BENGALURU: A performance by walking violinist Aneesh Vidyashankar, classical fusion music rendition on the Hawaiian guitar by Grammy winner Prakash Sontakke; a ballet by Padmini Ravi & Deepti Sudhindra... Kalotsava 2020, a 10-day festival being organised by ArtMantram Trust, is all about art and artistes.
The idea behind the festival, according to Yumna Harisingh Jawa, the founding trustee and vice-president of the organisation, is multifold – to provide a performance platform for musicians and artistes, provide them with remuneration, ring out the year celebrating music and dance, and raise funds for artistes in dire straits.
“All artistes, even those who are financially secure, have felt the pain of the current time. Everyone knows the big names, but the arts support the livelihoods of not just the supporting musicians, but all those who work in the industry. For those who have given their lives to their craft, it is a source of immense pride, and it has been difficult for practitioners to find themselves entirely dependent on the goodwill of others.
It is, therefore, critical for us to find a way to create earning opportunities. On a recent call, Tara Kini of Sunaad was referring to how one performance a month is enough to sustain her accompanist who is travelling to Bengaluru for her performance here,” says Harisingh Jawa who is putting this festival together with her mother, Jija Madhavan Harisingh.
Besides performances, it also includes a silent auction by artists Anjolie Ela Menon, Sujata Bajaj, Sudip Roy and others; and giving away the ArtMantram Lifetime Achievement Awards for Women in the Arts and Letters to Vyjayanthimala Bali, Devaki Jain, and Rukmini Varma.
The festival has performances by artistes from various parts of the world. "We have loved these opportunities to bring together artistes without worrying about visas, flight tickets and hotel stays. Conversely, raising money has been very difficult. Especially this year, when everyone has opened their hearts and wallets to support others in the community. And yet, there is more to be done," she says.
The festival is following the hybrid model, which is becoming the norm, with events being held online, as well as live at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. As Harisingh Jawa says, "For the performing arts, there is a magic that comes on a live stage. Each performance creates an energy that is ephemeral. Recognising the fundamental need to open performance halls again, of course, with an overabundance of caution, is why we have decided to go with a hybrid model."
The festival is taking place between December 21 and 30. For details, log on to artmantram.org