(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/) The time has come for India to project its cultural supremacy 26 October 2009 For Pratibha Prahlad, who's been dancing Bharatanatyam for 40 years, the ongoing Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) seemed a natural progression. The dancer-choreographer who's convener of the cultural committee for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is the brain behind DIAF that, in its third edition, brings to the capital music, dance, theatre, cinema, photography, visual art and poetry, among other classical arts of India. It also hosts artists from nine countries across the world because culture, festival, travel, diplomacy, all are closely linked and can boost the socio-cultural landscape of the host country, she tells Ratnottama Sengupta :
How did you think of DIAF? My dance took me around the world. I noticed that every major country had a festival dedicated to the arts but India had none although its cultural capital is so immense. That's when i decided to mount a signature festival of our own. It wasn't as if festivals are an alien concept in India. Hundreds are on but do they make the right impact? Are we being recognised as a global soft power? Are cultural ambassadors making a beeline for India? The time had come for India to project its cultural supremacy. And what better place to do so than the country's cultural hub? Who are your role models? DIAF can become an Edinburgh festival. Rather, it can itself become a standard. Today, every nation is a global village. By all means take the dynamics of India Inc forward but also take forward the soft power of the arts! A country is finally made up of people and soft power defines you as a nation and connects you to people. Your foreign exchange reserves don't really matter to the man on the street. The Britishers, the French and Germans realised this long ago, so they set up the British Council, Alliance Francaise, Max Mueller Bhavan in every metro and small towns too. Today, China asserts itself through its cuisine, Japanese through technology, French and Americans through cinema. They're monocultures, we're a cauldron of culture, so why not celebrate our diversity? How do you finance such a festival? Since 2002 I felt the need for public-private partnership in the arts. So much happens in Delhi, why not harness them? There's a north-east budget from which ICCR mounts a festival, so does IGNCA, Lalit Kala Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi, all within one year. Why duplicate the spending just because there's a budget? Why not plan together and do one major festival? That's how i thought of partnering with them and creating equity for India. Already DIAF has changed mindsets and created new venues 45 at last count. Soon it can become an aspirational platform for young artistes.
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