Sanjoy Roy, Festival Producer, Jaipur Literature Festival and Managing Director Teamwork Films
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?
The arts impact community groups directly and arts festivals are showcases for these activities. In economically difficult times there is an increased need to connect with young people struggling to come to terms with their debts, uncertain job future and tentative new life styles outside of their former parental homes - the arts plays an important role in creating a focus, ensuring energies are being utilized in a positive way, creating new bonds which could last longer and create a safety net, and a platform for net working. For young people from disenfranchised communities this is of greater importance. For example at the Salaam Baalak trust an organisation providing support services for street and working-children in the inner city of Delhi for the past 24 years - the arts have become a backbone for rehabilitation, for the young people to find a new sense of confidence, to be able to perform for their peers and realize they are no different and for their socialization process. In juvenile remand homes, theater workshops and remedial drama projects have created a new sense of confidence and allowed kids to see things somewhat differently. Recently a juvenile was part of a theater production while pending trial. He was released by the court on the day of his production. he left the court a free man only to return to the jail and beg to be allowed back to perform in the play.
Arts festivals too play a variety of roles:
• provide platforms for creativity which allows for costs to be amortized and marketing to be focused
• provide an arena for work to be judged for excellence and innovation
• create an economic incentive to towns, villages and cities.
• The Edinburgh festival contributed 950,000 GDP of extra spend to Edinburgh economy
• Jaipur contributes approximately 10 crores of extra spend during the Jaipur literature festival
• Ramlila and festival celebrations contribute close to 1.5 billion dollars during the 10 days of celebrations.
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?
Religious festivals especially like Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja become symbols of resistance against the British Raj. Cultural festivals have a more recent history.
The biggest festival in India is the Chennai season which began as an offering of classical dance by a sabha and has grown to be a program with over 3500 events over a month across multiple spaces.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival and Konarak Dance Festival became signature programs to focus on tourism in the region. The only handicap they suffer was that it was run by government and has not achieved what it set out to do. However, the Khajuraho Festival continues to attract over 7000 - 8000 villagers from the area who come together to savor the best of classical music and dance ...in itself a rare feat.
The festivals we have set up have no historical antecedents and are both fairly new in concept in design in India. Internationally they follow a new trajectory of marrying commerce with the arts.
In recent times we have been propagating the transformation of inner city locations through the arts. By advising Realtors to provide rent free or discounted accommodation to artists and the arts community for living accommodation, studio or exhibition space and rehearsal space, inner cities can attract artists to convert unusable spaces into edgy neighborhoods. Once this happens ...gentrification of the area is a matter of time with boutiques opening, lofts being converted and real estate prices going up.
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?
Traditionally there have been many arts festivals in India springing up across metros and smaller tourist towns for a few decades. The increase in recent years can be attributed to the economic development in metros and A,B and C category cities where there is a larger appetite for entertainment, Bollywood and local or traditional arts offerings.
On the sociological side ...festivals tend to be used as dating platforms or legitimate match making platforms which earlier were restricted to local fairs.
Festivals are also economic activities with more and more young people looking to events as a career option.
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?
Arts festivals and arts organisations are as different as apples and aubergine. Arts festivals provide a gamut of different opportunities - some of these I have mentioned in the answers above and include:
• economic development in the area
• tourism potential
• platform for creative expression
• enhancement of local infrastructure and facilities
Arts organizations offer somewhat different opportunities but these would vary from organization to organization depending on their aims and vision
• an opportunity for expression
• remedial facilities for the physical and mentally challenged
• empowerment for disenfranchised youth
• employment
• economic activity for artists
• creative expression
• technical development
• infrastructure creation
Do you think arts festivals are more accessible to their audiences, than other fixed arts organisations? Why?
Arts festivals create a focus and if it is concentrated, it tends to garner more attention. Say u have a book reading or panel discussion... this would appeal to a group of people as opposed to say a literature festival which offers a host of choices, many authors and more opportunity to interact.
Similarly a theater festival like the one by National School of Drama offers multiple choices for both viewers and those who wish to learn as opposed to a one off play.
However there is no argument that an arts festival is better than a one-off presentation or the other way. Each has its own needs and requirements and space in the larger scheme of things.
What according to you are the key components that make up an arts festival?
• location, location, location
• city scape, distance from main venue
• primary focus of the festival
• program mix
• production lay out
• facilities including parking, security, toilets, shops and merchandising, ticket outlets
• marketing, marketing, marketing
• pr
• technical facilities
• stage requirements, green room and other requirements for the artists
• travel facilities - access to railway station, airport, etc
• hotel facilities for tourists, artists, etc
• local permissions, police requirements
• networking with local community leaders
• volunteers
Organisational Structure:
What is the structure of the team in your festival?
The Jaipur Literature Festival has:
• festival directors
• festival producer and associate producer
• print and design head
• marketing
• sposnorship
• volunteers coordinator
• registration and ticketing
• venue managers
• decor and infrastructure
• travel
• accomodation
• ground transport
• artist liaison officers
• technical head
• food and catering
• music stage
• back stage
• press and pr
• sponsor relationship manager
• volunteers
In general, what is the period in which the team of festival works?
We normally work in a 12 - 18 month cycle with most programming completed at least a year in advance and sponsorship an ongoing activity with multiple visits to cities and offices depending on where the festival is being based and what kind of coordination is required by our different offices.
How has the role of the festival/artistic director evolved in the last few years in your opinion?
Festival directors tend to be more CEOs of the festival with artistic directors being more creative and focused on content delivery. Given the paucity of budgets, directors today like Jonathan Mills at Edinburgh International Festival have to deliver their vision, program, find money and coordinate (fight) with government. In almost all these roles networking is the key to the festival.
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?
Vital. In Jaipur for example the general impression was that this was an exclusive festival for white people. We had to work overtime to ensure democratic access, equality in seating and in treatment and hospitality. Today the city feels it’s their festival.
In Srinagar we did not do enough homework nor built vital links with the community and this was one of the reasons why we were unable to quell the protest by a small group of radicals who threatened violence and ensured we cancelled the fest.
In South Africa working with local organisations across the rainbow divide ensure that we get different communities buying in to our fest. Similarly in Vancouver reaching out to both white Canadians and people of Indian origin worked well specially knowing the sensitivities that surround Khalistan in Vancouver.
Programming:
What are the key challenges in programming your festival – for instance, the pros and cons of using themes, financial and political barriers--and how do you overcome them?
I personally don't favour theme based festivals as I find them restrictive. Theme-based festivals however are in fashion with artistic directors as this model allows them to be creatively different and often contributes to the age old press question of what's different.
One has to be politically conscious. For example in Singapore u wouldn't do a festival with a drug theme or in Iran with a Christian theme. Sometimes u need to disguise the intent for example in Jerusalem we create a platform which allows both sides of the divide to communicate and speak to each other about issues of segregation, inequality, etc without it being seen ostensibly as a hostile political platform.
How do you balance local community needs with the interests of external visitors and media viewers/readers?
Festivals must be for the largest cross section of the local population and the rest will follow. Presentation needs to be to international standards which will allow everyone to access the festival. The Pushkar Camel Festival is a local activity whose exotic nature appeals to all.
Is your festival’s content progressing increasingly towards multidisciplinary programming?
12 of our 17 festivals are multidisciplinary with music, theater, dance, film, visual arts, digital arts, crafts, food and fashion having equal space.
Our lit fests have music, food, crafts, workshops and visual arts as part of the program
Audiences:
Are you focused on any particular kinds of audiences that you are trying to attract?
A cross-section of audiences. The aim is to continue to grow these and include everyone from those who live on the streets to those who come in fancy private jets.
Do you have any audience measurement / feedback systems in place? Can you briefly discuss them?
Most festivals have a basic feedback system available through our web site. Some have more detailed ones which let us know the problems - kind of surveys.
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?
Not really. Audiences are clever and know exactly what they wish to see, pay for and take time out for. They are informed and while happy to experiment are quite clear of what they like or dislike. You have to get the program mix right and have known names with unknown, classical shows with contemporary performances and marry the popular with the experimental. Audiences must want to trust in you... they will hate some and like some, but these are personal choices... if they trust you they will turn up and be happy to be surprised.
This changes from country to country - Singapore loves big names, Europe the more experimental, Brazil the risqué and adventurous, etc
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 publications? What about dealing with failure?
• press reportage
• audience feedback
• numbers who have attended
Failure is the most difficult thing to overcome ... if u learn the lessons from the failure u will be well set to pursue greater ambitions.
Marketing and PR:
How much of a role does social media and online marketing play?
More and more important. For Harud, the Srinagar lit fest - social media ensured we canceled the festival… it also ensured we were able to lose the battle but win the war and turn the tide in our favour.
No media can be ignored anymore - you need a combination of outdoor, print, radio, electronic and social media to market effectively.
Have there been any other major shifts in arts marketing – besides the use of online media?
Word of mouth remains the biggest draw. As newspapers have more or less cut out reviews and reviewers , so most shows depend on word of mouth or sometimes through tweets, facebook, etc
Funding model:
What sources of funding are available to you? Are there any funding bodies in India that you approach?
Corporate sponsorship, government grants. There are no major arts funding bodies in India. Internationally we also look to corporate support, sponsorship, CSR funds, government grants and city organisations.
Who are your partners/collaborators – do you engage in new models of governance and partnership between the arts, sciences, politics, business and other sectors?
We have for our festivals partnered with most cities like the city of Johannesburg, Durban, Vancouver city council, Tel Aviv municipality. Also arts councils like the Arts Council of England, Creative Scotland, British Council, American state department. Corporates like Microsoft, Google, Tata, Mahindra and Mahindra, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Coutts, RBS, Coca Cola, and media groups.
How important has tourism been for your festival?
Tourism is a main stay for any festival and our primary aim always is to drive more traffic to our festivals from across the world.
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