Creativity is something that will be valued in the future, according to Deborah Thiagarajan because "you need creative people in all business sectors."

Arts Management vs Finance Management

Thiagarajan explains, "The difference between an NGO's arts management and a company's is that there is a mission behind arts management and, more than commercial considerations, the mission comes first. The goals of the NGOs come first. But the same techniques are used in arts management as in any business. In fact, our faculty teach MBA students similar courses. Finance management is extremely essential in arts institutions too. In fact, it is more tricky because, in a manufacturing or services concern, you are selling products, while we have programs that deal with arts and people."

Is it difficult to market such products? "Take the case of Dakshinachitra," says Thiagarajan. "Now, people know about it. We had one lakh visitors last year. We didn't have money to advertise but we innovated by creating and putting up posters with the money we got from sponsors. It took us 3 to 4 years to learn about marketing programs properly. If we had a proper arts manager, we would have done it all from the beginning."

Madras Craft Foundation Institute of Arts Management started its 11-month internship in arts management last year, in association with Dakshinachitra. Financial aid came from the Ratan Tata Trust and the Ford Foundation. Successful interns are awarded an Arts Management Diploma.

Through posters in colleges, the course was publicised last year and 31 candidates were selected for an interview. From among them, Deborah chose just six -- "Only those really interested in art." Only fresh graduates were chosen last year, but the policy has since been changed. They now permit persons with experience in some area of arts.

Image: Deborah Thiagarajan