“Having been a classical dancer all these years, the Arts Management Course at the Madras Craft Foundation helped open up various perspectives on the socio-cultural aspects of Art. The new awareness helped me seek the ‘why’ of an art form rather than just accepting it as a tradition. The management module of the course further educates one on developing art as an organised business with parallel social responsibilities.”
Priya Krishnadas – 2006-07
"The one year at Madras Craft Foundation and DakshinaChitra has been the most enriching and learning experience of my career in the arts. From documenting the tribal dancers of a rural community in Karnataka, to sharing space with the whose-who of the Chennai culteratti, we students did it all. The professors are the gems of this course, each one bringing something new to the table every day with their non-traditional method of imparting information - be it through presentations, excursions, and even story telling. The course allowed me to think about options that I never knew existed, especially in non-mainstream fields such as education through arts for kids, new media and technology for rural community, folk culture, etc.
I am currently working as Associate Editor for Progressive Media Publications, a UK-based media congloromate. I specifically deal with the built environment, interior design and construction verticals, where I write and edit news and features related to interior design projects from around the world for the company's website.
My training in arts management has gone a long way in helping me set a toe hold in the publishing industry."
Nilofar Haja – 2007-08
“Yes I am applying many of my arts management learnings into my work here and am so grateful that I got the privilege to be part of this course. After I came back home, I continued working with the same organization I was with earlier. But we started taking up some new projects which fitted into my interests. I was actively involved in a joint project (with a film maker, a conservationist)- documenting wildlife and traditional hunting practices in my village. This work will be used for designing a wildlife conservation manual for TOT. With this manual, we will be having a series of workshops in Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal in NE India. Lessons from Cultural studies and the Udipi trip have been really helpful. I am also involved with a livelihood and craft promotion programme- we started a waist-loom weaving program with about 200 weavers from 5 villages."
Akole Tsuhah – 2007-08
“The three students whom I sent you came back very happy: polished and self-assured. Thank you for all of that.”
Prof. B.N. Goswamy,
Well known Art Historian, University of Punjab
The fieldwork course in Udupi went extremely well in all of its dimensions ... beyond even my extravagant expectations!
Each of the Dakshina Chitra students performed extremely well ... they were an invaluable component of the whole workshop. It is a very talented and able group you have there! Each had their special contribution and it is impossible to single out any one of them who excelled beyond the others. I am very happy to have had the chance to work with them. I hope you don’t require me to give them grades: they would all get A+ from me. In fact, I would give them all JOBS if I were in the business of Cultural Studies and Arts Management. You could START a successful business with that team!
We made the state and national newspapers on several occasions. I hope they made clippings to show you. And you MUST see their presentations. Beyond that, I haven’t the words to describe how pleased I was that they were able to join our (NFSC, RRC and I) “experiment” in International Education.
Peter Claus, Professor of Anthropology, University of California.
