New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Local and young artists from Delhi will get opportunities to showcase their work at international cultural festivals and events abroad under a new partnership between the Delhi government and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
The initiative will cover artists from fields including performing arts, literature, sculpture, textiles, architecture, culinary arts and handicrafts, with the government preparing a comprehensive database of talent and sharing it with ICCR for international programmes, according to a statement.
The partnership, formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, will also seek to promote Delhi’s cultural heritage and tourism
while expanding academic and cultural exchanges with foreign artists, scholars and students.
Under the agreement, artists from Delhi will get opportunities to participate in ICCR’s ‘Horizon Series’ and international cultural festivals. The Delhi government will identify established and emerging talent and enlist them with the cultural body, it stated.
The database will bring together artists from different disciplines, creating a directory that can be used to identify talent for international cultural programmes and events, the statement stated.
The agreement also provides for performances by foreign artists at cultural and tourism festivals in Delhi. Joint art exhibitions, artist residency camps, workshops, conferences and seminars involving artists from India and abroad will also be organised.
Foreign scholars and dignitaries visiting India under ICCR’s Distinguished Visitors Programme and Academic Visitors Programme will be hosted in Delhi, while study camps and orientation visits will be organised for foreign students associated with ICCR to familiarise them with the city’s historical and cultural attractions, it said.
The partnership will also promote Delhi’s educational institutions and universities among ICCR’s international student network, opening avenues for greater academic interaction.
It said that for international cultural groups participating in events in Delhi, the government will bear necessary expenses, while ICCR will assist in identifying participants and with visa and travel-related arrangements.
For Delhi-based artists and cultural groups participating in events abroad, the Delhi government will bear expenses related to domestic and international air travel, transportation, visas and necessary government approvals, it said and added ICCR will assist with international stay, performances, publicity and medical requirements.
A joint committee comprising ICCR’s director general or representative, senior officials of the Delhi government’s Department of Art and Culture and the head of ICCR’s regional office will oversee implementation and finalise a minimum annual activity plan, the statement read.
The MoU will remain in force for five years from the date of signing and can be extended for another five years by mutual consent, it mentioned.
Gupta said the partnership would connect Delhi’s art, culture and talent with wider platforms in India and abroad.
She said the government wanted Delhi’s heritage, art and cultural identity to progress alongside its development, adding that the partnership would give fresh impetus to the city’s culture, tourism and creative economy.
Art, Culture and Language Minister Kapil Mishra said the agreement would provide Delhi artists opportunities on international platforms and help create a database of talented artists across disciplines.
He also said the partnership would promote cultural exchanges with foreign artists and scholars, while orientation programmes, study camps and introductory visits would help international students connect with Delhi’s cultural heritage. PTI SHB
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