Visiting Artists
and Practitioners
From Asia to Oberlin
Oberlin Shansi’s new Visiting Artists and Practitioners Program (VAP) invites artists, musicians, community-based organizers, and other experts outside of the formal academy to Oberlin, Ohio for short-term residencies. Residents engage with The College and Conservatory as well as local communities, businesses, and institutions in Northern Ohio through lectures, demonstrations, performances, and various intercultural dialogues and collaborations.
Since 1927, Shansi has welcomed faculty from our partner institutions in Asia to Oberlin for research, professional development, and academic exchange through our Visiting Scholars Program. While Visiting Scholars remain a mainstay of our programming and anchor our commitment to multidirectional exchange, VAP seeks to disrupt dominant definitions of “expertise.” The program celebrates knowledge and artistry that have been historically overlooked.
Shansi invites VAP residents in consultation with partners in Asia, with special consideration for our NGO and non-University partners. We will host our next VAP residency in the 2027-2028 Academic Year.
Adivasi Arts: Indigenous Embodied Learning from South India to Ohio
During the spring of 2025, Oberlin Shansi hosted "Adivasi Arts: Indigenous Embodied Learning from South India to Ohio." For this two-week residency, two Adivasi (indigenous) musicians and one Adivasi community-based researcher from the Irula tribe in Tamil Nadu traveled to Oberlin, Ohio and gave a series of lectures and performances. They also engaged in artistic collaboration and exchange at Oberlin College & Conservatory and with a range of communities in Northern Ohio. Lectures and performances highlighted the intersections of art and community survival, explored the ways that Irula music reflects the soundscapes of the natural forests they inhabit, and discussed the role Irula women play in preserving cultural expression.
This program was among the first of its kind. Unlike traditional residency programs that feature professional performers of established artistic traditions, Shansi's Visiting Artists Program worked with musicians who were actively engaged in the process of translating intimate, sometimes ritualistic music and dance practices to staged contexts. This program encouraged community members to reconsider eurocentric ways of thinking about arts, preservation, and social change. In addition to serving as artists, the invited Irula musicians are grassroots community organizers who engage with social issues relevant to their communities, including the loss of land, opportunity, and livelihoods.
The residency lasted from March 21st until April 5th. Oberlin Shansi is has the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Oberlin College and Conservatory, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Oberlin Public Library, the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Kendal at Oberlin, the Oberlin Indigenous People's Day Committee, and several other partner institutions and community-based groups in Northern Ohio.
Event Schedule
Bridging Tradition and Change: Gendered Experiences from the Irula Community
Community Room, Oberlin Public Library
Monday, March 24th from 4:30-6:00pm
Join Oberlin Shansi and the Oberlin Public Library in introducing indigenous musicians and researchers from the Irula community in South India to Oberlin. This presentation will delve into the experiences of Irula women, highlighting their role in storytelling, building perspectives, and revitalizing cultural expressions through community-led research. The multimedia presentation will feature recordings, interviews, and video stories from the Nilgiris, courtesy of Keystone Foundation, as well as a musical demonstration from visiting Irula musicians.
Indigenous Ways of Listening: Exploring Irula Traditional Music and Sounds of the Forest
The Birenbaum, The Hotel at Oberlin
Thursday, March 27th from 5:00-6:00pm
This presentation will explore Irula music, as well as the community’s forest associations and emotional journeys through sound. The presentation highlights traditional instruments, rhythms, and nature-inspired music, and the unique ways of listening, producing and communicating with sound.
An Exploration of Finding One’s Own Resonance: The Story of Porivarai
Hallock Auditorium, Adam J. Lewis Center
Tuesday April 1st from 4:30-5:30pm
This presentation will highlight the formation of an Irula youth group, Porivarai, showcasing how music galvanized the formation of identity and ecological knowledge by finding one’s own resonance. Special emphasis will be placed on the connection between traditional practices and the land, contributing to the community’s cultural and ecological sustenance. The presentation will also showcase efforts to revitalize traditional arts and language, with recordings, videos, and a live demonstration of their musical instruments.
Indigenous Ways of Listening: Exploring Irula Traditional Music and Sounds of the Forest
The Cat and the Cream Coffeehouse
Wednesday April 2nd from 12:00-1:00pm
This presentation will explore Irula music, as well as the community’s forest associations and emotional journeys through sound. The presentation highlights traditional instruments, rhythms, and nature-inspired music, and the unique ways of listening, producing and communicating with sound.
Irula Music Demonstration at Allen Art Museum
Main Gallery, Allen Memorial Art Museum
Thursday April 3rd from 6:00-6:45pm
Join Irula artists and practitioners in a musical demonstration at the Allen Museum during Allen After Hours. This event will be hosted in the Main Gallery of the museum.
Bridging Tradition and Change: Gendered Experiences from the Irula Community
Moffett Auditorium, CELA in Mudd Center
Friday, April 4th from 12:00-1:15pm
This presentation will delve into the experiences of Irula women, highlighting their role in storytelling, building perspectives, and revitalizing cultural expressions through community-led research. The multimedia presentation will feature recordings, interviews, and video stories from the Nilgiris, courtesy of Keystone Foundation, as well as a musical demonstration from visiting Irula musicians.
Indigenous Ways of Listening: Irula Traditional Music and the Sounds of the Forest
Music Trailer
Images courtesy of Anokha Venugopal ‘23 and Keystone Foundation.