Task team working on curriculum for heritage management

BENGALURU: A task team is working towards creating a "worldclass curriculum" that will make heritage-management an academic discipline.

With artist Balan Nambiar, ex-member secretary IGNCA Dipali Khanna as co-chairs, the task team, set up in April, includes Leela Samson, former head, Sangeet Natak Akademi, historian Ramachandra Guha, Bangalore University VC Thimme Gowda, Director of The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum KG Kumar among others.

Speaking to ET, historian Vikram Sampath, member-secretary of the team, said, "Our aim is to create a roadmap for a globally accepted, university-level academic discipline that will not only educate students about arts management, but will also train existing personnel about managing art, museums, monuments, galleries and cultural centres."

Academicians and experts said that while this is a step in the right direction, it should be taken with a pinch of salt.

"It is easy to put a syllabus together," said Meena Vari, dean, School of Media, Arts and Sciences, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology . "But there are no new museums, employment avenues are minimum and art projects hardly find funders. A course like this must go hand-in-hand with government efforts increasing job creation."

Art historian S Settar added that if not represented by the best art historians and conservators, the initiative might not be fruitful. "Arts and heritage have always been badly represented at the Knowledge Commission."

"Today , many corporate organisaitons also play an active role in heritage conservation. A healthy public-private partnership is needed and a curriculum like this can help fill that gap," said Mohandas Pai, chairman, Manipal Global Education Services.