Aneesh Pradhan, Co-Founder, Baajaa Gaajaa Festival
Festival Context
What is the role of arts festivals in a community? -- What role is your festival currently playing in the community and how do you see its significance growing?
At the outset, I would like to make a distinction between general arts festivals and those that are specific to certain arts. For instance, Baajaa Gaajaa (BG) is a music festival and while we do encourage and conceptualize inter-disciplinary artistic activity at BG our focus continues to be Indian music in all its diversity. Consequently, therefore, there may be areas that a general arts festival may address that we will not necessarily feel compelled to. In practical terms, let's say we would like to have an inter-disciplinary activity between theatre and music like we have tried in the case of Stories in a Song. Since we are not a general arts festival, we do not feel compelled to have this inter-disciplinary activity each year. But a larger arts festival will necessarily need to address each artistic sphere, be it performing or visual arts.
Having said that, I would say that Shubha and I have always been concerned that the cultural diversity of our country is constantly threatened by processes and happenings within the country and across the world - processes that are separate and also inter-linked. The threat in the country comes from communalism, parochialism, lack of vision, a general apathy for the arts in society and in the government and among potential patrons, the Bollywoodization of Indian culture, and a reflection of the homogeneity that is also bred by globalization. The last mentioned is a world-wide phenomenon and while globalization lends us opportunities to have a free and democratic exchange of creative ideas, it also threatens cultural diversity of smaller countries by the sheer money power of developed nations and the culture that they choose to portray and propagate. The threat to cultural diversity naturally adversely impacts musical diversity. Not only does this rob the country of her heritage and potential contemporary artistic strengths, but on a practical level, it makes even basic sustenance a challenging proposition for arts practitioners.
BG was begun with the hope that the festival would address these and related issues. The festival seeks to provide a platform for all sections of the music-making fraternity to meet and discuss ideas, issues, prospects, problems, once every year and hopefully continue the dialogue at micro levels through the year. The festival has gained prominence in the three years of its existence among listeners, musicians, scholars and others. But it has faced grave problems with regard to sponsorship. So in plain terms, while we would like the festival to continue, grow and even travel to other parts of the country and overseas, its significance can increase only if the festival is able to survive.
In what historical context does your festival operate? Religious festivals have long been used to build cohesive communities in India - what about arts festivals? Were there historical equivalents of arts festivals in the region?
I don't think India has much of a history with regard to arts festivals being used as a medium to build cohesive communities. The arts have played an integral role in religious festivals, but not expressly to work towards cohesion. In recent times, we see music festivals mushrooming across the country focusing on particular themes like Bhakti Sangeet, which have incorporated practitioners from various regions and genres. In a sense, therefore, there is an element of diversity, but unfortunately, many of these festivals lack a larger vision and are seen as events more than parts of a larger process. We see BG as part of a larger process - we see it as a movement in addition to being a music festival, a movement that strengthens diversity using music as a medium. I would also like to add that the festivals organized by Sahmat, Anhad and similar organizations against communalism use the arts to spread the word about peace and anti-communalism. Their efforts have been significant, but the lack of curatorial vision at times puts the quality of performances and their perspective at variance to the larger context that is being addressed.
Why do you think there is now a sudden spurt of activity in art festival-making in India? How important are such events in a developing/transforming/globalising society?
I think the increase in the number of music festivals is primarily because event managers wish to tap potential sponsors from the govt and non-govt sectors. However, I don't believe these festivals have any far-reaching consequences of a positive kind, as they lack a holistic vision and curatorial perspective.
Where do arts festivals fit within the larger cultural framework of India - how are they different from other arts organisations and what unique opportunities do they offer?
They are on a bigger scale and therefore attract more attention in terms of revenue, publicity, and audiences. However, in many ways, it is the smaller organizations that work on a periodic basis that often do more engaging and constructive work, despite the fact that their audiences may be smaller and they may not receive the financial support that they deserve.
Do you think arts festivals are more accessible to their audiences, than other fixed arts organisations? Why?
In a sense, festivals are more accessible because they meet the public eye through publicity. Music circles work on membership and have limited resources. They do not therefore have the resources to publicize their events through advertisements.
What according to you are the key components that make up an arts festival?
A good arts festival must have an overall vision. I would say that the organizers need to ask themselves the following questions before deciding to start a festival:
a. Why do we need a festival? (Vision)
b. How different would our festival be from all those taking place? (Content)
c. Do we wish to focus our attention on a particular kind of audience? (Reach)
d. Would audience demographics determine the nature and content of the festival? (Examining possibilities for content and presentation and willing to take risks)
Organisational Structure
Do you think Indian festivals are using European models of festival-making? If not, how are they different?
I don't think Indian festivals are using European models. The differ in the following ways:
1. There is no special curating and conceptualizing of events in most cases. Almost always, there is no Creative Director/Curator to the festival, and it is the event managers who put together everything, from 'conceptualizing' to managing the event. Many of the international festivals have out-of-the-box events and encourage experimentation, but in India, we feature fusion which is often a jam session on stage, rather than any path-breaking experimental work.
At Baajaa Gaajaa, we have been aware of international festivals and have tried to incorporate some elements, but have always adapted those to Indian conditions and to the main thrust of the festival, which is to portray diversity and promote independent publishing.
What is the structure of the team in your festival?
The core team consists of two Festival Directors (Shubha and myself), the production-in-charge, audio consultant, lighting consultant, travel and hospitality management, artiste management. You can check out the core team from 2009 until 2011 on www.baajaagaajaa.com
In general, what is the period in which the team of festival works? During the entire year, or only in a period before and after the time in which the festival takes place?
Ideally, we would like to have a team that would work through the year, but this is not practically possible, simply because we lack the financial resources. Typically, therefore, the team works for three months before the event and a month after it. However, Shubha and I ideate through the year:)
How has the role of the festival/artistic director evolved in the last few years in your opinion?
Well, it's tough to talk about this, since we are the festival directors. It is far better to ask someone who has attended the festival in the past three years, to know if indeed we have evolved. However, there is one thing that I can say. We have widened the scope of the festival each year, included more events, and tried to urge listeners and musicians alike to think differently about music and music-making.
Well, really speaking, we work with a small team, primarily because of we lack funds. Which is why we continue to work in various capacities while still doing what is expected of a Festival Director. So from ideating or curating to checking venue decor, we take on quite a few responsibilities.
How important is the location, legacy and place - understanding the context of the place and generating a passion for participating in the festival among local community?
The location is important in terms of it being able to house multiple events simultaneously. In terms of legacy, Ishanya isn't a heritage site. It's a design mall with performance spaces, so one can't talk about legacy. However, there is a need for continuity for a festival to consolidate itself, and in that sense, it is important to hold the festival at the same venue each year, preferably at the same time in the year. I must add that we have had inquiries about taking the festival to other cities and countries and we had in fact dreamed of doing this when we started the festival. Whether or not we will be able to do this, only time and money will determine. Regarding the local community, I must confess we have not been too successful in involving local Pune musicians and the general public. Most people in Pune complain that the venue is too far from the city, making it difficult for them to commute. But we have had increasing numbers of people coming from outside Pune. However, many Pune aficionados believe that this is a typical response of the Pune public and it is only a matter of a few years before the local community will participate in huge numbers.
We chose Pune simply because we found a Joint Presenting Partner in Ishanya. We needed a venue and we certainly couldn't have afforded a place like Ishanya. They were kind enough to give us the space completely free. This is the reason why we are equally happy to do the festival in other places while consolidating the Pune base, so long as we get similar cooperation from venues in other regions.
Programming:
Did you conduct any formal / informal feasibility studies before launch to check if your festival has appeal?
No.
What are the key challenges in programming your festival – for instance, in commissioning new work, the pros and cons of using themes, financial and political barriers--and how do you overcome them?
We do not let any such barriers come in the way of the programming. Yes, sponsorships are difficult to come by if no celebrities are featured, but then again, we have had difficulties finding sponsors even when celebrities were featured:)
Do you need to differentiate between and define works along the lines of ‘contemporary’ and ‘traditional’ – does that become a challenge, do you have to seek a balance between representing the two?
No we don't do this necessarily. In the Indian context, it is difficult to differentiate between the contemporary and traditional. I mean, if a traditional classical composition is sung to the accompaniment of drums and synthesizer, does it make the music more contemporary? But yes, we make it a point to highlight folk, classical and other traditional forms, because these do not get as much airplay at most times, and we also create podcasts around folk and tribal music.
Is there a commitment to showcasing younger and emerging artists – and how do you how to develop and protect younger and emerging artists whilst putting them on a stage alongside international, world-class work?
I would hesitate to use the word 'struggling'. Emerging yes, but not struggling. And in case we want to use the word, it would be equally applicable to older and senior musicians, as the spaces for meaningful performance are shrinking rapidly and the brunt of this is felt even by older musicians. But coming back to your question, yes we feature young musicians but not just because of their age. The quality of music is what decides who will perform. Young musicians are featured as much on the main stage as they are on the Open Stages, so we do not give prime place to older or senior musicians. The choice of who will perform where is made on the basis of the total curatorial perspective.
How do you balance local community needs with the interests of external visitors and media viewers/readers?
We don't get into this space at all.
Is your festival’s content progressing increasingly towards multidisciplinary programming?
Yes.
Audiences:
Are you focused on any particular kinds of audiences that you are trying to attract?
No.
Do you have any audience measurement / feedback systems in place? Can you briefly discuss them?
We did have feedback forms, but our experience has been that most people don't return these duly filled in. We have a festival twitter account, FB page, and use all manner of social media networking. This has proved to be useful and successful.
Do you find a disconnect between engaging the audience vis-a-vis respecting the work and the artist. Do you think there is a trend in arts festivals towards more interactive performances?
We always try to have interactive performances. Artistes are encouraged to speak to audiences, workshops are held to create more awareness, the festival brochure and website gives enough material. However, I don't think this is necessarily done in other festivals in India.
What other factors do you consider when measuring the success of your festival: meeting the festival vision, ticket sale/audience numbers or how successful a festival is in launching new artists? What about dealing with failure?
We measure our achievements by the degree of success that we arrived at with regard to the outcome of the curated performances. Nothing could be more trying and frustrating than to find that the actual performance had little or nothing to do with the original concept. Yes, audience numbers matter, but the degree of involvement is more important than just those who come in for a stroll through the festival venue. And above all, we measure our achievements by the goodwill that we have been able to create among the music-making community.
Marketing and PR:
How much of a role does social media and online marketing play?
A lot.
Have there been any other major shifts in arts marketing – besides the use of online media?
No.
Funding model:
What sources of funding are available to you? Are there any funding bodies in india that you approach?
Corporate sponsorship, sponsorships from banking institutions, support from Indian branches of international cultural institutions like the Swiss Arts' Council Pro Helvetia and the British Council. A few private Foundations and patrons also support the festival. We have approached some other funding bodies, but since ours is a Pvt Ltd Co, we are told that they can fund only not-for-profit institutions.
Who are your partners/collaborators – do you engage in new models of governance and partnership between the arts, sciences, politics, business and other sectors?
Joint Presenting Partner which also provides us with the venue, hospitality partners, radio/television/magazine partners. No, we don't engage in any new models that you have mentioned.
How important has tourism been for your festival?
Not really, though it would be nice to tie the two.
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