It was a quintessential Bangalore evening of inimitably pleasant weather and staple festive cheer. I was at the Park Hotel, M G Road to attend another India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) hosted film screening, at the behest of my dear friend Darshana Dave, the tireless activist, clinical psychologist, and broadcast journalist all rolled into one tenacious lady who is never seen without her staple disarming smile.
Just as we waited for the proceedings to begin, I noticed another lady on the mike, managing a tight rope walk of keeping the audience occupied while setting things up, fighting Murphy's law with a Murphy's smile, exuding a peerless child-like innocence rarely seen in the intellectual tribe. Impressed by her polite and purposeful emails post the event to keep the IFA connect going, I checked her profile and saw quite a story manifesting in an unconventional and hence inspiring career voyage.
What instinctively followed was a Q & A with Aditi Rakhe, Manager: Corporate Engagements & Individual Donors.
Multiculturalism seems to have been a defining feature of your upbringing…
Yes, you could say that! I grew up in Surat, Gujarat. It used to be a small town way back then, far from the big city it has become today. Gujarat was not my hometown in the strictest sense of the word as both my parents had roots outside the state. My mom’s family had relocated from Kerala to Baroda, and my dad’s from Maharashtra to Ahmedabad.
My grandparents, both paternal and maternal, were educators in the humanities: English, Social Sciences and Economics. In contrast, my parents took to medicine and became doctors. So, it was a great blend of thought schools in the household apart from the multicultural confluence. As kids, we had the luxury of being curious and creative irrespective of grades (as long as we didn’t flunk). I remember being a first bencher at school and relishing the learning experience as there was no compulsion of scoring competitive grades.
The conducive environment helped me understand the multiplicity of my interests. I had a strong liking for all STEM subjects especially Mathematics and Physics, particularly the inherent problem solving aspect. At the same time, I thoroughly relished literature, English to begin with, and Gujarati and Hindi later in life. Of course, growing up in a multilingual house helped a lot. We spoke Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, and Malayalam based on which set of grandparents were visiting us. (I have unfortunately lost my grasp over Malayalam, but am good at all the rest)
What sparked your interest in Architecture?
Given my interest in STEM, I went down the Physics-Chemistry-Math route starting grade 11th . The start of this voyage was exciting, competitive exams were fun, and soon enough, I set my eyes on the staple IIT, NIT engineering streams. But at some point, in the latter half of my 12th class, I was left exhausted by the IIT coaching all the way to a point where I no longer wished to pursue it. I had always been interested in the idea of making spaces, I had some exposure in my early years since my aunt was an architect. So, with everything else not working for me, I settled on architecture as a compromise between the arts and the sciences.
Architecture school was tough, but it was here that I picked up managerial and organisational skills and learnt how to work relentlessly, the very nature of that course requires you to do that. I think B.Arch as a course is truly vast, encompassing elements of arts, design, mathematics, physics, law, literature, philosophy, travel. It’s a great canvas for self discovery, especially for someone in youthful prime. I discovered my love for visual arts, film, theatre and certain elements of design through that course.
From Arch to MA - was it 'trying new things' as you have put it or was it something more, say love for art history and conservation - or was this purely from an architectural conservation perspective?
I had an interest in History of Art for a while. I had flunked in some visual arts subjects when I was very young (1st or 2nd grade) and my mother took it upon herself to find an amazing visual artist from MSU who would give me readings on Art History, both Indian and Western. Although I didn’t understand much, it fascinated me. I was especially drawn to a weekly called ‘The Great Artists.’
I would copy works of Van Gogh and Gauguin. These remain rare periodicals to this day. I feel lucky to have some preserved from that time. My art teacher also got me postcards from different museums and galleries, I have some of those as well. I think, this exposure to the visual arts left a very deep impact on me. It made me understand, on an emotional and subjective level, the value added to one’s life through the arts at a subconscious level.
Fast forward a few years, I did a year long practice-based architectural residency across India post my graduation. It was some 40 odd days of travel to Auroville, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Udaipur. Since it was practice-based, all of us had various design projects to work on. En route the travels, I found myself drawn to elements of cultural history which triggered my shift to the arts. I felt a compulsive need to go back to the humanities.
I started applying for courses across India, the UK and USA. I narrowed down on Nottingham for obvious reasons: UK has a shorter masters, ideal for one who has undergone five years in an architecture school. The university offered good avenues for scholarships, and it was a relatively affordable city for an immigrant student. Nottingham also had some art spaces by and for different south Asian diaspora communities (especially a space called New Arts Exchange which continues to fascinate me!).
I had more avenues to work in a student town like Nottingham – I wasn’t so sure that would have been possible in a larger city. Lastly, University of Nottingham is a Russel Group varsity and has enduring relationships with renowned archives and libraries across the UK with other Russel Group Universities, so one has easier access to say a library in Cambridge or Cardiff.
I was very happy with my professors and I think I learnt a lot about the virtues of critical thinking through this course. In the process of spending a year and half in Nottingham and another in London, I made some wonderful friends and indulged in some great artistic practices.
How was the brief stint as a Curatorial Contributor?
As soon as I landed up in university in the UK I wanted to work. A lot of this was out of necessity – doing odd temp jobs to support my student life. I also wasn’t sure if I would have the chance to stay back and work after I graduated. So I wanted to start as soon as I could and learn work practices in the arts and culture sector in the UK. This is how I ended up interviewing for and getting work at a student curatorial team in Nottingham – Crop Up Gallery. It helped me explore some amazing artists from the city and the Midlands in the UK and we put together some great shows with a fantastic team.
Through this gig I found out about an annual collaborative project between The University of Nottingham (i.e. my Alma Matter), the MFA department at the Nottingham Trent University, and one of the most prominent Galleries in the Midlands – Nottingham Contemporary. Each year, a group of MFA students from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) would make a response exhibition called ‘The Aftermath Project’ for an existing exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary.
The exhibition they were responding to during my tenure – ‘The Place is here’ - really moved me on a personal level. It showcases important works from the British Black Arts Movement (1980s), which was an perceptive commentary on Britain’s colonial history, African and South Asian immigration to the UK, subsequent racial subjugation, as also on how diaspora artists responded to this back in the 80s. I was eager to work with MFA students from NTU and Nottingham Contemporary on a response exhibition no matter how short the stint was, and I am so glad I got the opportunity. It lent me fresh perspectives on how to think of the Arts within the South Asian Diaspora. For this project, I worked on curation, research, and exhibition design, but mostly I just watched and soaked in the insights.
How did the Museum of Goa stint happen?
My tenure at Museum of Goa came from a place of necessity. I had lived in Goa before, and I wanted to live there again. I knew there were some interesting Arts practices and experimentation happening there. I just wanted to be a part of the ecosystem. I started with an internship at the museum, managed a couple of exhibitions, and soon enough I was taking care of The Goa Affordable Arts Fest. This was my first proper stint with fundraising. I had to raise corporate sponsors, manage different moving parts and expenditure, as well as some elements of artwork sale. I learned most of what I know about administration in the arts from that stint.
What is TIFA Working Studios into? As programmes head, were you into fundraising?
TIFA working studios is a very interesting arts space in Pune. It’s a multidisciplinary arts space set in a thriving space that was once an Art Deco Hotel dating back to the 1940s. They hosted so many interesting residencies, festivals, talks, exhibitions and although I wasn’t directly in charge of institutional fundraising for the organisation, I did help bring in support for some of the programmes I headed especially The Futures Festival.
Sahapedia.org seems to have offered you a bigger canvas to work on…
I enjoyed being the Project head of My City, My Heritage the most! It was such a special project – we did cultural mapping across 10 cities in India. We predominantly depended on local perspectives – local writers, photographers, scholars. So it was a large team of extremely insightful and talented individuals some of whom were extremely senior to me. I learned so very much from there. Most importantly, not only did I get insight into cultural practices from across the country but also a lot about administration of a CSR project. Sahapedia also gave me a potent platform to harness some interesting partnerships with museums and organisations to take both the projects – My City, My Heritage and Museums of India forward.
Talk at length about your current role at IFA, the scope and size of it, challenges you lock horns with, as also the triumphs close to your heart...
I had always known and admired the work that India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) does. IFA has a legacy of supporting a diverse range of projects across mediums in different languages across the country and these have always been projects that would give voice to the unheard. More importantly, I resonated with IFA’s belief that the arts have a great sense of value in shaping individual and community lives.
As a fundraiser at IFA, I handle fundraising from individuals and corporate engagements which includes Arts Services, Consultancies and Fundraising events. Art Services are services we provide in areas of our expertise such as event facilitation, arts-based workshops, performances and hosting talks by leadership in the arts which focus on sparking creativity, addresses sensitive subjects and improves team dynamics in corporate ecosystems. Under Fundraising events, we garner corporate sponsorship to support events that generate ticket sales in order to raise funds for IFA. So, these are some distinct forms of fundraising, unique and equally enjoyable. I think overall, any donation is a big triumph for a fundraiser. Every fundraiser understands that every single one of them makes a difference – no matter the amount. That is mostly because it is a source of encouragement for our work and for the Arts! I always cherish interacting with Friends of IFA. Such a diverse group of people with a strong shared belief in the impact the arts have.
In terms of challenges, I think fundraising for the arts in general is challenging especially when individual donations and giving to the arts is not very common, but we constantly try to let our work change minds by trying to enhance public access to the arts. I think it is a challenge worth locking horns with because of the value of each donation, be it corporate or individual or one picking up passes to an IFA event – all of it is very important to us, we cherish each and every one of those acts of support!
Your recent CSR certification seems to have offered new actionable insights into your passion areas?
The course gave me great insight into the applications and legalities of the CSR act. It helped me get my basics about institutional fundraising in India right, which is such a key skill. Moreover, the certification programme was designed to create a community of people in the not for profit sector, be it from NGOs, Corporate CSR or Governance. This community still goes strong and we tend to rely on each other for everyday questions and challenges within the sector, no matter which cause we support.
If you were to start work life all over again, would you do things differently or stick to the same route?
The same route! My decisions with my career have been instinctive and that has added great value. It leaves one with fewer regrets as well. In hindsight, I think I would have added an administrative course because it would have helped my learning curve.
By your reckoning, how would fundraising evolve going forward?
My personal opinion is that fundraising is an inherently human process. It relies on trust and inclination towards causes, whatever they may be. Especially if the cause is as subjective and nuanced as the arts, I think the process of raising funds for it is reliant on human connections. I think, tech enabled process may be employed in the future to mitigate some workflows, but it is highly unlikely new tech would take the process over. I honestly, don’t have a clear answer to how fundraising will evolve over the years but maybe simpler tech enabled systems managed by insightful professionals would be my best guess.
What is your take on ethics in fundraising?
Fundraising is as ethical as the fundraising organization itself is. IFA has been extremely transparent about its processes – we make sure we are very clear about who we are, what we do, and how we do it from the word go. We are happy to answer questions for donors, be it individual, institutional, corporate or anyone at all. Another way I think one can ensure authenticity of donors is to not be afraid to turn down donations, if the source seems unreliable or unethical.
Any thoughts to share with readers before signing off…
I would like to add a small appeal for folks to contribute to causes and not for profits as much as they can. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the cause is. As long as it moves you individually and the NGO is doing great work, please don’t hesitate with donations. People tend to think that their Rs 500 in a donation box or them buying a fundraiser pass has little value but that is not true at all. I think, as a community, it is important for us to extend support in volunteering, donating in kind and more at our own capacity for the not-for-profit sector which works selflessly for their causes. To this, if I may add, donate to the arts! Every novel you enjoy, every film, every play, concert has grown from an ecosystem of scholars, musicians, actors, performers and thinkers who consistently work towards their craft and the evolution of their medium. India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) supports this ecosystem in India. We are currently inviting individuals to help us raise our target of Rs 20 Lakh as the financial year comes to an end. The donation can start from Rs 250 and donations above Rs 5000 makes you a Friend of IFA. You could also donate your Reward Points or Loyalty Points to IFA via Points for Good.
To know more, please check Donate Online | India Foundation for the Arts (indiaifa.org)