Paradigms of art practice: The artist within the community

Abstract

Certain Indian art forms are not necessarily focused on excellence at the level of technique, or on producing professional artists, but rather on creating an arts practice open and accessible to all; not on the individual artist, but on the community of practice, whereby the embodied knowledge of the form is sustained and becomes a tradition. The paradigm is the kalari, the place of practice, part of the communal space of the Kerala village, where rituals, aspects of pedagogy and an engagement with the whole person generates, nurtures and strengthens this community of practice. My paper details the ways in which the understanding of what an arts practice is, defined by India texts, specifically the Natya Shastra, and contexts, specifically the kalari, leads to the development of a unique collective of artists practising Indian art forms in Toronto. It shows how these practices engender the wholistic involvement of the participant without reference to gender, religion, caste and class. I explore in my paper how these aspects therefore make them ideal for building the community of practice, even in contexts far from their place of origin. I use examples from the work of members of IMPACT-Indian Martial and Performing Arts Collective of Toronto-several of whom were also SICI recipients, to illustrate the scope of possibilities for engagement and participation across artistic disciplines and in diverse environments.