Trupti Prasad, Festival Manager, Attakkalari Biennale
Organisational Structure:
Do you think Indian festivals are using European models of festival-making? If not, how are they different?
Attakkalari India Biennial has an identity that is its own but yes it does have global standards. Our mission statement a few years ago did say we would aim to give Bangalore the same stature as cities like Montpelier or Avignon.
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?
It takes at least a year to 18 months to put together a festival of this scale. So it has now become almost a continuous process.
How has the role of the festival/artistic director evolved in the last few years in your opinion?
It is very important to have a festival director to give vision, structure and quality to a festival. Putting together a festival is much more that getting works to perform randomly.
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?
Very important - we have always maintained Bangalore is ideally situated for a contemporary dance festival like Attakkalari India Biennial
Attakkalari is situated in Bangalore and has over the years built an audience for contemporary dance. On a macro level the nature of its geopolitical and cultural location makes Bangalore a strategic centre to initiate a North-South dialogue on innovation and performance arts with an international perspective
Programming:
Did you conduct any formal / informal feasibility studies before launch to check if your festival has appeal?
No, it wasn't about feasibility - it was about passion for contemporary dance and the need to make it grow in India and Indian dance scene grow in the world.
What are the key challenges in programming your festival and how do you overcome them?
The lack of good venues I would say is one of our biggest challenges today. We really need world class auditoriums.
Finance is hard to garner, but there are always a few visionaries in the government and outside it as well as a whole range of cultural agencies who come together every two years to make this festival successful.
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?
Attakkalari's stated mission is: Traditional Physical Wisdom, Innovation and Technology. All the work shown at the festival is contemporary movement arts based on this and selected by curators who know what they are looking for.
How do you balance local community needs with the interests of external visitors and media viewers/readers?
We do this by having the right mix of Indian and International work as part of the programme.
Audiences:
Are you focused on any particular kinds of audiences that you are trying to attract?
No.The more varied it is the better. Penetrating into areas hitherto unfamiliar with contemporay movement arts and bringing people from there to watch the shows is one of our main targets.
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?
Audience appreciation is subjective and evolves with exposure. Interaction of course is wonderful but need not always be the only way to engage an audience. At the end of the day people are discerning enough to appreciate quality.
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?
Apart from what you mention media coverage plays a big role. Artist and delegate feedback, networks that develop, funding availabilty, more international interest to participate, partnerships, collaborations...these are all important.
Can you detail some of your outreach initiatives?
Through Attakkalari’s Education Outreach Programme, now in its 8th year, trained facilitators from Attakkalari’s repertory take the Movement Arts to schools across the socio-economic divide. Attakkalari has worked with government schools, schools for underprivileged children, a juvenile remand home as well as private and international schools.
Attakkalari also offers community classes every evening. Over the years the community dance classes have attracted increasing numbers of young people and are now held every evening at the Attakkalari studios including weekends. The classes are held at a time convenient for working professionals interested in dance. The classes expose a growing number of young people to constructive ways of self-expression through movement besides helping them develop valuable inter-personal and intra-personal skills.
During the festival, visiting choreographers from India and abroad, offer classes. These master classes are open to the public and hugely popular. This festival we even had someone fly in from Sri Lanka to attend two sessions offered by an American choreographer and one by a dancer from UK!
Marketing and PR:
How much of a role does social media and online marketing play?
They play a huge role. We used it extensively in the last festival and even more this time round. Media management is an essential part of organising a festival, requiring professionals to do it.
Have there been any other major shifts in arts marketing – besides the use of online media?
Wouldn't really know about arts marketing but yes, technology has brought about a huge shift in the way we disseminate information. A lot of tools are available today.
Funding model:
What sources of funding are available to you? Are there any funding bodies in India that you approach?
Yes, there are funding bodies and agencies available to us in India but the funding is not adequate for a festival hosted on this scale. Other partners are needed.
How important has tourism been for your festival?
The Karnataka State Tourism Development Board was one of our partners in 2011 and we hope this partnership continues. Artists from all over the world and different parts of India are here for almost three weeks before, during and after the festival. They are bound to take in the sights, sounds and flavours of Karnataka as well as India.
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