Gone are the days when the South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC) was a lethargic government set up and a mere disburser of support to a motley group of arts organisers. Today it is making an all out effort to be proactive in curating meaningful festivals all across the South Zone.
Thanjavur, the city of the majestic Brihadeeswara Shiva temple (built by Rajaraja Chola I over a thousand years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was the hub of the Cholas, the Nayakas, and the Marathas, and home to rich literature, sculpture, architecture, music, dance and many other fine arts. It is also home to the South Zone Cultural Centre, comes across as an oasis with a huge complex of 25 acres with the most beautiful building as its office. Nesting in lush green environs a charming driveway from the main gate leads to it.
I followed a curious onlooker who purchased a Rs. 10 ticket to enter the premises and strolled past the Chinmudras (signifying a meditative higher consciousness and the famous Thanjavur brass workmanship) through the beautifully carved doors into the art gallery lined with various sculptures and paintings, all products of famous artists and their students, and other upcoming artistes. The copper garden, the Pappanadu work depicting the evolution theory of Darwin, the terracotta central mandapam, the huge Kondapalli lady with her man swaying gently every time there is a gust of wind and the revered and giant Ayyanar bust gazing benevolently at the centre, all make a serene and artistic hinterland for a cultural centre.
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The aim of the Zonal Cultural Centre includes the preservation and promotion of arts and culture with a special emphasis on folk arts. They showcase their zone’s arts and culture in conjunction with those of other zones and that brings out the unity in diversity. Shunning the notion that art and culture are the domains of only the elite, zonal culture centres try to reach a wide viewership across states, sections and art forms.
The South Zone Cultural Centre covers the entire southern region comprising Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar and the Lakshadweep Islands. Established as a society on January 31, 1986, the centre is an autonomous body under the ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture, Government of India. The governor of Tamil Nadu is the Chairman of the Centre and it is managed by a governing body and executive board assisted by a programme committee and a finance committee.
Sajith, Director of the SZCC, is a classical musician and a man with vast experience of arts administration, expresses that to be culturally sensitive is most essential in effectively handling the mandate of any art institution. From the time he has taken over the number of programmes have more than doubled much against the constant lament that there is a paucity of funds in all government bodies dealing with arts and culture. Sajith believes that there is no dearth of funding, it’s just a matter of effective utilisation, good planning and training competent staff.
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Staffing cultural organisations is tricky, for these jobs require sensitivity to culture and arts and also efficient administrative and managerial skills. The Guru Sishya scheme and the awards constituted for young artists are paying dividends, claims Sajith and he asserts that Indian culture is in no danger in the face of globalisation or westernisation.
The SZCC is all for supporting arts and artists through the innumerable programmes organised by them. They scout for talented artists and make sure they perform widely in the programmes organised by the SZCC.
The end of the year festival of SZCC, ‘Salangai Nadam’, is a example of the vibrant festivals organised by them. Organising the dance and drama festivals, summer festivals, residential workshops in theatre, dance and other performing arts, fine arts, crafts etc., supporting seminars, and documenting and protecting rare and declining art forms while extending support to them, are a few of the many activities of Thanjavur’s SZCC.
While lauding the mandate of various arts and cultural organisations of the Ministry of Culture, autonomous or otherwise, Sajith does admit that effective interaction between all these bodies could optimise their efforts leading to an optimum output.
Though the obstacles are many, he is an optimist who believes in putting in the best of his efforts and he is very hopeful of them bearing worthy and lasting results.