The Artiste and Publicity

There was a time when publicity for a dancer was limited to "word-of-mouth". Posting invites, making phone calls to friends and colleagues, and featuring programme details in the newspapers was all one would do to announce performances. While these time-tested methods will stay, there has been an undeniable shift towards the digital domain and other current methods. These methods range from using social networking sites to creating promotional videos to featuring write-ups in art journals and magazines. The purists may claim that it would be worth your while to focus all your energy on refining one's craft than to spend any energy, time or money on publicity: "Opportunities will come to the truly meritorious." Reality, like always, presents a slightly skewed picture. While it is true that spending most of our energies towards a positive refinement of talent and skill is the most important thing for artistes, publicity for an artiste and marketing his/her work is definitely important.

So have these changing trends in publicity affected artistes for the better? Or has it added to unnecessary 'noise'? "Forthcoming event updates on online journals have helped reach out to larger audiences, but Facebook has been a game changer." opines Kirti Ramgopal, a Bangalore-based dancer. "There are grey hues to it of course. The packaging may sometimes be too good and the performance sub-standard. And it is then that 'word of mouth' remains the most honest form of publicity." Praveen Kumar, a Bangalore-based dancer-teacher and choreographer adds, "Sometimes, considering there are several events happening in a city at any time, organisers and artistes may try hard to push for their events to get better turnouts. It may get noisy then, but when there is so much good art happening, one shouldn't complain". When one is flooded with invites and posters for events happening across the world, does the artiste benefit in terms of increased numbers in live audience? Or do the number of Likes on an online video satiate an artiste? "People may come to know that you are performing at a certain festival from a Facebook post, but the audience that comes in to watch you has pretty much remained unchanged over the years- they are the ones that have always been loyal to your art." says Aishwarya Nityananda, matter-of-factly.

Added to the use of social media, recent times have also seen an increasing number of artistes seeking professional PR help, so that they may be seen and heard above the rest. While not every artiste who is popular today has taken this route to fame, several talented artistes who have the financial means see no harm in projecting their hard work and art in good light. It goes without saying that hiring PR professionals or companies does not come free. For the talented artistes who cannot afford such services, it is unfortunate. At this juncture it is important to note that  those who are in the limelight truly deserve their place- one wouldn't be able to hold on to glory with only money power and without the necessary skill and dedication. That being a given, we must turn towards the talented artiste with limited financial or social resources who will have to scramble his/her way up the proverbial ladder rather slowly. Praveen is wary "PR itself as a viable concept is probably more apparent in the west, where both the artiste and the PR firm stand to gain. We have a long way to go before that degree of professionalism is achieved in India for an artiste to sustain by dancing alone. But since it is catching on here, some artistes stand to gain, while the others have to be patient. In the long run, good art stays as long as the artist has the conviction & patience to stay and put up with all these extra, unwanted energies." 

The artiste community grows with every passing day, month and year. More and more people are taking to the arts professionally. And like any profession, the arts are also a highly competitive field. Everyone wants their art to be seen and appreciated but the vagaries of finance and influence seem to play a major role in the way you and your art are perceived and received. So as a community or artistes, art lovers and organisers, how do we move forward from this point on to ensure that true talent and merit receive adequate publicity without the fringe factors of money and influence playing too crucial a role? Are there as many platforms across the country (or world) for pure talent as we would like?

The "season" programmes, for one, are looked forward to by many. It is a time when dancers from across the globe arrive to partake in music, dance and art; media publicity is high at this time of the year and some of the country's oldest and most prestigious Sabhas are integral to the Season. So, it is but natural that more and more upcoming as well as established artistes would like to be a part of it- either to purely revel in the art or to be propelled by the visibility, or both. But, dogged by the pay-to-perform syndrome, the number of bad apples in the basket of good Sabhas seem to be increasing with every passing year- circling back to the situation in which those without the financial means find it very hard to find a foothold to publicise their work. "There are sabhas that do provide a healthy atmosphere to perform and I believe that audiences do value these sabhas more. While it is difficult to break into the season in a Sabha that does not take money, it is not impossible. It does require many follow ups initially but organizers do remember a good recital." assures Kirti. For her and several others, it may not be the issue of money as much as a matter of principle. "Paying to perform even at a prestigious venue is a no-no to me", says Prathibha Ramswamy. For unfortunately, for those who give in to the Payment syndrome, the ladder only gets steeper with every passing year seeing a hike in amounts demanded.  One holds on to the hope that established artistes and senior Gurus who have not taken the pay-to-perform route will be able to persuade, convince and mobilise upcoming artistes to shun this system. The only way ahead in this scenario is to cut down on the need. 

Apart from the season itself, there have been festivals and organisations across the country that have acted as great publicity for artistes. Being featured or presented at certain events has given many the necessary boost to their career. Well-meaning Sabhas and organisers have also initiated a healthy exchange between senior and upcoming dancers. Newer festivals by young entrepreneurs are also making headway. "It is very important to ensure quality. I am not here to barter programme slots for performance slots for me or my students." Radhika Shetty (a Mangalore-based dancer and festival organiser), states firmly. 

Would it then be a viable solution to replicate and recreate such events and organisations across the country? Would it be possible to recreate the Season's magic in other places and at other times of the year so that artistes derive the same kind of visibility and fame? There are already more events happening now than before but Aishwarya wonders, "We must be careful in not creating such a surplus of events that the audience gets distributed and as an artiste you are left with only a handful of people watching you." Echoing her sentiments is Dr. Balasubramaniam, President of a prestigious Sabha in Bangalore – “While increasing the number of events within a Sabha or the number of Sabhas in a place may provide more opportunities for artistes, it is a double-edged sword. One must realise that the audience size for any place is limited. An indiscriminate increase in the number of Sabhas or events may not garner well for the artiste.”

Are there other solutions that would take the art and the artiste forward? “It may be a good idea to revive the chamber concerts that were popular in the ’70s”, says Dr. Balasubramaniam, “It is not only a great Launchpad for young artistes, but also an intimate gathering of connoisseurs who can appreciate true classicism.”

It is important to deliberate on these options that lie ahead for us, on ways and methods that will provide both publicity and satisfaction to the artiste and art. If we can arrive at a few solutions, it will help combat the pressure and angst dancers feel. It will provide a healthy platform to many more dancers than is currently possible. Talent will be recognised irrespective of money matters. It will give both young and senior artistes a more liberal environment to work in- one in which we do not differentiate within the truly deserving. "I hope we will have more grants, scholarships and funding from the Government that we can apply for; have a transparent and merit based selection which will benefit us artists and motivate us to work harder and present work of higher quality " sums up Kirti. For any dancer, the thirst to perform and present their progress of work will remain important irrespective of stature. It is therefore imperative that we work towards building spaces and mindsets that allow for this progression. And we might then arrive at a magical time when the art and the artiste receive all the required publicity in its truest sense. 

Published in Ananya Kalasinchana Issue: December 2015

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