Sahapedia offers photography grants for art and culture documentation

Sahapedia.org, an online encyclopedic resource on South Asian art and culture, has instituted a photography grant for amateur and professionals who would like to work with the organization to create a rich, high-quality repository of images documenting the diverse cultural heritage and traditions of India.

The work produced by the grant fellows will populate Sahapedia Frames (https://www.sahapedia.org/sahapedia-frames) a section on the Sahapedia website dedicated to photo essays, and currently hosting over half a dozen excellent works ranging from glimpses of life in Jammu & Kashmir’s Lolab Valley, to an exploration of the Domes of Delhi, and a study of Manipuri Ponies and the Origins of Polo.

IndusInd Bank is sponsoring the Sahapedia Frames Photography Grant, which includes a cash reward of Rs. 20,000 and limited reimbursement of travel expenses. The Grant will be awarded to 25 photographers selected by a panel of experts led by noted photographer Mr. Dinesh Khanna.

Sahapedia invites photographers to apply for this grant by identifying themes of cultural and creative relevance to India and South Asia that they would like to document through images, and that broadly fit into Sahapedia’s areas of work.

“We think of the Sahapedia Frames Photography Grant, as an exciting focused opportunity for photographers to explore the cultural landscape of India. We are also thankful for the sponsorship support given by IndusInd Bank.” said Neha Paliwal, Director, Projects.

“Storytelling is such an important part of life, and we'd like to encourage people to narrate stories through their photo essays--about the stories we have of ourselves, because that's what culture means I think.And we want to encourage people to do this through photography because photographs contain the humanity of the moment, as Ansel Adams once said.”

The final date for submission of applications is February 18th. Selected candidates will be notified by mid-March and will be expected to submit their works by the end of June.

Applicants must submit a 300-500 word concept note outlining their proposed theme, a copy of their resume and a portfolio of their existing or published work.

Details of the submission process, including eligibility and rules, are available on (https://www.sahapedia.org/sahapedia-frames-photography-grant). Queries and submissions may be emailed toframes.grant@sahapedia.org

Photo essays produced by the Frames Photography Grant, besides being published on Sahapedia, will also be accessible to the public on Sahapedia’s social media platforms