KOCHI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Kerala Kalamandalam, a Deemed-to-be-University of Art and Culture, has tied up with Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) to tap into the creative economy. As part of the initiative, KSUM will set up a mini creative incubator.
P Rajesh Kumar, Kalamandalam registrar told TNIE, “A space measuring 10,000 sq ft has been identified on the campus. It is high time such an initiative is implemented. Creative economy is very huge. Look at how many artists like Hareesh Sivaramakrishnan are generating revenue. For a single performance, he commands a fee of around Rs 12 lakh. However, a Carnatic vocalist gets only Rs 10,000. The difference is marketing.”
“We have Thrissur Pooram. The revenue generated is in crores. If one takes a look at the magnitude of the work and the number of people involved, it can be called an industry. But that’s the catch. It is not considered an industry since it is unorganised,” he said. However, this concept can be made into a business model, said Rajesh.
He gave the example of how they conceptualised Ernest Hemingway’s novella ‘Old Man and the Sea’ for a kathakali performance at Ranga Mahotsav in Delhi. “When we converted kathakali into a theatre format, the response was immense. The show at Rang Mahostav is sold out! Now, that’s a business model,” he said, adding the university has signed an MoU with KSUM.
The registrar said with the help of a proper business blueprint, the performing artists in the country can generate revenue. This is the goal behind the mini creative incubator.
Anoop Ambika, CEO, KSUM, said the incubator is their focused initiative to bring creators across arts, culture, media, and design into the structured startup ecosystem. “Through targeted incubation, technology enablement, mentorship, and market linkages, we aim to help creative professionals build sustainable, revenue-generating ventures. Anchoring this incubator at Kalamandalam creates a strong bridge between traditional art forms and innovation-led entrepreneurship,” Anoop said.
The plan
Infrastructure development, mentorships and other facets associated with incubator to be handled by the KSUM
Registrar P Rajesh Kumar said Kalamandalam will also be providing mentors as it has artists of acclaim on campus. He said artists can approach them with ideas, and they will be provided mentorship in turning the ideas into revenue-making ventures