Grantee Database
The Ravi & Shashi Bellare Arts Foundation
Grant Year
2026-27
Grant Program
General Operating Support
Award Amount
$12,000.00
Project Description
To produce a festival of this caliber, our budget covers a vast array of operational necessities. This includes not only the artist honorariums, flights within California, transportation, accomodation for our performers but also the ‘unseen’ costs that ensure a professional and safe environment: liability insurance, technical production staff, and venue logistics and an array of other expenses. Grant support allows us to maintain our subsidized ticket model, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent the community from experiencing this unique cultural event.
Organization Summary
The Ravi & Shashi Bellare Arts Foundation (RSBAF) is dedicated to the preservation and evolution of Indian Classical Music (ICM) through its flagship program, the Festival of Tabla (FOT). Based in Southern California, RSBAF serves as a vital bridge between ancient oral traditions and the modern American arts landscape.
Core Programming
The Festival of Tabla: A premier international showcase held at the Soka Performing Arts Center. It spotlights the “Solo Tabla” tradition, presenting 16th-century repertoire with 21st-century production value for 50+ artists annually.
Black Box Workshops: Since 2024, the expansion into Soka’s Black Box Theater has allowed for integral, high-impact lecture-demonstrations. These sessions provide an intimate, deep-dive into musical logic and theory, demystifying the complexities of ICM for students, scholars, and diverse new audiences.
Youth & “Rising Star” Platforms: RSBAF provides a professional launchpad for the next generation. Through curated solo slots and youth ensembles, the foundation offers high-visibility stage time to emerging artists, facilitating future professional bookings and recordings.
Community Services
Gender Equity Initiative: A cornerstone mission is the active promotion of female instrumentalists/artists, providing a rare, unbiased platform in a historically male-dominated field.
The Living Archive: The foundation professionally documents every performance, creating a digital repository of rare Gharana (lineage) compositions to ensure this intangible heritage is preserved for future generations. Our YouTube channel features 90+ videos of past performances, ensuring this artform is accessible globally to all for free.
Artist Advocacy: With a waitlist of over 400 musicians, RSBAF serves as a professional anchor, providing opportunities and treating emerging talent with the same respect as the headliners.
Through our initiatives and community engagement, RSBAF ensures that Indian Classical Music remains a sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant ecosystem in the United States.
Organization
The Ravi & Shashi Bellare Arts Foundation
Address
14865 SUMMIT TRAIL RD
CHINO HILLS
91709-6212
County
San Bernardino
Region
Inland Empire
Website
