In response to the absence of supportive frameworks for emerging curators to conceptualise and concretise innovative curatorial projects, IFA is committed to working with academic and visual arts sectors in developing curatorial studies as a theoretically informed and practice-based discipline.

'Curating Indian Visual Culture: Theory and Practice', led by the Association of Academics, Artists and Citizens for University Autonomy (ACUA), is an initiative solely dedicated to devising a curatorial studies postgraduate degree programme. Through a set of thematic workshops, in-house discussions and a forthcoming concluding colloquium with academics, curators and artists from various disciplines, ACUA has been mapping the field and evangelising for a critically engaged curatorial practice in the context of Indian visual culture. Themes at the forefront include: museum practices and popular visual culture, questions of region, gender and sexuality and art in the context of conflict.

Partnerships with a number of organisations have enabled us to realize our ambition of opening up greater educational and mentoring opportunities for young curators eager to deepen their engagement with the field. For instance our collaboration with Katha Centre for Film Studies resulted in a workshop series and film festival curated by workshop participants themselves, equipping young film curators with the appropriate research, analytical and methodological tools to pursue a critically informed curatorial practice.

Partnerships with international organisations, such as Japan Foundation and Prohelvetia - Swiss Arts Council in hosting confernces and symposia, ensure our efforts are in dialogue with diverse museum and curatorial activities beyond the Indian context.

Please find below selected audio recordings of this diverse set of curatorial focused workshops.