Paying to Perform

The act of paying money to obtain a performance opportunity : Paying to Perform.

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An excerpt from an article published in the XYZ issue of this magazine by the same author. At the time, an informal conversation with peers and several performers within the fraternity indicated that very few were willing to admit in an open forum that paying to perform was indeed a vice. Some assumed that this was the only and automatic route to popularity. Some admitted that while they wouldn't pay for a performance opportunity, they might be treading risky waters if they voiced their opinion in the open. Over the years, thankfully much of these hushed conversations have come out into the open. Thanks to increased networking through social media and the vocal support of senior performers and Gurus, several youngsters are confident about stating loud and clear that they will not pay to perform. Has this brought an end to the pay-to-perform culture? Probably not. But hopefully it is the beginning of the end.

But before we discuss the hopeful end to this draining culture of paying to perform, it is worthwhile to go to its beginnings. How and when did this come to be? In what ways has it evolved through the years? Is there any good at all coming out of this culture? What can be done to bring a definitive end to it?

The performing arts have seen a sea of change over the last few decades from the very format of presentation to the people taking it up professionally to audience engagement and beyond. To discuss these changes calls for an elaborate series of articles so I will limit our discussion to how a few of these changes have reflected in the growth of the Paying to perform culture. With an increase in the number of people learning the classical arts, the opportunity to showcase their proficiency became more difficult to come by. The number of organisers (individuals, organisations or sabhas) were disproportionate to the number of performers seeking opportunity. Access to television and cinemas diverted audiences. A classical dance kutcheri could not compete with the Pop culture that was being paraded on screens. For a generation of youngsters raised on angelical ideas and education, classical Indian dance, music and literature were hitting discordant notes. With waning audiences and unsold tickets, the organisers faced a financial crunch. Wealthy patrons who would fund these organisations and events were also hard to come by. But the 'need' to perform made the artiste open his/her pockets. Currency went from Indian Rupees to 'rates' in Dollars, Euros and Pounds! Slots opened up with varying rates depending on seasonal popularity. Kitties were saved up to put up sons and daughters on 'prestigious' stages. It went from being a 'need' to perform and engage with an audience to being a 'need' to have a certain organisation's name on one's CV- in order to climb the proverbial ladder. What started and stayed within a small pocket and geography unfortunately has over the years spread across various states today. Artistes are requested to pay 'donations' and 'registration fees' so as to make 'paying to perform' sound a little pleasing to the ear! But why are we crying foul when the dancers have been equal party to grooming such a culture? Because the dancer spends money to learn, spends money on costume, make up, accompanists, travel and stay and above all of these looming costs, is expected to pay for the opportunity to perform. Because dance today is a career option for many and professional fees are paid to the performer, not taken from him/her. Because we do not take money from an engineer or a doctor or a lawyer or a carpenter to do their work. Because it is not professional ethics. But those who are party to this culture did not realise it in the beginning and do not realise it now. The need to be noticed at all 'costs' has taken its toll on the truly talented and is draining the fraternity in more ways than one.

Several youngsters and teachers continue to be party to the paying culture based on several presumptions. So let us begin by breaking down these presumptions.

One: They think this is the only way they will gather opportunities to perform and be noticed. "In today's world, if you are doing this for exposure, then creating a video for yourself and sharing it online might give you more exposure. If you can create quality work, ticket your show. Platforms like Gigsy are creating opportunities too. Let's create our own opportunities", offers Shruti Gopal, Bharatanatyam artiste.

Two, there is an incessant need to have one's calendar filled with performances. "Quality over Quantity"- is it not the mark of an artiste. If your calendar is full because your art and your creation is in demand, so be it. But filling up your calendar by any which way is questionable. Idealistically speaking, the art suffers. Practically speaking, your pockets are drying up. A full calendar is no guarantee to contentment.

Third, They think of it as 'investment'. "The ones who support the paying to perform trend mainly consist of some good upcoming dancers and many well-to-do mediocre dancers and teachers vying for attention. They feel that good stages are hard to come by and that like any other profession, dancers need excellent platforms to advertise their talent. They believe that the amount charged by the organizers of these Pay and Perform festivals should be counted as investment and if the organizers provide an aesthetic stage, large audience and some qualified chief guests, the investment is worth it. If there is an additional bonus of an award then nothing like it! Unfortunately, many real talents cannot afford these "advertisements" and hence will be at a disadvantage", says Mithun Shyam, performing artiste and teacher. "Those objecting to this are mostly established dancers, organizers who prefer to pay artists, and well known Gurus with many good performing students. For this group, paying to perform a divine art form is sacrilegious to say the least. Not only does it undermine the essence of classical dance, it makes it a commercial extravaganza diluting the spiritual and traditional values."

Today, as things stand, paying to perform is a rampant culture. Are organisers trying to make a quick buck in the name of dance festivals and competitions? Or are they only taking these donations in order to break even the costs of hiring auditoriums and providing lights, sounds and other technical support? Either way, from those who are vocally opposing this paying to perform culture- the message is clear. "If you do not have the funds to conduct an event or festival and pay the artiste, do not conduct it. Taking money from the performer is unethical." Mithun adds, "Many of the organisers are non dancers and have clearly understood and studied the weaknesses and psyche of the attention seeking artists. Very few of them genuinely want to promote the art. Others are in it for the booming business. Out of the total fee collected they spend a tenth of it and the rest becomes a huge profit. Moreover they do not respect the art nor the artistes. Its evident that while they laugh on their way to the bank, the joke is definitely on the foolish dancers."

The angst of those against this culture of paying to perform are being heard on social media. Will a cry out on social media create a more ethical world? May be not directly but it has its role to play. For an upcoming performer, it is important to have validation from senior and/or leading performers who have never paid for an opportunity. To hear them on social media say "I have never paid and will never pay to perform" tells them that they don't have to fall into the trap- that this is not the route to be taken. To hear the solidarity of peers and colleagues in standing up against organisers who are asking performers strengthens a youngster's stand against this vice. There may be a few performers who will turn a deaf ear and continue to shell out for an opportunity, but the numbers will be lesser this year.

Going forward...
Outside the hue and cry that we create through writing and speaking, what can one do to bring about a definitive end to this paying to perform culture? What can we do so that it does not become mere armchair activism? How do we create a sustainable future for performers?

Where there is a diligent effort, answers do begin to show up. Listed below are a few answers... that lead to more questions!

Will artistes come together in an open forum and show solidarity? Will existing forums and dancers' organisations express their solidarity with those who refuse to pay to perform? Will they blacklist organisations and individuals that take money for performance slots?

Will corporates support festivals of dance and music by way of funds? Our concern for funds, or the lack thereof, needs to find strong representation in Government corridors. What will make Government grants- at the Centre and State  more accessible to organisers and performers.

There are performers hankering behind awards masked as rewards for paying to perform. If the lack of recognition is the gap that must be filled, what alternative and acceptable mode of recognition can we set up as a fraternity?

Chamber concerts have made a come back and are in vogue. Will performers begin to realise their value? Living room concerts and studio showcases are highly rewarding artistically. With no need for exhaustive technical set up, a lot can be shared art-wise, a lot can be gained pocket-wise, is it not!

"What" we present must become more important that "how many concerts" we present. Unfortunately, today, recognition at many levels relies on how 'busy' an artiste is with very little consideration for the weight of content at each show. In these circumstances, it will be difficult to veer performers away from the 'calendar-full' bait. This is again a place where we need senior performers to talk about their sadhana. More likely than not, we will learn that the stress has never been on how many programmes they did.

These are but a few questions and answers that require further deliberation and action if we as a fraternity want to move into a sustainable future. #saynotopayandperform

Published in Ananya Kalasinchana. Do not quote or republish without permission from editor.