Bengaluru, 20th March 2022: The RV University has launched the Centre for Visual and Performing Arts to bridge the gap in conservation, performing arts and art education.
It was launched at a glittering event last evening in Bengaluru which was attended by celebrities like the Founder of Ranga Shankara, Mrs Arundhati Nag, former MP, Rajya Sabha, Mrs B Jayashree and renowned Kannada author Mr Jayant Kaikini.
In his Presidential Address, Dr M.K. Panduranga Setty, Chancellor, RV University and President Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust said, “The future workplaces of the world are looking at creativity, collaboration and communication. These are skills of artistic training. A solid foundation of knowledge and the ability to think innovatively and creatively is the aspiration of every Liberal Arts School and global economy. At RV University, we want to promote that. We remain committed not merely to academic excellence, but academic excellence with the ability to creatively solve problems, to be able to work with society and make it a more livable place”.
Outlining the plans of the Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, Dr. YSR Murthy, Vice-Chancellor, RV University said, “We have received a philanthropic grant from C. Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewelers to organise an Annual Music Festival in Bengaluru in November 2022. Subsequently, we have plans to start an annual theatre and annual dance festival. We will forge collaborations with the top cultural institutions, art and theatre schools, music sabhas, major national and international festivals, museums, and art galleries.”
Highlighting the RV University’s commitment to make this Centre a vibrant entity and organise year round activities, Vice Chancellor, RVU, Dr. Murthy said, “The Centre will host workshops, conferences, lecture demonstrations by leading performing artistes and artist-in-residence programmes. The Centre will offer a range of certificate courses, short term courses, and weekend programmes that will provide great learning opportunities to students and the community.”
Addressing the audience at the event, Arundhati Nag, said, “It is an important day for all of us as RV University has launched the Centre for Visual and Performing Arts. I hope that not only the students from the University learn the importance of art and culture in our lives, but others across the country get an opportunity to use the impressive infrastructure of RVU, and benefit from that.”
B Jayashree highlighted the importance of the Centre in bringing in connection with culture across the country and the world. She said, “The RV Group of Educational Institutions have contributed immensely to the education system in India, by offering high quality education at an affordable cost. By opening this new Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, it has opened new doors and opportunities for students and others to pursue their passion”.
Jayant Kaikini set the tone for the final act of the evening, a tribute to the Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar by the highly popular singer Sangeeta Katti. Reminiscing about how the world of music and performing arts have undergone a massive change over the last few decades, he said “Today’s generation of youth are very fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue their passion and dreams, thanks to entities like the Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, and I hope that they will make full use of this.”
The launch event was held at RV Dental College auditorium in JP Nagar, Bangalore. The evening included performances by RV University students showing their newly acquired skills through the energetic Kamsale dance, a scintillating display of Yakshagana by students of Yaksha Degula and a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar by Sangeeta Katti, who sang evergreen melodies.
Professor Deepa Ganesh, Executive Director, Centre for Visual and Performing Arts said, “Art was never insular, it was always profoundly impacted by the socio-political happenings of the society. To study art, therefore, not only holds clues to the past but has keys to handle the future.”
Adding further, she mentioned, “The Centre for Visual and Performing Arts wants to somewhat think like a disrupter. The Centre, unlike conventional departments, wants to be a space for dialogue. It is open to both traditions and to the innovation of contemporary times. It is not interested in a hybrid model but in a conversation, debate and collaboration of cultures. It is interested in the knowledge systems, documented and oral. It aspires to focus on socially relevant and participatory practices and encourages projects that investigate the nature of art and society.”
The courses taught at the Centre will have their linkage with the liberal arts courses that the University offers. This combination will allow students to study a broader range of subjects. It will help in developing well-rounded individuals having adequate knowledge and skills in multiple fields. The students will be taught to think critically and be problem-solvers, which will be an incredibly valuable skill in any career.
There will be interdisciplinary courses provided to students through the Liberal Arts programme of RV University, which is already offering courses such as Introduction to Performing Arts, Creative Writing, and Great Films of the World, which prepares the student to think in a creative way.
The Centre will provide ample opportunities for students to groom themselves to be career-ready and provide accessibility to art education for all people.
The advisory board members of the Centre include experts from various fields of music, dance and fine arts like Arundhati Nag, Girish Kasaravalli, Sukanya Ramgopal and H.K. Venkataram among others. With such luminaries on board, this Centre aims to become a landmark institution in arts education in the cultural hub of Bengaluru.
India’s most significant contribution to its rich legacy and history is art and culture. They are its soft power. But over the years, the structure of society has changed, and opened up opportunities to students to pursue careers in art and culture. This has raised many questions of how one can preserve the rich tradition of performing arts, while integrating it into current cultural practices. We, as a society, need to collectively preserve high standards in art education and bring in more innovative delivery forms. There is a vital need to educate the current and future generation of the less heard or seen forms of arts and the emergence of new ones.
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