Community Resources and Partnerships/India Rapid Project/Cultural Digitization:Festivals and Museum Archives of Southern Kerala
Applicant
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Akhilan
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
N/A
Project
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Cultural Digitization: Festivals and Museum Archives of Southern Kerala
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-02-08 - 2025-05-31
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
India
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Other (please specify) GLAM & Wiki Loves Folklore
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
From December onward to May is the time for Temple festivals and associated rituals are happening across Kerala. We aim to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of Southern Kerala by creating free, accessible digital documentation of traditional festivals such as Padayani, Mudiyettu, and others. These traditions, unlike Theyyam in Northern Kerala, lack comprehensive documentation and free-licensed resources, limiting their accessibility and understanding for the global audience.
Additionally, we aim to digitize museums in Kerala, making their exhibits and resources available to the public, researchers, and cultural enthusiasts worldwide.
This project will ensure these cultural treasures are not only preserved for future generations but also shared with a wider audience, fostering appreciation, scholarly study, and sustainable cultural tourism.
Challenges or Problems We Are Trying to Solve
- Under-documentation of Traditions - Limited awareness among the global audience about the significance, rituals, and artistic elements of these traditions.
- Loss of Cultural Knowledge - Lack of comprehensive documentation risks the loss of intricate details about rituals, folklore, and artistry as the knowledge bearers age.
- Digital Divide in Cultural Resources - Museums in Kerala house invaluable artifacts and historical records but lack digitization, limiting their accessibility.
Main Approaches to Achieve the Change
- Digital Documentation of Festivals
- Fieldwork and Research: Collaborate with local artists, historians, and cultural practitioners to gather detailed information on rituals, performances, and oral histories.
- Multimedia Documentation: Capture high-resolution images, videos, and audio recordings of festivals and rituals.
- Content Licensing: Release the documented resources under free licenses to encourage widespread use and distribution.
- Digitizing Museums
- Collaboration: Partner with museums to create high-quality digital replicas of artifacts, displays, and historical records.
- Create open databases and digital archives that are accessible for educational and research purposes.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
- Research and Planning
- Conduct preliminary research to identify key traditions, festivals, and museum collections for documentation.
- Collaborate with cultural experts, historians, and practitioners to finalize the scope and methodology.
- Fieldwork and Data Collection
- Document festivals like Padayani and Mudiyettu through photography, videography, and interviews with performers and community members.
- Record oral histories, rituals, and practices associated with these traditions.
- Visit museums across Kerala to digitize exhibits and artifacts using high-resolution imaging.
- Content Creation and Licensing
- Create detailed multimedia content, including videos, photos, and descriptive write-ups, with emphasis on accuracy and cultural sensitivity.
- Ensure all resources are released under free licenses (e.g., Creative Commons) to promote accessibility and reusability.
- Planned Museums to be Digitizatized (based on accessibility)
Napier Museum Kerala State Science & Technology Museum Natural History Museum Legislative Museum Museum of History and Heritage
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc.
Akhil Krishnan S (User:Akhilan)
- Role: Project Coordinator
- Affiliation: Member of the Wikimedians of Kerala User Group
- Responsibilities:
- Overall coordination and management of the project.
- Planning and overseeing the research, fieldwork, and documentation processes.
- Ensuring timely progress and adherence to the project timeline.
- Compensation: Effort expenses to be reimbursed.
Tony Antony (User:Tonynirappathu)
- Role: Photography Coordinator
- Affiliation: Member of the Wikimedians of Kerala User Group
- Responsibilities:
- Leading the photography and videography aspects of fieldwork.
- Ensuring high-quality visuals of rituals, performances, and artifacts.
- Assisting in organizing and uploading multimedia content to Wikimedia platforms.
- Compensation: Effort expenses to be reimbursed.
Subject Expert (To Be Identified)
- Role: Consultant
- Affiliation: External collaborator with expertise in Kerala’s cultural traditions and festivals.
- Responsibilities:
- Providing insights and verifying the cultural and historical accuracy of the documentation.
- Assisting in creating descriptive narratives and metadata for the documented materials.
- Compensation: Consultant fee (as applicable).
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
Target Participants:
- Individuals with photography and videography skills.
- Participants with minimal knowledge of the rituals and cultural significance of festivals in Southern Kerala.
- Primarily members of the Wikimedians of Kerala User Group.
- Given the challenges of travel, timing, and accessibility, the focus is on a small, dedicated team rather than a large-scale campaign. (Most of the rituals are happened at midnight, so unable to handle large group in short notice)
Engaging Participants
- Before the Activities:
- Orientation Sessions: Conduct online meetings to brief participants about the project's objectives, activities, and expectations.
- Skill Preparation: Share resources or arrange quick workshops to enhance photography, videography, and commentary skills specific to documenting festivals.
- Coordination: Use Telegram and WhatsApp groups to provide updates, assign tasks, and finalize travel plans.
- During the Activities:
- Field Coordination: Participants will be assigned specific festivals and roles, such as photographing rituals, recording video commentaries, or conducting interviews.
- Logistical Support: Arrange necessary support for participants, including travel, accommodation, and local guidance, especially for midnight rituals.
- Real-time Updates: Maintain constant communication through phone calls or messaging platforms to address on-ground challenges.
Follow-Up with Participants
- Post-Activity Coordination:
- Engage participants through Telegram, WhatsApp, or direct calls to collect and review the documented materials.
- Schedule debriefing sessions to discuss experiences, challenges, and outcomes.
- Credit and Acknowledgment:
- Acknowledge the contributions of each participant on the project’s digital platforms and during dissemination events.
- Future Opportunities:
- Invite participants to join follow-up projects or contribute to the ongoing curation and enhancement of the digital archive.
- Encourage participants to stay involved in the Wikimedia community, sharing their experiences and mentoring new members.
- 9.1. If your project includes in-person activities, are there any international participants travelling to India for them? (required)
- No
- 9.1.1. List all countries of participation. (required)
- 9.2. Will the project be transferring funds to any international participants? (required)
- No
- 9.2.1. List all international participants receiving funding and their countries. (required)
N/A
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
- No
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
N/A
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
The idea for this project was first shared informally with members of the Wikimedians of Kerala User Group.A community discussion was initiated on the Kerala Wikimedians User Group’s talk page to formally introduce the proposal and invite input.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedians_of_Kerala#c-Akhilan-20241201170600-Grant_for_Digital_Documentation_of_Festival_Traditions_in_Southern_Kerala_and_Mu
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Geographic
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Key Learning Goals
Through this project, we aim to gain insights that can inform and enhance future efforts in cultural preservation and digital documentation. Below are the main learning questions we hope to answer: 1. Preservation of Cultural Heritage
- How effective is digital documentation in preserving the rituals, performances, and oral histories of Padayani and other temple festivals?
- What aspects of cultural heritage are most at risk of being lost, and how can digital tools address these gaps?
2. Public Engagement and Accessibility
- To what extent does digitizing festivals and museum collections improve public engagement and awareness?
- How accessible is the digitized content to various audiences, including students, researchers, and the general public?
- What features or formats (e.g.multilingual content) resonate most with users?
3. Community and Stakeholder Participation
- How can local communities, artists, and cultural custodians be effectively engaged in the documentation process?
- What are the best practices for involving stakeholders in co-creating and sharing digital heritage resources?
4. Challenges in Digitization
- What are the primary technical, logistical, and resource-related challenges in documenting festivals and museums?
- How can these challenges be overcome to make the process more efficient and scalable?
5. Sustainability and Impact
- How can the digital repositories created through this project be sustained and regularly updated?
- What long-term impact does this project have on preserving and promoting Kerala’s cultural heritage?
- Are there measurable outcomes, such as increased tourism, greater cultural awareness, or improved collaboration between institutions?
6. GLAM and Wikimedia Integration
- How effectively can the digitized content be integrated into Wikimedia platforms under the GLAM framework?
- What impact does Wikimedia integration have on the visibility, reach, and usability of the content?
Broader Takeaways These learning goals will help us understand the effectiveness of our methods, the challenges involved, and the potential for scalability. The insights gained will serve as a valuable resource for future projects focused on cultural preservation, ensuring that traditional knowledge and practices are celebrated and sustained in the digital era.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 20 | For the Digital Documentation of Padayani and Other Festivals and Museum Digitization Project, the estimated number of participants can be categorized as follows:
Estimated Number of Participants :
These estimates reflect individuals actively involved in the project, either through direct contributions or capacity-building activities. Social media followers, donors, or others not directly participating are not included. |
| Number of editors | 5 | Since this is mostly a small scale focussed project, not much people are actively edited in wikimedia projects related to this. |
| Number of organizers | 3 | Project Coordinator, One Expert person, one associate for digitization |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
Yes
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Media Uploads | Number of medias to be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons | 1000 |
| Photos linked to Wikipedia Pages | Number of these photos to be integrated to Wikipedia pages | 50 |
| Edits to Wikimedia Projects | Edits happening in Wikimedia projects related to the project | 1500 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
I am not sure. I need support or figure out on the go.
Budget
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_WHeXqT7QeD4vtgluo6t8v6h5If_KFzubTPteJ5YjS4/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in Indian Rupees. (required)
226470 INR
- 22.1. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD. (required)
2677.28 USD
- By submitting this proposal request you agree with the Institutional Partner Privacy Policy, Application Privacy Statements, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
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