Work Report

Likitha Reddy
(Institute Classical and Folk Arts Secretary 2022-23)

Events:

1. Rukhsat:
Organised a gathering on the 5th of May for about 13 graduating students
associated with Roots to reminisce over events and memories during their
experience with the club, revisiting the steady growth of tradition in IITB .

2. Summer School of Cult:

Initiated and successfully ensured the completion of Classical Kathak and
Hindustani Classical Flute classes, each of about 6-8 sessions. Notably
increased the number of enthusiastic registrants by 40% from last year.
Also produced a video showcasing the learning of the Kathak students.

3. Cult Connect:
Launched the usual Cult Online competitions in the form of a cult challenge
where students get to share their expertise in the classical and folk arts on
social media and encourage others to learn and explore classical arts.
Received 4 folk art responses and 8 music/dance responses for the same.

4. Informative posts to increase audience interaction:

Increased the number of infotainment posts on Instagram to encourage
curiosity for the classical and folk arts, and also inform the audience of the
intricacies behind classical arts. The posts were typically based on festivals
like Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam. Occasional posts on classical arts were
also made. Apart from these posts, stories related to classical and folk arts
are being put up on occasions like Guru Purnim and other festivals.

5. Institute Classical Summer Project:

Launched ICSP Folk Art Calendar (16 registrations); held a few sessions,
project remained incomplete due to lack of willingness of participants to
co-ordinate after the beginning of the semesters.

6. Classical Dance and Music Jamming sessions:

 Jammings and group improv sessions to promote evenings exploring the
nuances of classical music and dance and evenings promoting the cultural
diversity and vibrance of India.

7. PG Cultural Orientation:
Contributed greatly to the organisation, logistics and leadership in both the PG
orientations and the UG Fresher orientations. The orientation in particular to
roots show an audience of 40-50 students, mostly with a background or
enthusiasm for music genres, many of whom even performed in the evening.

8. Idol Making Workshop:

Oversaw and conducted a workshop for Eco-friendly idol making in the
context of Ganesh Utsav, supervised and guided Dr.Smita Kapadnis to
encourage environment friendly celebration of festivals, while simultaneously
encouraging traditional Indian sculptural techniques.

9. Dandiya Night:
Revived the tradition of IIT Bombay’s Dandiya Night, with a footfall of over 800
people. Oversaw the logistics, infrastructural permissions and publicity for an
event which catered to a thronging crowd filling the OAT completely with no
complaints on the fronts of crowd management, music or noise.

10. Garba Workshop:

Conducted a preparational garba workshop to set the tone for Navratri, to
publicize Dandiya Night and to invite all campus residents to motivate
enthusiasm amongst campus residents to learn recreational folk dances.

11. Virasat:
Hosted ‘Virasat’ - the Classical and Folk Arts Extravaganza which saw
performances from artists of national fame, on 29th and 30th of October, 2022
in collaboration with IITBAA. The stage of LT-PCSA was graced by the
presence of the famous Carnatic Quartet, the HIndustani maestro Shashwati
Mandal, the Odissi expert Arushi Mudgal and the professional dance team led
by Meena Sapera.
Liaised with aforementioned artists, ensured their accommodation, handled
logistics and ascertained the availability of professional concert-class sound
and light systems.

12. Rangoli Making Competition:

Successfully conducted a Rangoli making competition in the venues of H10,
H11 and H15 on Diwali to promote the fine arts heritage of India. This saw a
participation of 18-20 students, and was open to students of all gender
identities.
13. Music Videos:
Recorded music videos with Hindustani music enthusiasts to showcase their
expertise in specific Raagas, and to encourage such explorative pieces from
others. Uploaded and published the said videos on YouTUbe and Instagram
handles.

14. Roots room and inventory:

Completed the repairs in Roots room, Old SAC and repainted the room.
Started an inventory of musical instruments, open to all campus residents
enthusiastic to learn music but facing an unavailability of instruments.
Below are the bought instruments:
2 Tabla sets
2 harmoniums
5 flutes (of different scales)

15. Inter-IIT:
Proposed 3 pure classical competitions in the Inter-IIT for the first time, out of
which one got approved - Classical Vocals Solo in which IITB won the silver
and the 8th position in the competition. This has kickstarted the movement for
introducing competitive pursuits in classical music.

16. Classical Music Duet GC

Successfully conducted the second Duet Classical Music GC, and it’s very
first offline instance, providing a competitive stage for classical music.

In conclusion, the Roots club at IIT Bombay has been highly active in
promoting the classical and folk arts, both within the campus and beyond.
With initiatives like Summer School of Cult, the club has made a significant
impact in increasing the audience's interaction and curiosity for these arts.
The successful revival of Dandiya Night and Garba Workshop, as well as the
hosting of the classical and folk arts extravaganza - Virasat, are testament to
the club's efforts in promoting traditional Indian cultural heritage.

The completion of the repairs in the Roots room, the start of an inventory of
musical instruments, and the proposal and success of the classical music
duet GC are all examples of the club's efforts in creating a supportive
environment for the growth of classical music. Overall, the Roots club has
made a positive impact in the cultural scene at IIT Bombay and is poised for
continued growth and success in the future.