New Delhi – The US Embassy in New Delhi has announced a funding opportunity for a project designed to bring contemporary American dance into view of the Indian public, with a goal of strengthening the cultural relationship between India and the US.
The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy is soliciting proposals for grants to be awarded to at least one American dancer or choreographer, or a dance company of American, Indian, or mixed composition. The project’s goal is to explore “the commonalities and differences between India and the United States” through the medium of contemporary or traditional dance.
The winner(s) of the grant will be awarded up to $75,00 to develop a two to four week “on-the-ground” dance program. The recipient will travel across India performing for up to a month, and their project should incorporate “an educational component in order to make the work and the cultural dialogue accessible to young Indians and those unfamiliar with contemporary dance.”
Outreach efforts extending “beyond the largest cities in India and beyond elite audiences should be built into this project as we also have the following programing goal: Increase community engagement and build institution-to-institution linkages by developing empowerment programs targeted to youth, women, and underserved communities,” the proposal form spells out. The project should also use traditional media to create a large amount of local publicity and creatively use social media to reach as many Indians as possible.
The proposal says that the aim of the project is “to show the vibrancy and innovative creativity of US society” and create “lasting relationships between US and Indian institutions.” The hope is that the project will “increase awareness of US Public Diplomacy cultural and educational programs.”
Applicants for the grant will be judged on how well their proposal meets the goals and objectives of the program, the innovativeness of their proposal, the strength of their organization, the justification of their budget, the ability to monitor the program’s success, and the program’s prospects for encouraging future interaction and connection between Indians and the US.
To apply for the grant, an organization must be registered as a non-profit or NGO (nongovernmental organizations) and must have at least two years of experience designing and implementing programs in India. The application deadline is July 17 and the winner will be notified within 90 days of the deadline. (IATNS)