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 Committees
> Cultural
Background
The Network of South Asian Professionals of DC (NetSAP-DC) member-base and
community of interest includes South Asian professionals in the Washington
Metropolitan area. South Asians in Washington are not recognized in the
wider community for their cultural and/or artistic involvement. Rarely do
they volunteer on non-profit arts organization's boards and their support
of the arts as sponsors, patrons, and audiences is very limited.
South Asians in the DC area do participate in a thriving cultural life that
is not recognized by the mainstream community. This participation creates
a diversity of amateur programming ranging from cultural dances such as
raas-garba/bhangra to classical Hindustani and Carnatic music concerts,
from literary symposia to theater productions. Since much of this culture
is contextualized in ethnic South-Asianness, it is lumped together and seen
as homogenous by the wider cultural community. Non-profit institutions tend
to view South Asian art-culture as "folk/traditional."
In order for the NetSAP-DC community to better support art that originates
in South Asian America, we need to understand how American artistic-support
structure function. Then we can form better partnerships and alliances with
American cultural institutions as well as other South Asian community organizations
and fully utilize the resources that are available to the mainstream.
2005 Objectives for the Cultural Committee
Issues of "culture" are intimately tied to issues of identity
and therefore politics. South Asian political identity can be formed as
South Asians continue to develop an American cultural identity. The Cultural
Committee of NetSAP-DC will aim to organize programs that introduce South
Asians in the Washington area to this transformation.
Our aim is to engage:
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NetSAP-DC members in creative activities (i.e. opportunities
for members to experience and implement creativity) |
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NetSAP-DC community in the cultural offerings of the
Washington Metro region |
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Constituents of the Washington metro region with a
broader awareness of South-Asian American creativity.
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NetSAP-DC members in fundraising to aid and support
South Asian artists
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In educational cross programming with other NetSAP-DC
committees (i.e. bringing cultural awareness to the youth in our community
through the Mentorship committee)
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Proposed Events
Planned events include one "Cultural Outing" each month and one
“Cultural Workshop” per month. There are three flagship events
proposed this year, the annual Cultural program (June), SALF/STAGE (October),
and Shaama Ki Shaam (November).
To become a volunteer of the Cultural committee or for more information,
please email cultural@netsap.org.
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Contact 
