Research
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Over the past two years, we’ve been exploring a question that many traditional artists in this country have: How are decisions made about what (and who) appears on major U.S. stages? Incubated at Harvard University’s Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, "Behind the Curtain" examines this system from the presenter’s perspective. This report draws on a national survey of artistic directors and programming leads in order to better understand how traditional artists are discovered, evaluated, and framed, using the South Asian genres as a lens.
The report will be officially launched on July 14, 2026, after which it will be available for download.
Please see below to RSVP to the launch event.
Key Findings
14.8%
of presenters feel very confident introducing Indian classical work to their audiences
62%
ranked relationship-driven networks as a top discovery pathway — above open calls or agencies
78%
of presenters report mixed or general-population audiences for South Asian traditional performances
78.8%
named audience turnout as their biggest risk — despite that same data showing diverse audiences already attending
