Maria Ujjainwala and Mustansir Dalvi

Tekton
Tekton: Volume 11, Issue 1, July 2024
pp. 22 – 32

Maria Ujjainwala recently completed her graduation from Sir J.J College of Architecture. Currently working with Space Matrix as an assistant designer, she specializes in workspace design. In her final year Dissertation, she explored the world of Indian circuses and understanding its cultural significance through extensive fieldwork and interviews (Research Supervisor: Prof Mustansir Dalvi PhD). Her interest in the history of art, artistic expression, and the dynamic nature of Indian circuses inspired her to take up this research.
mariaujjainwala0810@gmail.com

Mustansir Dalvi, recently retired, was the longest serving Professor of Architecture at Sir J.J. College of Architecture. His doctoral research, for which he received a PhD from the IIT-Bombay (IDC), examined Bombay’s Art Deco architecture from a semiotic perspective. He is the author of The Romance of Red Stone: An Appreciation of Ornament on Islamic Architecture in India (Super Book House), and The Past as Present: pedagogical practices in architecture at the Bombay School of Art (Sir JJ College of Architecture/UDRI). He is the editor of 20th Century Compulsions: Modern Indian Architecture from the MARG Archives (MARG) a collection of writings about early Indian modernist architecture. Dalvi is also an archivist, a curator and columnist, and a published poet and translator.
mustansirdalvi@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The Circus Arts industry has been an integral part of Indian culture for centuries, and circus training schools have played a crucial role in sustaining this tradition. Circus training schools hold a vital position in promoting and preserving the circus arts. This paper, through case studies and interviews, analyses the essential role of the circus training schools in India. The research delves into the challenges, prospects, and the present state of circus training schools in India. In the process, critical challenges faced by these schools are uncovered. including inadequate infrastructure, declining interest, and financial struggles.

KEY WORDS:
Kalaris, Training Schools, Circus Arts, Circus Artists