The prestigious Kennedy Center has received seed money grant of $1 million for creating an ‘Indian Fund’ to facilitate Indian cultural performances for next several years.
Ranvir Trehan and Adarsh Trehan, The well known philanthropist couple of Indian American origin have made this donation recently towards establishing the ‘India Fund’ at the Kennedy Center, which is a top American center for performing arts.
In an interview to the newspaper India Abroad, Ranvir told “The India Fund will exclusively be used to create and present at the Kennedy Center performing arts, artistic exhibits and festivals showcasing the history, traditions, literature, music, dance and culture of India,”
The India Fund is intended to be “country focused”, he elaborated. The programming is intended to “utilise” emerging as well as established artists, musicians, singers and other performers who have either Indian ancestry or are the citizens of India.
Mr. Ranvir further added that “There is a need and desire for sustained India programming at the Kennedy Center for many years to come and I see this as a broad based effort by individuals both in the Indian-American community and others interested in Indian culture from foundations and MNCs,”
He opined that “The result maybe several events every year or even a mini-festival or a substantial festival like Maximum India. The Kennedy Center may choose to cooperate with performing arts centres in other cities on this effort.”
Navtej Sarna, The Indian Ambassador to the US, called this initiative “the encouragement that we need”.
Sarna said that, “The Indian arts are at a very interesting phase, It surprises me constantly because we are all used to a certain vision of Indian culture, but if you now put on a new film or you see a new dance performance, you are always surprised because people are always crossing borders in different directions,”
The Kennedy Center has been thinking of ways to expand its international programming, and this philanthropic initiative by the Trehans will ensure exactly this.
