As audiences, we bear responsibility too!

And finally, we turn to the Sabha. This is where the layer of reception comes into play. Nandikeshwara, in his Abhinaya Darpana describes what a fertile audience should be like. The audience according to him, is a blissful amalgamation of informed and aware members, scholars, and well-read, curious minds. Do we have certain responsibilities as an audience in making the arts more inviting and accepting, too? Yes, unquestionably so. Much like we answered this for the artistes’ side of the story, we ask: What do we do as an audience, that creates a safe space for diversity to thrive?

By holding off from jumping to conclusions the instant we struggle to grasp what the artist is attempting to convey, we automatically create a safe haven for new voices.

Surprisingly, there are some very basic things we could do: Welcome performances that touch upon uncomfortable subjects, be open to experiencing productions that are based in cultures and beliefs far removed from ours. We need to continue being willing, enthusiastic even, to witness work that is sourced from dissimilar backgrounds from ours. By holding off from jumping to conclusions the instant we struggle to grasp what the artist is attempting to convey, we automatically create a safe haven for new voices. The list is populated with several such rather simple asks.

As a medium hoping to bridge the artist-audience gap, today we ask you, our audience: Is it always necessary to see motifs of what is happening currently around us also on the stage, in a dance composition? Can we not appreciate dance, first and foremost, simply as a medium that embodies the philosophy of an ancient people – moving records of history, if you will – and carries forward embodied knowledge and memory.  

When the many tributaries of beliefs and practice, spoken and written word will converge into a unified body, inclusivity will no longer remain a vague goal all of us are chasing- it will be reality, as natural as the sun rising in the east. While the execution of every demanding task is much more challenging than simply ideating towards it, it unfurls by drawing strength from collective intention and conviction- something I truly believe we have no dearth of in our community.

GLOSSARY

Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikeshwara : Abhinaya Darpana is a treastise on dramaturgy authored by Nandikeshwara.