Day 12: Should we separate the art from the artiste? A Debate

A debate on whether we should separate the art from the artiste

As part of the campaign, SAHA hosted a debate on the following topic: Should we separate the art from the artiste? The idea was to explore different perspectives on how to think about issues concerning sexual harassment in the arts and to consider whether addressing gender violence requires us to separate the art from the artiste. The debate featured the following artistes:

·       Akshay Anantapadmanabhan

·       Roopa Mahadevan

·       Shreya Devnath

·       Sikkil Gurucharan

·       Vidya Kalyanaraman and

·       Vishnudev KS

 

Before the debate began, Gayathri Mani introduced SAHA. She pointed out that SAHA is an organization comprising a group of artistes, art enthusiasts and students of the art, who have come together to address a need to converse more openly about issues related to sexual harassment and gender violence in the arts.

 

The speakers were divided into two teams of three participants each. Team A argued that art cannot be separated from the artiste, while Team B argued the converse. The opinions expressed by the speakers were not their personal opinions and the intent of the debate was only to initiate discussions on Sexual Harassment and Gender Violence. It was also made clear that the speakers were not addressing the debate from the point of view of victims of sexual harassment.

 

Some of the arguments raised by the speakers arguing that art cannot be separated are summarized below:

·       If artistes cannot separate art that they create from their daily activities, then the art is an expression of themselves, consciously or sub consciously.

·       In the context of the MeToo movement, a breach of trust by an artiste will affect both the art and the artiste.

·       Classroom being an informal space, parents of the students should have open discussions with their children on what happens in the learning space.

·       Student’s family has to create a protective and safe space, for the students to discuss freely all the matters happening in the classroom.

 

A summary of the arguments put forth by the speakers arguing that art can be separated from the artiste are as follows:

 

·       Art that flows through an artiste is not only a product of who they are and does not stem from the core personality of an artiste.

·       Separation of art and artiste is good for both, since ultimately art transcends artiste and it exists independently of artistes.

·       Once art leaves the artiste, it has a life of its own.

·       What we want from an artiste gets broken when we learn something about who the artiste is as a human. Therefore, in order to prevent sexual harassment and gender violence, the art must be separated from the artiste.

 

The session ended with the participants concluding that gender violence and harassment has to be seen from various perspectives. Further, that victims have to be prioritized and resources have to be provided to victims.

You can watch the session here.

Report prepared by the SAHA team.

Day 11: Boundary-setting & Safety in the Indian Arts: A Guided Discussion by CAREspaces

Parents: A Child's First Safe Space

Pictured: From left to right (top row) Janani Ramesh, CAREspaces Executive Member (Ratipriya Suresh), Neha Krishnamachary, Rajeswari Satish, (middle row) Nivedita Sridhar, Srimathy Mohan, Radhamani Varadhachary, Arun Mahadevan, (bottom row) Meera Seshadri, Sachin Pendse (CAREspaces Executive Member).

 Screenshot courtesy: Aisvarya Chandrasekar (CAREspaces Executive Member)

On December 6, 2020, Prajnya partnered with CAREspaces, a nonprofit organization aiming to provide tangible measures for more conscientious and ethical workspaces in the Indian arts communities. “Boundary-setting & Safety in the Indian Arts” was a guided, online discussion for parents on recognizing safety concerns, how to speak to children about it, and how to move forward to safety. Moderating the discussion were co-founders of CAREspaces– Janani Ramesh and Neha Krishnamachary. Speakers included parents, students, and teachers, most of whom are current performing artists local to the USA– Nivedita Sridhar, Radhamani Varadhachary, Rajeswari Satish, Srimathy Mohan, Meera Seshadri, and Arun Mahadevan. The speakers provided relatable voices by sharing their honest, lived experiences, reinforcing that CAREspaces is an organization for all members in the Indian arts space. Here are five key takeaways from this discussion, combining all speakers’ thoughts:

1. Recognize. There is a difference between disciplining and degrading. Teachers should ask students what is convenient for them– respectability is what cultivates a relationship, not authority. Cultivating joy for an art form should come before cultivating the art itself, if one wants the student to take ownership of their learning.
   
   

2. Prioritize. Harassment often starts as an ego play from teacher to students and families– not offering room to say no, berating them for qualities they may not have inherently (e.g. cultural knowledge, body type), demeaning them for their financial status, not giving constructive criticism, threatening the loss of opportunities, commenting on or restricting students’ personal lives, etc. This sets the student up to seek external validation. Instead, teach art for art’s sake– focus on enriching students’ understanding of the art, accept your limitations as a teacher, encourage questions and sharing individual perspectives, and prioritize teaching self-awareness & safety from an early age. This gives power back to the child.
   
   

3. Care. Talking about harassment, both sexual and non-sexual, can be a vulnerable moment for both the parent and child. Parents need to be supportive and supported. Parents' first words in a conversation where a child discloses discomfort need to be, “it is not your fault. What do you need right now to make you feel safe?” If the child asks an unexpected question, it is okay to admit that you are still figuring it out.
   
   

4. Listen. Children may be testing waters by revealing only parts of what makes them uncomfortable– it is important to not ignore signals or information. Parents need to role model asking questions about what makes them safe or uncomfortable, making them aware of their existing internal checkpoints. Discussion should be encouraged between parents & children and parent & teachers, and it should be easy, simple, and regular.
   
   

5. Reroute. Leaving your current situation does not have to mean loss of opportunities. As a student or parent: research and connect with what else exists out there, map out your options, know that you have alternative places to go. As a teacher or organizer: use your platform to express allyship, reach out to other local organizations and ask them what they are doing to create a safe space and safe opportunities for students to perform.  Ideally organizations should have an independent and objective Internal Complaints Committee to access matters of misconduct. Parents should maintain an active network of trusted peers– both young and experienced– to familiarize themselves with the Indian arts space before committing their child to a teacher.

The YouTube live event had over 150 attendees, spanning all ages and multiple roles within the Indian arts community– self-identified students, organizers, teachers, parents, performers, and rasikas/aficionados. Many were from the USA, several from India and other countries as well. Both the speakers and audience kept engaged for the full duration, speakers responding directly to one another’s narratives while the audience shared thoughts and questions on the live chat.

For a deeper dive, you can watch the full discussion on YouTube. For more information on CAREspaces, follow them: on Facebook or Instagram.

Reporting Credit: Sutikshna Veeravalli and Krithika Rajkumar (CAREspaces Executive Members)