution to the Trusts’ nation building commitment have been located within this portfolio. This includes the first of its kind Public Private Partnership with government agencies and other funders working closely on an integrated project of conservation, urban renewal and development.
Overall the Trusts have created and supported meaningful partnerships of lasting value and the projects sanctioned in this portfolio present a rich basket of programs covering both academic and research work as well as in setting and creating new norms in many spheres of art practice. Thus, the significant steps to building a holistic portfolio have been taken and several key grants will make lasting impact and add value to the media, art and culture scenario in the country. |
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| Grants 2007-08: Refer to pages 106 to 107 in the Media Art and Culture section in Annual Report 2007-08 |
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