The story of KIFALC
Kolkata International Foundation (KIFALC) for Arts Literature and Culture was formed quite some years back by the creative community of Kolkata with a dream to build up a Culture Centre, which the city still lacks. The center was to house an art gallery, museum, little magazine library, poetry book library, art and artifacts shop besides intimate theater space, seminar hall, amphitheater, auditorium, guest house and many such facilities a center of this stature would need. KIFALC aims to serve as an international institution of excellence and support/ promote young talents and create opportunities for interaction among various cross sections of the society. It is to act as an interpolator and catalyst for intellectual endeavor towards a better world.
Kolkata International Foundation (KIFALC) for Arts Literature and Culture was formed quite some years back by the creative community of Kolkata with a dream to build up a Culture Centre, which the city still lacks. The center was to house an art gallery, museum, little magazine library, poetry book library, art and artifacts shop besides intimate theater space, seminar hall, amphitheater, auditorium, guest house and many such facilities a center of this stature would need. KIFALC aims to serve as an international institution of excellence and support/ promote young talents and create opportunities for interaction among various cross sections of the society. It is to act as an interpolator and catalyst for intellectual endeavor towards a better world.
Kolkata International Foundation (KIFALC) for Arts Literature and Culture was formed quite some years back by the creative community of Kolkata with a dream to build up a Culture Centre, which the city still lacks. The center was to house an art gallery, museum, little magazine library, poetry book library, art and artifacts shop besides intimate theater space, seminar hall, amphitheater, auditorium, guest house and many such facilities a center of this stature would need. KIFALC aims to serve as an international institution of excellence and support/ promote young talents and create opportunities for interaction among various cross sections of the society. It is to act as an interpolator and catalyst for intellectual endeavor towards a better world.
Kolkata International Foundation (KIFALC) for Arts Literature and Culture was formed quite some years back by the creative community of Kolkata with a dream to build up a Culture Centre, which the city still lacks. The center was to house an art gallery, museum, little magazine library, poetry book library, art and artifacts shop besides intimate theater space, seminar hall, amphitheater, auditorium, guest house and many such facilities a center of this stature would need. KIFALC aims to serve as an international institution of excellence and support/ promote young talents and create opportunities for interaction among various cross sections of the society. It is to act as an interpolator and catalyst for intellectual endeavor towards a better world.
Implementation Plan
The Government of West Bengal has allotted the Foundation a plot of land off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass where the proposed KIF Centre will be set up. The Centre is envisaged as a comprehensive, stand-alone, architectural structure making the greenest possible environmental contribution to the location.
The main building of the Centre will house on its several levels all the earlier mentioned facilities plus a fairground and an open air stage, an open air cafeteria, car parking facilities and public utilities set in a landscaped garden around the building.
The Centre may eventually require more than one site / building located in different parts of the city. Already a few offers of buildings and property have been received from different sources for the Foundation and negotiations are continuing with the owners.
Facilities to be offered at the Centre
The Foundation proposes to set up in Kolkata a Centre offering the following facilities:
1. A well-planned specialized library with reading rooms
2. An archive documenting creativity and art history in the form of writers’ manuscripts, work diaries, rare publications, artists drafts and studies, artifacts from rural and traditional crafts
3. Seminar rooms for roundtable sessions, lectures, slideshow video screenings and presentations.
4. Cubicles for meetings and conversations.
5. An exhibition hall.
6. An auditorium.
7. A bookshop specializing in literature, social sciences, sciences and the arts.
8. A little magazine corner highlighting new trends, documentation and critical discourses.
9. An art shop offering prints, picture postcards and portfolios.
10. A cafeteria with facilities for long relaxed conversations and a site for appointments.
11. A publishing unit bringing out monographs, portfolios, albums, lectures and periodicals.
12. A multimedia unit to access and disseminate information from and through India and the world.
13. Guest rooms for writers, artists and visitors.
Implementation Plan
The Government of West Bengal has allotted the Foundation a plot of land off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass where the proposed KIF Centre will be set up. The Centre is envisaged as a comprehensive, stand-alone, architectural structure making the greenest possible environmental contribution to the location.
The main building of the Centre will house on its several levels all the earlier mentioned facilities plus a fairground and an open air stage, an open air cafeteria, car parking facilities and public utilities set in a landscaped garden around the building.
The Centre may eventually require more than one site / building located in different parts of the city. Already a few offers of buildings and property have been received from different sources for the Foundation and negotiations are continuing with the owners.
Facilities to be offered at the Centre
The Foundation proposes to set up in Kolkata a Centre offering the following facilities:
1. A well-planned specialized library with reading rooms
2. An archive documenting creativity and art history in the form of writers’ manuscripts, work diaries, rare publications, artists drafts and studies, artifacts from rural and traditional crafts
3. Seminar rooms for roundtable sessions, lectures, slideshow video screenings and presentations.
4. Cubicles for meetings and conversations.
5. An exhibition hall.
6. An auditorium.
7. A bookshop specializing in literature, social sciences, sciences and the arts.
8. A little magazine corner highlighting new trends, documentation and critical discourses.
9. An art shop offering prints, picture postcards and portfolios.
10. A cafeteria with facilities for long relaxed conversations and a site for appointments.
11. A publishing unit bringing out monographs, portfolios, albums, lectures and periodicals.
12. A multimedia unit to access and disseminate information from and through India and the world.
13. Guest rooms for writers, artists and visitors.
What We Do
our TRUSTEES
PRABAL KUMAR BASU
Chairman
A renowned poet, author of many books of poetry, editor of Signpost, a modern Bengali poetry anthology, editor of Yapanchitra.
DIPALI BHATTACHARYA
Managing Trustee
A prominent artist and retired Office-in-charge, Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata. Engaged in various art and organisational activities. A Social activist.
SAMIK BANDYOPADHYAY
Trustee
Former Tagore National Fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Vice-Chairman, National School of Drama;ICCR Chair Visiting Professor, Free University, Berlin; Regional Editor, Oxford University Press; Founder-editor, Seagull Books; at present Editor, Thema.
PRABAL KUMAR BASU
Chairman
A renowned poet, author of many books of poetry, editor of Signpost, a modern Bengali poetry anthology, editor of Yapanchitra.
DIPALI BHATTACHARYA
Managing Trustee
A prominent artist and retired Office-in-charge, Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata. Engaged in various art and organisational activities. A Social activist.
SAMIK BANDYOPADHYAY
Trustee
Former Tagore National Fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Vice-Chairman, National School of Drama;ICCR Chair Visiting Professor, Free University, Berlin; Regional Editor, Oxford University Press; Founder-editor, Seagull Books; at present Editor, Thema.
NIRMAL KANTI BHATTACHARJEE
Trustee
Noted translator and critic. Former Editor, Indian Literature, the journal of Sahitya Akademi. Former Director, National Book Trust, India. Former Director, K K Birla Foundation, New Delhi. Currently Editorial Director, Niyogi Books, New Delhi.
NIRMAL KANTI BHATTACHARJEE
Trustee
Noted translator and critic. Former Editor, Indian Literature, the journal of Sahitya Akademi. Former Director, National Book Trust, India. Former Director, K K Birla Foundation, New Delhi. Currently Editorial Director, Niyogi Books, New Delhi.
BARNALI ROY
Trustee
Publisher, editor and translator associated with various literary activities.
PARTHA CHATTERJEE
Trustee
Former Director, now Honorary Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Columbia University, New York. An outstanding social science theories of international repute and author of a number of books.
PARTHA CHATTERJEE
Trustee
Former Director, now Honorary Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Columbia University, New York. An outstanding social science theories of international repute and author of a number of books.
BARNALI ROY
Trustee
Publisher, editor and translator associated with various literary activities.
VARUGIS GEORGE
Trustee
Built Heritage Research and Project Coordinator. Founder Member Metropolitan Society for Heritage and Environment (MSHE). Director Creation and Art Futures, Kolkata, platforms for creative initiatives and progressive artist and artwork exchange programmes.
VARUGIS GEORGE
Trustee
Built Heritage Research and Project Coordinator. Founder Member Metropolitan Society for Heritage and Environment (MSHE). Director Creation and Art Futures, Kolkata, platforms for creative initiatives and progressive artist and artwork exchange programmes.
