Dear Art Lovers, this year more than ever before, we need your help. Coronavirus pandemic has brought unique challenges for all of us. Independent art practitioners, researchers and organizations are the worst sufferer of pandemic. We appeal to you to contribute generously and make this effort, the Archives of Folk and Traditions art, a success.

Happenings

Join us for a range of public happenings packed with activities to suit all ages and interests including art talks, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops for kids, and other events. Folkartopedia is going to host multiple public happenings in its studio. These programs are;

Performance Art

“Performance Art, a time-based art form that typically features a live presentation to an audience or to onlookers (as on a street) and draws on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance, and painting. It is generally an event rather than an artifact.”

  • Britannica Encyclopaedia –

In India, Performance art is not as old as in the west, This is a misconception and requires in-depth discussion. If we look at many forms of Indian folk, traditional and tribal art impartially, we’ll find all the qualities which define Performance art were inherent in those art forms. Many artists tried to unfold those qualities here, but unfortunately, they left behind, unnoticed. The program aims to bring them Noticed what are Un-Noticed.

Good Sleep Performance @ Cittadellarte- Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella, Italy Durational Performance –Thirteen Day-Night Year- 2018

Dance / Drama / Music

The performing arts range from vocal and instrumental music, dance and theatre to pantomime, sung verse and beyond. They include numerous cultural expressions that reflect human creativity and that are also found, to some extent, in many other intangible cultural heritage domains. Many forms of performing arts are under threat today. As cultural practices become standardized, many traditional practices are abandoned. Even in cases where they become more popular, only certain expressions may benefit while others suffer. (UNESCO)

Folkartopedia is documenting and conserving the above-mentioned articles in its periphery and bringing these cultural practices on such an open forum, where it can survive by the development of a sustainable sources of livelihood. We invite artists from different regions to their arts and discuss it with the larger society. We will focus on cross-disciplinary and collaborative interaction and ensure their digital presence across the globe.

A still of Purulia Chhau dance, West Bengal, India

Screenings

Folkartopedia is collecting films, performance art videos and audio-visual documentation of traditional, folk and tribal art and crafts, textiles, dances, theatres of India and abroad. Films and videos made by filmmakers, video bloggers, documentarians and other artists of various art forms are being collected to enrich our archive and research purposes.

We are also screening films, documentaries, and documentation among the marginalized communities as a part of Community Cinema.     

The audio-visual archive is being available for preview for all anytime. Screening of these films, videos, and documentaries will be begun very soon.

A still from Frida (2002) by Julie Taymor

Workshops

The design of the Folkartopedia workshop program is to promote traditional art and culture in the urban arena and explore extensive possibilities for innovation in our folk, traditional and tribal art and crafts culture. 

It’s a conglomerate of ideas of many disciplines of art forms, folk, traditional and tribal art, and crafts, music, theatre, dance, culinary arts, and others. The design will explore new possibilities and accessibilities opportunities for not only our cultural bearers but for younger generations also for their positive persona development and sustenance opportunities.   

We are focusing on rural and tribal art and crafts, traditional and contemporary as well, especially in theatre performance and performance art.

Make-up workshop, 2016, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, Sunil Kumar 2016

Keep visiting the websites for all the major announcements and important dates.
Currently, we are open to accepting art films, performance art videos, art documentaries and other audio-visual art productions for our archive. 

We are not accepting any call for art performances and workshops now. The Call will be open shortly. 

Thank you.