Living In Arts Foundation LiAF

Secure and dignified life in Arts

Living in Arts Foundation (LiAF) is formed as a unit of AIMA‘s social awareness campaign for music and musicians. The Living in Art Foundation offers veteran musicians, a stable and dignified life, providing them basic security through health insurance in their vulnerable years. It also aims to identify, train and mentor underprivileged talents through its various programs. AIMA gives these artistes training, food, lodging and placement until they can sustain their livelihood.

LiAF is a concerted effort to ensure the survival of great music and musicians.

Our Future

Making sure we develop potential artists regardless of their economic means.

Our Heritage

Working with senior musicians, to offer them a stable and dignified life in their autumn years.

Why is LiAF important?

Music has always flowed as an inherent and indispensable part of the Indian culture and society. The innumerable saint singers /composers across the centuries, have occupied much adored positions amidst the populace and the rulers of pre-independent India. Musicians have always held an exalted spot in the society where their only true calling was to lose themselves in their music and share the ecstasy that they experienced with listeners.

But in present times, both our society, and the way we view music and musicians, has completely changed. Like everything else in the 21st century, music and musicians are being packaged, branded, marketed and sold.


Nowadays, music has transformed from one of the purest art forms, to pure industry. But there still exists a part of the society who live with that almost unshakable calling to music and want for nothing else. However, with the monetary and societal barriers of today, experiencing something, even as universal as music, has become a divisive and a restrictive process.

The Living in Art Foundation (LiAF) aims to offer these passionate individuals a chance to explore their options and experience the joy of music. 

Note from the Founder-Chairman 

Sangeet Laya Samrat Dr T V Gopalakrishnan

The Thought Behind LiAF

Living in Art Foundation is formed as a unit of AIMA‘s social awareness campaign for music and musicians. In the days of Raj (lastly the British) “Indian culture and heritage" had a great marketability globally. But pathetically it was all about gems, jewellery, sculptures, bronzes and of course the palm-leaf manuscripts and paintings. In the last days of the monarchy and after the dawn of independence, Indian performing arts suffered a great deal. The artists all of whom identified with the freedom movement including myself in my adolescence were given the short shift – in the larger canvas of a place in the society. My Guru the great doyen of Carnatic Music - Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar succinctly summed it up when the then President of India Dr. Radhakrishnan - while he was adorning him with the President's National award proudly asked him as to the great service that the popular government is towards fine arts. He replied to Dr S Radhakrishnan that - "In the pre-independence days there were over 600 Kings and thousands of Lords and Zamins and Zamindars all over the country hosting, honoring and even pampering those great achievers in Fine Arts - music, dance theatre and folk arts. They were taken care of at all stages of their lives especially when they were super talented – by giving them houses and retainers to live comfortably in the autumn of their lives. But the new government did away with all the monarchy and perpetuated the great patronage by giving one award each. For every identified discipline note- that all were not considered. All those thousands who could not catch the eyes of the Cultural Ministry, Ministry of Home Affairs and others who matter."

FOCUS OF LIAF ACTIVITIES

Live On – Living in Art Foundation (LiAF)

many of these veteran artists face challenges in their later years, including financial instability and lack of recognition. LiAF's Live On aims to address these issues and provide support to these invaluable contributors to India's cultural landscape.

Learn More

Kala Pratibha Empower Artists

Empowering Talented Artists through Music We aim to provide a platform for deserving and talented artists, musicians, and technicians to showcase their skills. By offering the opportunity to record and release their music, we enable them to reach a wider audience and gain the recognition they deserve. Project Overview Our...

Learn More

Achaarya Nipuna

Many passionate artists hail from the lowest economic and social strata of society, lacking any such opportunities, and driven only by their passion for music. The Achaarya Nipuna program intends to work with sensitivity towards these groups, whose cultural aspirations and contributions remain unrecognized and under-represented. The foundation aims to...

Learn More

Make a change now!!

Join our Living in Arts Foundation!

Let's reintroduce the joy of music to the lives of these remarkable human beings, giving back some of the happiness they have given us. Any contributions we can get will be highly valued and carefully distributed. And of course, you will have the opportunity to see the progress of the individual artists you have sponsored, bringing you a true sense of satisfaction.

Know More