The Delhi government and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in the cultural and academic sectors and provide Delhi’s artists and cultural groups greater opportunities on international platforms.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Delhi Cabinet ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Kapil Mishra, along with senior officials from the concerned departments, were also present.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the agreement aims to establish an institutional partnership between the Delhi government and ICCR to promote cultural and academic cooperation. It is also intended to support Delhi’s culture, tourism and economy while contributing to ICCR’s cultural diplomacy initiatives.
Under the agreement, established and emerging artists from Delhi will get opportunities to participate in ICCR’s Horizon Series and international cultural festivals. The Delhi government will identify artists from disciplines including performing arts, literature, sculpture, textiles, architecture, culinary arts and handicrafts and enlist them with ICCR.
An integrated directory of artists across these disciplines will also be prepared and shared with ICCR to facilitate their participation in international cultural events.
The agreement will also facilitate performances by foreign artists at cultural and tourism festivals organised in Delhi. Foreign dignitaries and scholars visiting India under ICCR’s Distinguished Visitors Programme and Academic Visitors Programme will also be hosted in the national capital.
Joint art exhibitions, artist residency programmes, workshops, conferences and seminars involving artists from India and abroad will be organised under the partnership.
The MoU also provides for study camps and orientation visits in Delhi for foreign students associated with ICCR. These programmes are aimed at familiarising international students with the city’s historical and cultural heritage and promoting Delhi as a cultural and tourism destination.
Major educational institutions and universities in Delhi will also be promoted among ICCR’s international student network.
Under the agreement, the Delhi government will bear the necessary expenses for the participation of international cultural groups in events organised in the city. ICCR will assist in identifying international participants and facilitate arrangements related to their visas and travel to India.
For Delhi-based artists and cultural groups participating in events abroad, the Delhi government will bear expenses related to domestic and international air travel, transportation, visas and necessary government approvals. ICCR will assist with arrangements concerning their international stay, performances, publicity and medical requirements.
A joint committee will be constituted to oversee the implementation of the agreement. It will include the Director General of ICCR or their representative, senior officials from the Delhi government’s Department of Art and Culture, and the head of ICCR’s regional office.
The committee will finalise a minimum annual activity plan each year. The MoU will remain in force for five years from the date of signing and may be extended for another five years by mutual consent, the CMO said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the partnership would help connect Delhi’s art, culture and talent with wider platforms in India and abroad. She said it would provide artists and cultural groups from the city with opportunities to showcase their work at international events while promoting cultural dialogue through the participation of foreign artists and cultural representatives.
Gupta said the government’s objective was to ensure that Delhi’s development goes hand in hand with the preservation and promotion of its heritage, art and cultural identity. She added that the partnership with ICCR would provide fresh momentum to the city’s culture, tourism and creative economy.
Delhi’s Art, Culture and Language Minister Kapil Mishra described the MoU as an important cultural initiative under the vision of ‘Viksit Delhi’ and efforts to develop Delhi as an ‘Art Capital’.
He said the agreement would provide Delhi-based artists with international opportunities, create a database of talent across disciplines and strengthen cultural exchanges with foreign artists and scholars.
The partnership will also include orientation programmes, study camps and introductory visits aimed at connecting international students in Delhi with the city’s rich cultural heritage.
