Safety Act

Theres a popular Hindi phrase aimed at the lazy and talentless ldquoNaach na paaye aangan tedhardquo Those who find fault with the dance floor may not be cut out to be dancers at all The floor is a mere excuseThe ground reality of dance forms such as Bachata and Salsa in India where practitioners wear heels and perform lifts and tricks regularly is quite the opposite The dancers themselves are hardworking talented and skilledmdashitrsquos the floor that is sometimes slippery without grip and capable of making or breaking anyonersquos career Norms and traditions about committing to the art and proving your mettle have led many to think that they have to overcome the floorrsquos limitationsmdashthat coming out unscathed or injured is the mark of a real dancerSapan Saran cofounder of Tamaasha Theatre invests in creating safe spaces for actors PicNimesh DaveldquoFew people will make accommodations because the floor is slipperyrdquo says Sahiba Sawhney who has over two decades of experience as a Salsa performer and trainer ldquoAs a dancer you want to put your best foot forward You pick up tricks like applying castor oil or sugary soda to your shoes it may ruin your heels but itrsquoll help you perform The truth is a fall could result in a terrible injury to the bodymdasheven to the headhellip This is a recipe for cutting your dancing years shortrdquo The simple solution is investing in the right kind of floor she says but that comes at a higher expense that many organisers donrsquot want to incurAt her company Dance Design which holds classes in the western suburbs Lower Parel Chembur and Powai she has a different approach ldquoPushing through bad health and injuries is sadly normalisedrdquo Sawhney says plainly ldquoSome trainers feel bad about missing class or rehearsal when theyrsquore sick I ask them why If your body requires you to sit down for a few minutes and heal do it Preventing burnout in the short term can give you five additional years in the long runrdquoEvery Good Boy Deserves Favour staged at the NCPA in 2022 and 2023 is among the more audacious theatrical productions that Mumbai has seen in the last few yearsThe Salsa performertrainerrsquos reflections represent many concerns highlighted by Arts Safety in India a new and ongoing research project by New Delhirsquos Kaivalya Plays With support from the India Foundation for the Arts lead researcher Varoon P Anandmdashthe theatre grouprsquos artistic directormdashand his team document and analyse safety practices employed by stakeholders in the performing artsSince the projectrsquos inception they have interviewed 15 groups and received over 150 survey responses leading to startling findings that confirm how dire circumstances are While 31 per cent of artistes say ldquothey have not observed safety and artistesrsquo rights being maintained in their workplacerdquo 91 per cent came forward with a need for more knowledge and resources Troublingly 55 per cent of those surveyed reported that they did not have a forum or mechanism to address safety issuesmdasha hurdle that forces them to either neglect their issues or resort to approaching police and courtsKaivalya Plays which initiated the research on safety in the midst of a workshopKaivalya Playsrsquo interest in and perspective towards safety was shaped by the very art it focuses onmdashimprov ldquoTherersquos a belief that anything goes in improvrdquo says Anand who saw a vital similarity in both improv and safetymdashacknowledgement ldquoWe noticed a safety issue during a project in 2019 where actors would say something racist or comment on a fellow actorrsquos appearance When questioned theyrsquod respond by saying that these comments came from the motivation of the character theyrsquore playing We wanted to clarify that improv is about building something together not being aggressive or insulting Improv brings you face to face with the immediacy of lapses in safety this is a form where actors draw from their own experiences Action against this also needs to be immediaterdquoHis work on the subject has taught him that safety practices are most successful when incorporated in the everyday when they are ritualistic and fun and when they donrsquot drain an organisation ldquoThere are some fallacies we want people to avoidrdquo Anand shares ldquoOne is that the same rules work for everybodymdashthatrsquos not true Rules made for a team of only men cannot work for a team composed of people of different gendersrdquoSethi who runs the popular space Comedy Ladder has noticed the absence of female comics in a number of lineups across IndiaAnother vital similarity between improv and safety is being judgementfree Anand says that groups in performing arts should craft spaces where safety issues can be brought up without disrupting work so that the affected person doesnrsquot hesitate to come forward ldquoMany hold back highlighting these issues because they will be judged Itrsquos important for those in power to not question a team memberrsquos motives in speaking uprdquo says Anandmidday took Kaivalya Playsrsquo findings to the doorsteps of old and new institutions in Mumbairsquos performing arts seeking answers to questions about what constitutes safety whether formal rules are preferred over informal understandings and what artistes can do to better protect themselvesVaroon P Anand left and Gaurav Singh learnt much about the need for safety from improv the form of theatre they practice PicNishad AlamThe personalised subjective approach that Arts Safety in India advocates for is especially useful in understanding whether informality helps in furthering artistesrsquo interests or not Consider Tamaasha Theatre cofounded by Sunil Shanbag and Sapan Saran Saran lets midday in on how the company welcomes a new actor or crew member Oneonone introductions briefing them on the scope of the production the commitment it calls for as well as the financial arrangement ldquoThese are informal meetings where we encourage open conversations about work culture and ethics and also understand the context from which the individual is comingmdashtheir background work experience and so on We build a relationship of mutual trust and respect We share values that are important to us as a theatre companyrdquo Saran explainsTo her skilled direction in theatre has much to do with the building of safe spaces where actors can feel comfortable to drop guards and inhibitions This calls for a number of thingsmdashfrom a collaborative spirit to valuing suggestions coming from others to acknowledging onersquos own mistakes to being transparent about onersquos doubts and investing in othersrsquo artistic journeys ldquoActors are vulnerable on the rehearsal floorrdquo Saran says ldquoThey bare themselves they surrender their bodies their minds and their souls to the artistic process I feel a huge sense of responsibility towards them and I can never be passive on the floorrdquoIntimacy and touch can be a sticky subject in rehearsals and on stage especially in India where deep social conditioning surrounds it In her last play Saran and choreographer Diya Naidu worked to empower actors with actual tools ldquoso that they can find new associations for touch We organised a workshop which helped hugely The actors became very comfortable with each other and more importantly with the idea of touchrdquo she says ldquoLike walking and speaking intimacy also has to be first unlearnt and then relearnt for the stagerdquoSuch scenes make it essential for Saran to predict whether an action or scene or moment can put them at riskmdashemotionally or physically After all the line between pushing someone to break free from crutches conditioning and barriers and pushing them to the point of damage is a very fine one ldquoThis is the risk that we sign up for in theatrerdquo she says ldquoIt is an extremely liberating and joyous experience for an actor if done constructively However as a director it is my job to sense how much to push how to tread and most importantly when to stoprdquoThe question of informality also extends to payments contracts terms and conditionsmdasha complex one in the theatre scene and tied to its precarious reality ldquoMost urban experimental contemporary theatre companies are a comingtogether of two or three passionate individualsrdquo Saran explains ldquoResources are extremely limited as there is no state or other form of support There are no unions to protect artistes or companies and no regulatory body or arts council that can put into place best practicesrdquo She adds that ultimately in unorganised sectors such as theatre the onus for reformation lies within the communityIn the comedy circuit where the genius lies in being experimental and crossingmdashor bending boundariesmdashartistes are increasingly being cautioned against being controversial Comics who spoke to this writer shared that when public outrage rears its head they come together to share resources such as legal support as more senior performers offer to step inComedian Jeeya Sethi who has earned laughs across India as well as in foreign cities such as London explains that show cancellations in the face of backlash occur more commonly at auditoriums and spaces which seat hundreds of attendees Sethi who is also an improviser and actor runs a room called the Comedy Ladder curating lineups featuring established and emerging comedians ldquoAs is the case in many fieldsrdquo she observes ldquosafety in comedy too becomes a priority only when something happens to a male comicrdquoHer 11 years of experience in the circuit have alerted her to the absence of female comics at crucial events such as the opening of a new space where allmale lineups are the norm ldquoIf therersquos any advice I could give to women in the scenerdquo Sethi shares ldquoit would be to advocate for each other To insist that more female comics be part of lineups alongside themrdquo Aside from fairer representation this can prove crucial in situations where safety is at risk ldquoIf yoursquore being troubled or harassed by an audience member you will need someone to stand by your side to demand that action be taken Even if the other female comic is only an acquaintance her solidarity is important in such moments especially if your male counterparts donrsquot act or leave it up to the event organiser to decide what the consequences should berdquo Sethi explainsThe onus on event organisers to actmdashswiftly and effectivelymdashis also an ongoing conversation in the world of social dancing An outsider may think that the very nature of such dance forms calls for an unsaid understanding of decent safe behaviour but this is not the case ldquoIrsquove noticed that new entrants to social dancing nights are sometimes approached by a number of experienced dancers perhaps they think they can take advantage of the new person If as an organiser I donrsquot catch and call out such behaviour Irsquom encouraging others to think the floor is a space where they can behave inappropriately with newbiesrdquo Sawhney saysAt Dance Design she believes that demonstrating how a trainer can interact with and react to students goes a long way in inculcating good practices rather than just speaking about them ldquoWhen it comes to moves such as spinning we make it clear to students and trainers that it should not be executed in a way that hurts their partner or violates their safetyrdquo Sawhney explains ldquoThis is why complex moves where something could go wrong are meant to be practised by experienced dancers and not beginners who may not know what to expect or may not be able to ace itrdquo They also speak openly about basics such as the need for good hygieneWhen the music stops the Salsa veteran says accountability lies in the organisersrsquo hands ldquoItrsquos frustrating when the person in charge doesnrsquot want to take action against inappropriate behaviour because it will upset the person who is misbehavingmdashand this is something I have noticed across genders What about the person whom they have harassedrdquo she asks The loss is felt not just by the individual who may never return for a second shot at the dance form but rather the ecosystem at large ldquoAs a community we have lost this individual to a problem that could so easily be fixedrdquo Sawhney rues Kaivalya Playsrsquo Anand says that it is not often when he is asked about the costs of compromised safety among artists ldquoIrsquom usually quizzed about the expense that groups will incur if they decide to invest in safetyrdquoManojna Yeluri a legal practitioner with over 14 years of experience is the mind behind Artistik Licensemdasha decade old initiative and consultancy that has demystified legalese and provided counsel to a number of independent and folk artistes such as the Nava Dance Theatre singer Kavya Trehan and SandboxCollective which works across arts and theatreAt its heart the initiative was set up to safeguard artistes and protect the interests of creative professionalsmdashvalues that reflect in the contracts that Yeluri has crafted in her own practice as well as in association with Kaivalya Plays ldquoWhat that looks like is making sure that their intellectual property ie their original choreography and scripts are protected and that they are clear about whom ownership vests withrdquo the lawyer says Among the other factors Yeluri pays close attention to are clear working hours termination rights and zero tolerance to sexual harassmentYeluri has come across a number of creative professionals who have a greater awareness of contracts and rights today ldquoI canrsquot say that everyone uses contractsrdquo says the lawyer who splits her time between Bengaluru and Hyderabad ldquobut there is definitely a shift towards adopting and insisting on measures that assure accountability and transparency Creative and cultural practitioners increasingly understand and embody professionalism as being essential to nurturing a healthy creative practice and career I know a fair share of artistes and creative professionals who use email correspondence expressing different terms and obligations in a detailed mannerrdquoThus it isnrsquot true that artistes are hesitant to use contracts Yeluri clarifies the intimidating perception of legal services and the attached prohibitive pricing can be a barrier On the other hand ageold ways of functioning in traditional institutions can result in situations where the mere mention of a contract is met with negativity and animosity ldquoLack of professionalism a dearth of standardised industry practices and measures an attitude of disrespect towards freelancers and creative practitionersmdashall of these stack up to a systemic problem that is rampant informality and exploitation among those working in and with the creative economyrdquo Yeluri saysThe drawing up of contracts is one way of levelling the playing field and challenging uneven power imbalancesmdashcentral to making workplaces safe for everyone ldquoEven asking about safety can make you seem like a troublemaker This is especially true in art forms such as theatre where the opportunity to act is a dream come true for mostrdquo says Anand who hopes that stakeholders in the performing arts will be more purposeful in their approach to safety and more welcoming of such ldquotroublemakersrdquo ldquoPeople donrsquot think about safety until things go wrong In any other field safety is preventativehellip Things are bound to go wrong the important thing to know is how to reactrdquo he concludes