THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a noval move aimed at promoting art and culture and to boost the cultural capital , the government has come out with the ‘Diamond Jubilee Fellowship for aspiring artists’. The project which is being implemented as part of the state’s diamond jubilee celebrations envisages providing encouragement to young artists who have already acquired the stipulated qualifications in their respective art disciplines. Under this, 1,000 artists who have passed out from recognised institutions will be provided a monthly fellowship of `10,000 each for one year. Besides, tribal artists will be engaged to teach students in art forms for which there are no recognised training schools. `13.50 crore has been earmarked for the project.
The local self-government bodies, government and aided schools and cultural organisations across the state will host the artists and provide infrastructure facilities to train the students. The artists to be conferred with the fellowship will impart training in music, classical art forms, dance, acting, art, sculpture, folk and ritual art forms, magic and other art forms.
Planning Board member K N Harilal told Express both the board and the government are convinced the state’s cultural riches have immense potential which ought to be tapped into. “So far the government and Planning Board have not been able to give proper attention to art and culture promotion and develop our cultural capital to strengthen our cultural economy. If we could strengthen our heritage and culture we can milk our cultural economy for all its worth in the future,” he said. A comprehensive framework for the project will be formulated after convening a meeting of experts drawn from various sectors and those heading cultural institutions.
An expert committee will also be set up to identify the artists to be granted the fellowship. There will be opportunities for learning mohiniyattom, bharatanatyam, kuchipudi, kathakali, kathakali music, cholliyattom, koodiyattom, krishnanattom, thullal, thiruvathira, yaksha ganam, chakyar koothu, nangiar koothu, panchavadyam, thayampaka, Kerala natanam, drama, carnatic music and hindustani vocal. Similarly, training will be imparted in light music, instrumentation music, violin, flute, guitar, chavittunatakam, sopana sangeetham, Kathaprasangam, mappila pattu, kakkarisshi and velakali.
In the fine arts category, students will be initiated into painting, sculpture , drawing, graphics, wall painting, cartoon- caricature and handicrafts. In the folk and ritualistic art forms category, there will be coaching in kummattikkali, kaikottikali, thumpi thullal, padayani, theyyam, tholppava koothu, kolam thullal, mudiyettu, kuthiyottam, kalarippayattu, magic, kaniyarlkali, margam kali, oppana, kolkali, duff muttu, arbana muttu, parichamuttuand ayyappanpaattu.
A notification will be issued for inviting applications for selecting artists once the eligibility criteria is stipulated. A high-power committee headed by the Cultural Affairs Minister will have to approve the panel of artists chosen for the fellowship. Harilal said the project for which administrative sanction had already been granted will be implemented this year.
To Galvanise Artistry
The fellowship is part of the ongoing jubilee celebrations of Kerala’s formation and seeks to cash in on the state’s cultural riches which had been overlooked by successive governments
The local self-government bodies, government and aided schools and cultural organisations across the state will host the artists and provide infrastructure facilities to train the students