Breaking the bubble
I have often wondered if artistes practicing the classical arts live in a bubble. I often wonder if the classical arts themselves have been imprisoned into a bubble that is not accessible to the world at large. I will be quick to clarify that in today's performance arena, there is inspiring content and many of us are diligently studying to learn and understand the depth of the classical arts. While as artistes, the world of classical arts seems to be filled with so much work, there is an undeniable disconnect with the masses at large. Many artistes are choosing to do gratifying research in the classical arts but unfortunately a quick chat with any person unrelated to the arts will only confirm the disconnect. Our audiences are niche, and the number of people in that audience who understand the depth of what is portrayed is even smaller.
Beyond this audience, there is an entire spectrum of public that is uninitiated into the arts. Appreciation or engagement with a performance is difficult for them; Learning or dabbling in the arts is unthinkable then. Why and where has this disconnect happened? For a culture that has given birth to and nourished the classical arts, today's disconnect is baffling.
On one level, are the children of our country being taught the arts holistically? While efforts to introduce classical dance and music in public schools has been taken up over the years, have outcomes been favorable? Our school education system itself is disconnected from the culture that gave birth to our classical arts. So with children growing up on an angelical understanding of language, science and mathematics, the classical arts that are rooted in the Indian thought mechanisms seem foreign! So any attempt at dance and music appreciation in public schools will have to be a more sustained program- with a holistic understanding of Indian story telling, culture, history and evolution of the arts. Is this a tall order to fulfill?
On another level, what is the role media houses play? With a reach that transcends the stage, television and online portals can be our ticket into the lives of the common person. Purists will offer you a word of caution: "The need to find popularity for the show must not eat into the purity of the classical arts. Current times of instant gratification do not sit well with the classical arts that require one to soak and revel in the nuances. So merely creating 'wow' moments of acrobatic display will mislead audiences." This word of caution is well founded since we have seen in the past that classical dance has been misconstrued into fusion pieces or put together with blasphemous music and dance. IS there a middle path that media houses can tread? Is it possible for them to bring in artistes of the highest caliber, who understand and respect the depth of the arts they practice and showcase it in capsules that create interest in uninitiated audiences, while at the same time not taking away from the character of the arts? Is it too noble a cause to take up against commercial interest?
Thirdly the financial means or rather the lack of it, limits artistes from creating work that has a reach to the masses. Can Corporate India help break the Bubble and commission artistes to create work that transcends boundaries? Could Corporate India be our road into an India that has probably never experienced the arts? Corporate Cultural Responsibility could provide us with the patronage that Kings of 'India-Yesterday' provided.
Realistically speaking, this is not a shift that is going to blossom overnight. But sustained efforts will pay off. It is only then that we can imagine a time that bursts the bubble and allows the arts to flow seamlessly across geographies, socio-economic divisions and cultural conditioning. If we can create an Indian paradigm for the classical arts, the possibilities of engaging cultures and people across the world is limitless. Imagine a melting pot of art that goes beyond artistes and strikes a cord with every individual. A compassionate and joyful world could become a reality, for that is the essence of the classical arts.
Beyond this audience, there is an entire spectrum of public that is uninitiated into the arts. Appreciation or engagement with a performance is difficult for them; Learning or dabbling in the arts is unthinkable then. Why and where has this disconnect happened? For a culture that has given birth to and nourished the classical arts, today's disconnect is baffling.
On one level, are the children of our country being taught the arts holistically? While efforts to introduce classical dance and music in public schools has been taken up over the years, have outcomes been favorable? Our school education system itself is disconnected from the culture that gave birth to our classical arts. So with children growing up on an angelical understanding of language, science and mathematics, the classical arts that are rooted in the Indian thought mechanisms seem foreign! So any attempt at dance and music appreciation in public schools will have to be a more sustained program- with a holistic understanding of Indian story telling, culture, history and evolution of the arts. Is this a tall order to fulfill?
On another level, what is the role media houses play? With a reach that transcends the stage, television and online portals can be our ticket into the lives of the common person. Purists will offer you a word of caution: "The need to find popularity for the show must not eat into the purity of the classical arts. Current times of instant gratification do not sit well with the classical arts that require one to soak and revel in the nuances. So merely creating 'wow' moments of acrobatic display will mislead audiences." This word of caution is well founded since we have seen in the past that classical dance has been misconstrued into fusion pieces or put together with blasphemous music and dance. IS there a middle path that media houses can tread? Is it possible for them to bring in artistes of the highest caliber, who understand and respect the depth of the arts they practice and showcase it in capsules that create interest in uninitiated audiences, while at the same time not taking away from the character of the arts? Is it too noble a cause to take up against commercial interest?
Thirdly the financial means or rather the lack of it, limits artistes from creating work that has a reach to the masses. Can Corporate India help break the Bubble and commission artistes to create work that transcends boundaries? Could Corporate India be our road into an India that has probably never experienced the arts? Corporate Cultural Responsibility could provide us with the patronage that Kings of 'India-Yesterday' provided.
Realistically speaking, this is not a shift that is going to blossom overnight. But sustained efforts will pay off. It is only then that we can imagine a time that bursts the bubble and allows the arts to flow seamlessly across geographies, socio-economic divisions and cultural conditioning. If we can create an Indian paradigm for the classical arts, the possibilities of engaging cultures and people across the world is limitless. Imagine a melting pot of art that goes beyond artistes and strikes a cord with every individual. A compassionate and joyful world could become a reality, for that is the essence of the classical arts.
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