The Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology

The Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE) houses extensive collections of recordings of Indian music and oral traditions.

Mission Statement

The Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE) of the American Institute of Indian Studies provides resources for the study of ethnomusicology and the performing arts in India through archival collections, library resources, field research by staff, special events, advanced training, internet resources, and collaborations with institutions, scholars, communities and performing artists in India and around the world. Access to its collections is enabled in a way that respects professional ethical standards, artist and collectors wishes, and Indian copyright legislation.  Materials are disseminated using methods that change with evolving technologies.

ARCE COLLECTIONS AND FACILITIES

ARCE employs state-of-the art technologies and professional archival standards to ensure that recorded performances of Indian performing arts are kept available for the long-term in order to enhance scholarship, creativity, and the safeguarding of India’s intangible cultural heritage for future generations. A particular focus has been the repatriation of collections held in archives abroad for access to Indian scholars and institutions.

The ARCE archives is a repository of voluntarily deposited collections from scholars and collectors of all nationalities. The collections have all been meticulously documented, and are complemented by a superb library that includes books, journals, and dissertations relevant to the field of ethnomusicology in general, with a particular focus on India.

ARCE follows an active program of acquisition, cataloging, preservation and dissemination. There is an audio visual laboratory equipped for making preservation copies of incoming material as well as for making working copies and research copies for users. A listening room, equipped with high quality audio and video equipment, is dedicated to the use of scholars listening and viewing archival material.

ACTIVITIES

ARCE also holds seminars, workshops, and training programs regularly as well as special programs such as the well-received Remembered Rhythms festival on the Diaspora and the Music of India, supported by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation. ARCE is also involved in research projects such as the Archives and Community Partnership which involved field work in Rajasthan and Goa, also funded by the Ford Foundation. The current field project “Documentation of endangered music traditions in West Rajasthan”  is funded by the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.

Contact information:

Archive and Research Center for Ethnomusicology
22, Institutional Area
Sector 32
Gurugram, Haryana

Telephone: 91-124-2381424

e-mail: 

Main Contact: Dr. Shubha Chaudhuri