For Immediate Release

Harit Chowdhury of Kolkata is first Asian Cultural Council Fellow in Arts Management from India

Harit Chowdhury, a teacher of drama at the Rabindra Bharati University and founder of the Heritage Centre for Arts & Welfare, is the recipient of a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council in New York City. The grant enables Chowdhury to spend three months investigating the practice of arts management in America, with the Battery Dance Company, Indo-American Arts Council and other non-profit arts organizations. The Asian Cultural Council is a foundation supporting cultural exchange in the visual and performing arts between the U.S. and the countries of Asia, and is an affiliate of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

On November 10, Chowdhury embarked from Dum Dum Airport, on his first trip outside his home country. Upon arriving in New York City, he has immediately been thrust into the cultural life of the City. He has attended music concerts, arts exhibitions, children's recitals and dance events, some which are sponsored by the renowned 92nd Street Y, where he is being housed. He meets on a daily basis with scholars and artists from the U.S. and a host of other countries. He also attended the launch of the American India Foundation's New York Chapter.

Jonathan Hollander, Founder and Artistic Director of Battery Dance Company, nominated Chowdhury for the ACC award, and is serving as his mentor and host.

Hollander explains, "I believe that Harit Chowdhury is a person of rare intelligence, vision and courage, whose talents and energy support the grand scope of his plans. He has worked within the large university and has shownthat he can adhere to the systems and structures of a bureaucratic institution. Beyond that, he has ventured into the world of start-up cultural agencies in order to pursue his objectives. He has the insight to understand the strengths and weaknesses inherent to India's cultural sphere and is dedicated to forwarding India's artists and their creative work. He is conscious of the barriers to be found in a country with a plethora of artistic talent and insufficient resources of arts administration and support. He wants to be part of the solution, and through his experiences at the Indo-American Arts Council and Battery Dance Company, I believe he will be much better equipped to play a constructive role once he returns to India."

For Battery Dance Company and the Indo-American Arts Council, Chowdhury's fellowship represents a next-step in the process of engendering stronger relations between India and the U.S. in the realm of the arts. The two institutions and their leaders, Aroon Shivdasani and Hollander, hosted 6 Town Meetings with representatives of the arts communities of Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi in April, 2001. One of Chowdhury's assignments will be to craft a manual for Indian artists who wish to perform, teach or visit the U.S.

For Chowdhury, the opportunities are manifold. Having devoted himself to the twin goals of promoting Indian Arts and culture, and nurturing the development of destitute children and students through the Arts and Culture in Kolkata, he seeks alternative models in the U.S., as well as fellow-travelers with whom he can create an ongoing network for mutual support and inspiration.

News of this fellowship is being disseminated in India through the kindness of Ogilvy, the P.R. company which was a sponsor of the Battery Dance Company/Indo-American Arts Council's India project in 2001.