Samyuktha Sharath Punthambekar
Arts Administration and Cultural Management graduates are in demand. Just ask Samyuktha Sharath Punthambekar, who has been constantly and tirelessly working since she finished the program in 2017. We caught up with her via email to hear more about how she fills her calendar.
NOW
As a freelancer, I have a few projects that I am working on. Passion for the arts has always been exciting for me. The projects that I am working on have increased my leadership skills as a project leader. My knowledge base has increased in end-to-end productions. These projects have also given me the opportunity to work with reputed companies and artists.
THEN
- The Dance Current writer and interviewer
- lbs/sq performance grant writer and reviewer
- Creating Positive Change leadership resident at The Banff Centre
- Tapestry Opera – Bandits in the Valley volunteer and project coordinator
- Ontario Arts Council juror
- 72-Person Ball Passing performer during the Fall for Dance North Festival
- tdsbCREATES resident artist in arts education, teaching basics in Bharathnatyam
- Bharathanatyam dancer and Carnatic singer
HUMBER
The program at Humber is robust and was an excellent bridge especially for me since I was transitioning from performing in Indian classical dance to arts administration. It gave me a complete set of tools that I am utilizing in pretty much every project that I take up. The experience and exposure have given me a lot of confidence and practical knowledge that I will always consider a lifetime asset.
I remember when I had my first few Cultural Policy classes with Shannon Litzenberger and Jeanne LeSage. My husband is very well versed with current affairs and got me hooked on CBC and watching the news every day! As soon as I walked into class, I realized that we were speaking about and discussing a few important political aspects that I had watched and learned about. Very soon, it became part of my daily routines to be informed about the current political climate. This coming from a person who had zero interest in politics! Today, I always keep current on cultural policies that influence the arts sectors. I want to make a tremendous difference.
To learn more about Samyuktha and her creative and business practices, visit her website: www.samyukthasharath.com. To view the results of some of her work with the Toronto Arts Foundation, click through this interactive PDF. You can also follow her on Twitter @sampunthambekar, on Facebook @sampunthambekar, or on Instagram @sam.punthambekar, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
