PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATION OF
 CULTURE
 

(i) Promotion and Dissemination

Centre for Cultural Resources and Training

The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training was set up in 1979 as an autonomous organisation fully financed by the Government of India. The Centre has taken over the scheme of Propagation of culture among College and School students, which was being implemented by Delhi University from 1970 onwards.

The broad objectives for which the Centre has been established is to revitalise the educational system by creating an, understanding and awareness among the students about the plurality of regional cultures of India and integrating this knowledge with the curriculum subjects. To fulfil its objectives, the Centre organises; a number of training programmes for the benefit of inservice teachers drawn from primary/high/higher secondary schools in different parts of the country. In the year 1982-83 the following training programmes were organised :

1. Orientation Course on the Appreciation of the Arts.

2. Refresher Course for trained teachers.

3. Workshops and Seminars on different facets of Indian Culture.

4. Course an Puppetry for Education.

During the period under report, the Centre organised 14 Orientation/ Refresher Courses and Workshops ranging from two to six weeks duration each at New Delhi, Udaipur, Madras, Pune, Solan, Mysore and Mitrupuram. These Training programmes are designed to create an awareness of the fun- damental principles underlying development of Indian Culture in the fields of Architecture, Sculpture, Paintings, Literature, Dance, Music, Theatre, Folk Arts, Handicrafts etc. The training programmes consist of lectures and lecture- demonstrations, practical training in these art forms, seminars and discussions etc. In addition, four courses on Puppetry for Education were also organised at New Delhi.

In order to fully realise the objectives of the training given to the teachers and to foster an understanding and appreciation of culture among school children, an educational kit consisting of audio-visual materials is provided to the institutions from where the teacher has been trained in the Orientation/Refresher Course. During the year 1982-83, 400 educational kits are expected to be produced for distribution to these institutions. The Centre continued the publication of its quarterly journal entitled 'Newsletter' which provides a platform for dialogue amongst trained teachers working in different regions to exchange views on Education and Culture. The Centre undertook the production of Books on the Arts of India.

The work relating to the production of films on art and culture of the various regions in the country was speeded up. These films will be of 20- 25 minutes duration and are intended to document some of the traditions prevalent in the different regions of the country. Field trips to the rural and tribal areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bengal and Himachal Pradesh were organised with a view to collecting audio-visual resources on the Plastic and "Permanent and Semi Permanent Masks from Kerala" will be completed in has been completed. Two other films "Tapestry that is Kashmir" and "Permanent and Semi Permanent Masks from kerala" will be completed in the current year.

Building grants to Voluntary Cultural Organisations

Under this scheme grants are given to voluntary cultural organisations including those run by local bodies, municipalities/corporations working primarily in the cultural fields of dance, drama, music, fine arts, indology,

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literature, other than religious institutions, public libraries, museums, municipalities, schools, universities, institutions fully financed by Central/State Governments for construction purpose and purchase of equipment. Grants were given to 29 institutions during the year.

Financial Assistance to Dance, Drama and Theatre Ensembles

Under the scheme of financial assistance to eminent institutions in the field of Performing arts, assistance is provided to well established institutions of national or regional importance which have been doing good work in the field of performing arts with a view to helping them become national or regional resources centres in their respective fields. 21 institutions received financial assistance under the scheme.

Under the scheme of financial assistance to professional groups and individuals for specified performing art projects, financial assistance is provided to dramatic theatre groups, music ensembles, orchestra units, children's theatres, puppet theatres, solo artists etc. for approved projects. About 60 projects were recommended for grant under the scheme.

Festival of India, U.K.

In the year 1978 the British Government proposed the possibility of organising in London 2 large-scale exhibitions of Indian Classified Art. The Government agreed to collaborate in this venture.

Keeping in view the magnitude of the Project, the Government of India appointed an Indian Advisory Committee under the Chairmanship of Suit. Pupul Jayakar. The exhibition was conceived as a most comprehensive and ambitious manifestation of India's past and present undertaken anywhere since independence. The aim was to give an opportunity to people of Indian origin settled there to add the richness and variety of the cultural heritage of, India and to know the progress and development which India had made in the fields of science, industry and technology since independence.

The Festival of India was inaugurated on March 22, 1982 at the Royal Festival Hall, London with the beat of Ranjeet Nagara followed by fanfare of trumpets by the President's Bodyguards, a concert by Suit. Subbalakshmi and Ravi Shankar on Sitar with Zubin Mehta conducting the London Phil- harmonic Orchestra. The two other programmes of exhibitions which opened in the presence of the two Prime Ministers Smt. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India and Rt. Hon'ble Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain, are :

        
                           1. March 23     Hayward Gallery,    IN  THE  IMAGE OF MAN:             
                                           Belvedere Road,     The Indian Perception of the Uni- 
                                           London SE 1         verse through 2000 years of Paint-
                                                               ing and Sculpture.                
        
                           2. March 24     Science Museum,     Science, Technology and
                                           South Kensington,   Medicines of India.    
                                           London SW 7
                                                
                                                               

The Festival ended on November 14, 1982 with a programme of folk dances from Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa.

The total expenditure for the Festival of India, London for 1981-82 and 1982-83 is Rs. 99.26 lakhs. This expenditure is being met from the Government budget and from donations. These donations have been used to sponsor programmes in the field of performing art, contemporary art and exhibition of Master Weavers and Aditi.

Grants to Cultural Organisations

Financial assistance is being given to institutions of all India character, which are engaged in the development of cultural activities to meet part of their expenditure on maintenance and developmental activities. The institutions covered include PEN, All India Centre, Bombay, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Calcutta, Asiatic Society, Calcutta, Institute of Historical Studies, Calcutta, Numismatic Society, Varanasi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay and Institute of Traditional Culture, Madras.

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Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme

(ii) Schemes for Training and Research

The main objective of the scheme is to spot talent within the age-group of 10-14 years and to award them scholarships with a view to developing their talents in different cultural fields. The scheme provides for 100 fresh scholarships every year including 25 reserved for children belonging to families of traditional artists. The scholarships are tenable up to the age of 20 years or completion of first degree stage of education, whichever is earlier. With effect from 1982-83, the implementation of the scheme has been transferred to the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Bahawalpur House, New Delhi, an autonomous organisation fully financed by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The total number of scholars who are receiving stipends tinder the scheme at present is 575.

Scheme for the award of Scholarships to Young Workers in different Cultural fields

The objective, of the scheme is to give financial assistance to Young artists of outstanding promise for advanced training within India in the fields of music, dance, drama, painting, sculpture, book illustration and design, wood-craft etc. The scholarships, are given to candidates in the age group 18-22 years. The duration of scholarships is two years, but in exceptional cases, it may be extended by another year. The value of scholarships is Rs. 350/- p.m. The emphasis is on award of scholarships in fields which are in danger of getting extinct., From 1980- 81 onwards the number of scholarships have been increased from 50 to 75. About 235 young artists were; receiving scholarships during the year.

Scheme for the Award of Fellowships to the outstanding Artist in the fields of the Performing, the Literary and the Plastic Arts

The scheme provides for award every year of 15 Senior Fellowships of the value of Rs. 1000/- per month each and 35 Junior. Fellowships of the value of Rs. 500/- per month each. The main objective is to provide basic financial support to outstanding men in the fields of the literary, the plastic and the performing arts in the age group of 25-65, years, for very advanced training or individual creative efforts or for revival of some of our traditional forms of arts. Nearly, 160 fellows received financial support during the year under report.

Reactivisation of the 1961 Schemes of financial assistance to person distin- guished in Letters, Art and such other walks of life who may be in indigent circumstances

The scheme provides for financial assistance to persons distinguished in letters, arts etc. who may be in indigent circumstances and who are above 58 years of age and in certain cases, to their dependents who are left unprovided for. Under the scheme, expenditure is shared by the Government of India and the respective State Governments on 2:1 ratio; in exceptional cases the entire expenditure is borne by the Government of India.

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