How do you feel the arts ecosystem can/should evolve in the city? – One Take
five questions. multiple perspectives. different artists.
ONE TAKE is an interview series where we seek to peer into the minds of artists through contemplative questions about their practice, discipline, and journey. Through this series, we endeavour to foster dialogue and engagement with arts practitioners from diverse backgrounds, and offer our audiences a glimpse into their respective processes and perspectives.
“Integrating exposure to art in pre-primary and primary school curriculum would open up new doors of perceptions in the minds and hearts of young children. Engagement with the arts could then become a part of their lives as they grow. The arts hold an inherent potential (in my view) as inspiration, refuge and an avenue of immersion to discover ones own self. This can bring meaning, hope and joy to people’s lives. The city in the recent years has several art offerings. What it needs is receptive audiences which could avail these offerings. Early exposure to art would create these.”
– Deshna Mehta
Designer, Co-founder – Studio Anugraha
“The issue with a city like Bombay is the highly inflated real estate. Even a good stationery store needs ample space – Berlin has a 3 storey massive store called Modulor with all kinds of stationery you could possibly dream of for all kinds of artists, architects, makers, etc – with a cafe and a bookstore! Spaces like these just don’t seem possible/profitable in a city like ours given the ridiculously high rents. Arts ecosystems will only evolve by making more spaces available – right from affordable housing for artists of all backgrounds in a city like Bombay, to good studio spaces that can be rented and possibly shared by young artists just out of college. Venues to showcase work and spaces for meaningful dialogues and cross pollination – be it art, music, theatre.”
– Sameer Kulavoor
Artist, Designer
“One possible start – an informal connection between schools, residential neighbourhoods, and city zones so that there can be a carryover in whatever direction. Children of a neighbourhood should have access to the local community centre and take/bring work from school
If an above network exists then we should make a directory of all kinds of artists that live in an area and call upon them to brainstorm and see how they would like to bring arts into people’s lives. School principals and teachers talk to these artist groups about possible encounters and so on.”
– Maya Rao
Theatre Artist, Comedian, Activist
“By shifting the focus to smaller art forms and bringing them to neighbourhoods – closer to people.”
– Max Vandervorst
Belgian Composer, maker of musical instruments
