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Promotional project for traditional show people from Delhi
Sterre Sharma is the director of the Kalakar Trust in New Delhi. The organisation is dedicated to improving the living conditions of the many artists in the slums of the Indian capital. "In the Colony neighbourhood where we are located there are many puppeteers, musicians, dancers and magicians living under horrific circumstances. In cooperation with Mundial Productions, we appointed an events organiser to train people to be promoters. These people then work to book performances. They are given a DVD player, promotional DVDs and portfolios of the artists. The performances are primarily booked for weddings and other family events."
Traditional performers from Kalakar Colony
"The promoters devote significant attention to very basic matters to help the artists with their professionalism. Being on time, keeping your promises, looking well-groomed and presenting yourself well are a matter of course for many people. But for these artists, these are areas of attention that need to be addressed. It is not easy to train the illiterate, but social skills can still make them successful. One of the boys we trained, Kamal, has already sold a respectable number of performances and will soon be able to partly provide for himself."
The range of artists as well as the market are large in the metropolis of Delhi. Thus there are many opportunities available. Sharma: "Despite the rapid modernisation that India is experiencing, there is still a high demand for traditional artists. We know thousands of artists through our organisation, and there is work for many. But supply and demand need to have a place to meet. Naturally, use is made of the Internet, but to book artists many people prefer personal contact. It is a win-win situation. The promoters earn money and the artists have more work."