Uma Chandru

International Institute for Art, Culture and Democracy

The International Institute for Art, Culture and Democracy (IIACD) is a Bengaluru-based not-for-profit research institute. It was founded in 2008 by a multidisciplinary group of academics and practitioners with collective expertise in healthcare, education, management, design, new media arts, technology, folklore, cultural anthropology, traditional arts and crafts, vernacular architecture, cultural heritage, conservation and tourism studies. IIACD has two interdisciplinary centres: Centre for Cultural Heritage and Tourism Studies (CHATS) and Centre for Health Ecologies and Technology (CHET). The Centre for Cultural Heritage and Tourism Studies (CHATS) was founded in 2008. The centre aims to foster cultural democracy for all and help sustain indigenous heritage arts and crafts, folklore, healing practices and other aspects of tangible and intangible heritage of South India. It supports the rights of indigenous communities and other culture bearers to sustain and benefit from their arts and other living heritage expressions and practices. It seeks to foster democratic policies and practices of cultural heritage conservation and tourism and ensure that local communities remain key decision makers in conservation and tourism development.