The Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR) has announced the recipients of the 2022-23 Maitri Cultural Partnerships grants.
These grants support Australian creative collaboration with India and have been divided into three programs:
- Maitri Cultural Partnerships Major Collaboration Grant: Supporting major Australian cultural organisations to engage Indian partners (funding up to $250,000)
- Maitri Cultural Partnerships Visual and Performing Arts Grants: Cultural collaboration that supports First Nations’ participation (funding up to $250,000)
- Maitri Cultural Partnerships Collaboration Grants: Supporting collaboration of small to medium-sized Australian cultural organisations and community groups (funding up to $70,000)
The six grant recipients for 2022-23 represent a diverse range of cultural sectors from new media to textile design.
- Mona Foma Festival (Moorilla Estate) – $248,960
Tasmania’s world-famous festival of music and art Mona Foma will lead a two-year Australia-India music collaboration with artistic exchanges, music residencies resulting in a major concert in 2025.
- Bábbarra (Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation) – $250,000
Bábbarra Women’s Centre in Maningrida, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory will collaborate with Tharangini Studio in Bengaluru working with emerging women artists in textile development.
- Dr Ben Knapton – $67,702
Leading Australian circus and physical theatre director Benjamin Knapton will work with leading performers of traditional Indian physical theatre in a production to premiere at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai.
- Raghav Handa – $58,948
Raghav Handa’s project features an international development collaboration between Australian dance artists and the Attakkalari Dance Centre for Movement Arts at the 2024 India Biennale in Bengaluru.
- Liquid Architecture – $67,347
Melbourne-based Liquid Architecture will co-host, with New Delhi-based Sarai-CSDS, a symposium, workshop, and exhibition exploring creative practices engaged with new technologies in sound and media.
- Undercurrent Theatre Company – $53,273
West Australian theatre makers Undercurrent Theatre Company’s co-production with Kerala-based VOiD Ensemble.
