With two major schemes in tow and restarting the pension scheme for old artists,the state department of Culture is all set to revive the lost glory of folk and performing arts in the state. The first revival attempt is the newly introduced Sampada series. A performance and lecture-demo series,Sampada,aims at bringing some of the finest performing artists,who have their roots in Uttar Pradesh,on the same platform. The first in this series was held in Lucknow recently,where Padma Bhushan Girija Devi not just performed in front of a jam packed audience,but also had an interaction with her fans. According to official information from the department,the Sampada series will also feature artists like Hari Prasad Chaurasia,Birju Maharaj,Uma Sharma and Gulam Mustafa Khan. The second project involves the revival of some rare folk instruments,which were used actively in folk music and are now dying due to lack of patronage. The department has asked its regional cultural officers to prepare a list of such instruments and also try and locate the artists who may still be playing them. Secretary (Culture) Awanish Awasthi said the use of instruments like manjeera may be rare today,but they still are a part of the states cultural legacy. We are just trying to locate such artists and then we will provide them with the platform to perform. This will not only provide them employment,but also promote the instrument, said Awasthi. The department has once again started its pension scheme for the old and disabled artists. Due to budgetary constraints,the department has currently decided to give pensions to only 35 such performing artists. We really want to help the old and disabled artists by giving them a small pension. If any one of them wants to perform,we will give them a platform too. We are trying to get more money for the pensions so that more artists can be helped, added Awasthi.
