concept note

The Freedom of Expression Movement is a creative talent hunt in a never before scale. It is a hunt for the alternative, out of the box creative mind from the generation next. It is also a concept which has the potential to connect art to the masses… making art an experience for mass consumption. After the initial two rounds the talent hunt competition is positioned as a reality show which follows our 25 finalists as they overcome unfamiliar situations.

The USP of the show is that through interactive art projects being done in a sample community site, the competition creates a unique platform that pitches artistic freedom against public notions about what art is.

25 finalists…the torch bearers of the Freedom of Expression Movement are to go through three stages which test their creative energy, their ability to radically experiment, connect creativity with every day living and their ability to execute projects in interaction with the common man. There will be unexpected challenges that are designed to push these creative minds outside their comfort zones.

The show will be shot at an archeological site and in Mumbai. In terms of structure this show is innovative and transgressive. Structurally the show includes the Special Living Environment genre within the Documentary style, and includes elements of the Renovation genre used in combination with the genres of Social Experiment and Hidden Cameras…it has the overall structure of a Job Hunt.

Through out this period (as a part of the TV show) we will have various artists, art collectors, photographers and various other such personalities coming to the studio and sharing their stories. There will also be an airing of Did You Know snippets about art short film making and photography.

Throughout this period of 10 days as a part of the Freedom of Expression Movement various completions will be held for the public. Namely
1.Best SMS design
2.Best skit through SMS
3.Capture art around you
4.Voting on the most artistically designed Cars, bikes, buildings, Laptops etc.


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Summarised competition structure for the Reality show

From the first two rounds 25 torch bearers will be selected for a final round which has been conceived as a television reality show. this round will be held in three stages.

1. Art as Expression: is a two day round held at an archaeological site which will have Nandana Sen posing against a scriptural panel and a live musical + dance performance. The contestants will be asked to work within their mediums and capture the event as a cultural situation. They will be briefed to story tell and explore out of the box narrative structures.

2.Art as Function: The twenty five torch bearers are then flown to Mumbai and taken to a bare warehouse like space. They are explained that modular structures are available for them through which their work desks and living areas can be constructed. In a hidden camera situation, the participants are asked to decide how the group and the individuals want their living and work spaces. Each participant is to submit a design of their work spaces, living areas and collectively submit a design for their screening/ interaction centres.

2.Art and the Lived Environment: The third stage of the competition is a community based workshop will be an interface between the artistic activity and the general public.
The contestants are then divided into 5 groups based on the mediums they practice.
A community, will be taken into confidence and told that an art/aesthetic intervention will take place in their community. 25 contestants moving around as five teams will interact with them and execute creative projects.

The groups in consultation with their mentors and the present jury members are asked to create an engagement with the community. The parameters given will be that these engagements should be done in a creative manner through participation in form of dialogues around beauty, form, function, context and audience.
The five teams are supposed to interact among themselves and the community on an everyday basis where they are to take up public spaces like shop interiors, facades, community gathering squares.
The participants are to get into a dialogue with the concerned individual members (the owners of the sites) not only to secure their permission but also to conceive and execute projects with an active aesthetic interchange with them.

On the 10th day, an ‘open day’ will be organised in which the city at large will be invited to view the project, and the members of the community will have a special interactive session with the finalists.

On the day of the Grand Finale during the prize distribution, the participants will be brought on to the stage along with their mentors, the jury members. It will be an explanation of the judging process with brisk clippings of their respective artworks and interactions that happened during the community art social experiment. The audience will also be shown the works they submitted for their qualifying rounds.
Apart from a night of judging and giving away of the prizes, this mega cultural event will have the best of performances by troupes, singers and bands.

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