For a comprehensive documentation of the writings of Pudumaippithan, the first modern Tamil writer. The project will bring together his numerous short stories, essays and works of criticism held in public and private collections across the country, and result in microfilm and digital copies of them.
For preparatory research towards a script and screenplay for a fiction film based in Goa and Brazil. While the study will focus on Goan life and culture in the second half of the twentieth century, the film will explore identity formation in the context of the Indian diaspora.
For dissertation research on the development of a ‘national’ theatre in India, analysing and evaluating post-independence cultural policy and the role of institutions like the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the National School of Drama. The study will explore the role of the state in creating and propagating aesthetic hierarchies.
For photo-documentation and study of the popular public sculpture of metropolitan Calcutta, covering the year-long calendar of image-making followed by the Kumartuli potters, and the use of the icons in ritual and festive contexts. A book, a CD-ROM and an exhibition are the expected outcomes of the project.
For research into three professional art schools in Bangalore, exploring the distinct modes of communication adopted by teachers in the classroom, and critically assessing Karnataka’s arts education policy. Apart from facilitating arts-related workshops and seminar presentations, research findings are expected to lead to a book on art pedagogy.
For a compilation and ethnographical study of the distinctive folk songs of industrial workers on the plantations, mines and factories of eastern India. Anticipated outcomes of the study include a published anthology and audio recordings of the songs for archival use.
For research into the history of early photography in Bengal. The study will investigate the use of photography as a social tool by the Bengali urban, upper class to record their changing lifestyles in the latter part of the nineteenth century. It is expected to result in a book that traces this socio-cultural narrative through photographs.
For the study and documentation of emerging religious art and architecture in Bangalore that have often provoked communal and ethnic conflicts. The study will explore the politics of public space and lead to a documentation of roadside icons that combine calendar art, modern architecture, historical styles and technological innovations.
For survey, documentation and technical assessment of the building crafts traditions of Ladakh, Zanskar and the Nubra valley. The project will result in a database and a comprehensive manual of guidelines for building systems in this region, which would help conserve traditional skills and knowledge systems.
For tracing, documenting and classifying the literary and visual history of Bengali print advertisements between 1800 and 1950. The compilation will be published and the collected material housed at the Hitesranjan Sanyal Memorial Collection, Calcutta.
