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Benil Biswas

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Affiliation

  • Assistant Professor , School of Culture and Creative Expressions

Email

    benil@aud.ac.in

Qualification

He is an aesthete, performer, scholar and cultural commentator.

  • Ph.D. Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS), School of Arts and Aesthetics (SAA), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Thesis Title: “Towards an Alternative Aesthetics in the Performative Traditions of the Namasudra.” Supervision: Prof Rustom Bharucha and Prof. Partho Datta.
  • Fellow, Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research, Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA. 2016. “Theaters: Sacred and Profane”. Seminar Advisor: Prof. Martin Puchner.
  • M.Phil. Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS), School of Arts and Aesthetics (SAA), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Dissertation title: Rabha Theatre and Performance:  Towards An Alternative Aesthetics   in   Post   90’s   People’s Theatre of the North East.” Supervision: Prof. H. S. Shivaprakash and Prof. Urmimala Sarkar Munsi.
  • M.A. English, Centre for English Studies (CES), School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies (SLL and CS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
  • B.A. English (Honours), Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira College (University of Calcutta).
  • Shilpa-Visharad in Fine Arts conferred by Sarba Bharatiya Sangeet -O- Kala Parishad, Calcutta.
  • Awarded ‘A’ Grade in Basic Mountaineering Course, at NIM, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India.
  • NCC Best Cadet in College (2005), B & C certificate in National Cadet Corps (NCC) AIRWINGS, 2006.

Past Experience

  • Teaching Experience of more than ten years ranging from undergraduate to research levels as under:
  • Assistant Professor (AD-HOC), Department of English, Lady Shri Ram College For Women, University of Delhi (2011-2012).
  • Guest Faculty, Department of English, Dyal Singh College (EVE), University of Delhi (2010-11).
  • Guest Faculty, Department of English, Ramanujan College (Erstwhile Deshbandhu College (EVE), University of Delhi, (2009-2010).
  • Academic Counsellor, Department of English, IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) session (DBC centre, Delhi), 2009-2010.
  • Projector Evaluator and Observer for Under the Sal Trees project and Theatre in Assam. India Foundation for the Arts, Bengaluru, (2012).
  • Observer with IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts) in the project – Ramkatha: Ankan, Baachan aur Manchan, Observed the performances: Wrote a synopsis on the whole process – seminar and performances. (2008).
  • Internship with PRATHAM for a period of two months (2008). Conducted interviews of some eminent authors and linguists, Member of the Read India Content Group., Prepared cards on 1857.
  • Translator with Linguamart (2007-08). Important assignments- Covering UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s visit to India (2008) and transcribing his speech for UNIC. Transcribing and translating text of the woman auto rickshaw driver activist and her proposal for rights.

Area of Expertise

Keywords that define his research and scholarly interests: Aesthetics and Theatre of the Oppressed, Aurality, Corporeality and Visuality in Performance, Critical Theory and Cultural Studies, Critical Dance and Movement Studies, Comparative Performance Studies, Cultural Policy, Performance Theory, Political Theology, Performance Historiography, Traditional and Popular South Asian Performance.

Awards

  • As resource person, invited to a panel discussion on “Facets of Indian Art & Culture: Books by Publications Division” with Smt. Kapila Vatsayan, scholar, author and critic Smt. Leela Venkataraman, scholar, author and critic; Shri Irfan Zuberi, Chairperson, Steering Committee on Arts Management, Ministry of Culture and Project Manager, National Cultural Audiovisual Archives, IGNCA; Chair: Shri B.P. Singh, former Governor, Sikkim on the occasion of the release of four books by Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, 2 December, 2015. http://www.iicdelhi.nic.in/writereaddata/Publications/635936662257232293_ANNUAL%20REPORT%202016%2015%20March%20final.pdf
  • Travel Grant from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, to join the conference, “Documenting Asian Art and Performance: Embodied Knowledge, Virtuality & the Archive”, University of the Arts, Helsinki., Finland, December 3-5, 2014.
  • Boarding, Lodging and Travel Grant to attend the National Theatre Seminar, organised by Minerva Natyasanskriti Charchakendra, Kolkata, Govt. of West Bengal,  July 2014.
  • Travel Grant from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, to join International Exposition of Kanhailal’s Theatre at Manipur, March 2014 and Theatre Residency at Ninasam, May 2013.
  • Travel Grant to present a paper at the 18th International Congress of Aesthetics at Peking University, Beijing, China, from Jawaharlal Nehru University. (August 9th - 13th, 2010).
  • Travel Grant from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) to present a paper at the 15th Annual International Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. (May 18th- 24th, 2009) (2009)

Publications

Projects

Research Experience

  • More than 10 years of experience in conducting ethnographic research and performance documentation.
  • Conducted ethnographic research/field-based learning at the Dhungri Festival at Manali, Himachal Pradesh, and trained M.A. students as part of the Uses of Tradition(s) course (funded by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi), 2023.
  • Conducted ethnographic research/field-based learning at the Mcleodganj/Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and trained M.A. students as part of the Uses of Tradition(s) course (funded by Dr B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi), 2022.
  • Conducted ethnographic research/field-based learning at the Hola Mohalla, at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab and trained M.A. students as part of the History and Historiography course (funded by Dr B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi), 2018.
  • Conducted ethnographic research/field-based learning/performance documentation at the Kullu Dusshera, at Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, 2016, 2018, 2023.
  • Conducted ethnographic research at Arna Jharna, Jodhpur (2016), Khajuraho (2018).
  • Conducted extensive documentation of theatre and performance in the North-eastern region of India, especially Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur, while working on his research about the initiation of a fresh approach towards the concept and definition of people’s art underlining how the ritual performance and folklorist past can help in conflict resolution and negotiate ‘modernity’.

Performance Experience

  • More than 20 years of experience in performance practice at National and International festivals.
  • Toured Japan for one month representing the Jawaharlal Nehru University as a part of the performing team “Lotus Path” and performed over ten cities, and promoted Indian Culture in October 2008.
  • Associated with Bahroop Arts Group in various capacities, New Delhi since 2006, where he performed in numerous plays, under the direction of major directors, like Prof. K S Rajendran, Prof. Devendra Raj Ankur, Prof. H.S Shivaprakash, Suman Kumar, Ajay Manchanda, Rajesh Singh, Dr. Faiyaz Ahmed etc, and participated in major national theatre festivals, including Bharat Rang Mahotsav organised by National School of Drama, Delhi.
  • Conceived and co-directed Heiner Muller’s Hamletmachine (2008) and Bhasa’s Karnabharam (2010)
  • Been part of the Production team at SCCE, AUD since 2012, where Little Prince (2013), Project Nostalgia (2014), It’s Cold in Here (2014), Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2015) were successfully produced.
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