COLLECTIVE
We are structured horizontally. All have different responsibilities but earn the same salary. We are free, even encouraged to disagree with each other even as we come to consensus on key decisions.
We are structured horizontally. All have different responsibilities but earn the same salary. We are free, even encouraged to disagree with each other even as we come to consensus on key decisions.
Our work is not strictly project or donor dependent. A significant part of our work responds to the political, cultural and economic environment. We are open to collaborations with individuals and organisations across disciplines and interests.
We try to pay attention to histories that are suppressed even as the oppressed are held responsible or become hapless victims. At the same time, we emphasise the creative energies that go into daily survival.
Through its curatorial practice, maraa collaborates with a variety of artists working with different forms like visual arts, performances, aurality, and cinema. We not only hosts artists but also develop creative ways of presenting their works. Our curatorial intent is guided by the need to make arts relevant to the contemporary moment. We encourage new and alternative voices, work in everyday public spaces, and diversify the audience that receives these curated works. Apart from traditional galleries, we curate presentations in parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, bars, and bookshops.
Maraa has been involved in training and setting up some of the first community radio stations in India. We have trained community radio stations in the areas of policy and regulation, programming, editing, management and research. Apart from these, Maraa has special competence and experience in facilitating participatory learning programmes around community health, especially relevant to women and youth.
maraa produces creative content dealing with a diverse range of issues for a variety of platforms. We have produced documentary films on migration and labour that have won national and international acclaim. Our radio documentaries and podcasts have explored a variety of formats like interviews, readings, storytelling, and songs and themes like adolescent sexuality, reproductive health, media censorship, art and literature. We also occasionally undertake documentation for other civil society institutions depending on the subject and process involved.
Maraa undertakes research on media and communications related issues. We have experience and competence to undertake and deploy a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies that are especially suited for media and communication initiatives. These range from simple questionnaires to semiotics and ethnography. We also undertake baseline, end-line, monitoring and evaluation and other kinds of research for civil society institutions and/or media initiatives.
We are interested in working on anything that pertains to creative practice or use of arts, urban experience, public spaces, community media, public service media and media (for) development. We are interested in long term collaborations and partnerships.
Over the years, we continue to retain active working relationships with almost all our partners. Maraa prefers to work with like minded organisations in a spirit of open collaboration. We strongly believe in putting our work in the public domain and for public consumption. While we are a small team, we have a large network of experts and consultants who work with us on specific activities or projects.
Get in touchIn the age of complex societies, media has assumed significance since it mediates both political economy and culture, structure and agency. Asymmetries in ownership of media and communication platforms is not only reflective of an unequal society but also helps to reproduce and entrench inequality further. Our efforts are to promote independent community owned and managed media towards a resilient, diverse and pluralistic media landscape.