“Sonic Borderlands of South Asia” (SBSA) encompasses two years of research projects that together complement years three and four of Philip Bohlman’s five-year International Balzan Prize Project, “Borderlands of Sonic Encounter” (2023–28). In the current phase of the initiative, South Asia serves as the primary focus. The diverse activities supported by the Neubauer Collegium include: symposia and conferences; individual research projects for young and early-career scholars; filmmaking and recording projects; cinema and stage; educational workshops with South Asian partners; performances of music and dance; and visiting fellowships.

SBSA projects will intersect with publics both within and outside the academy, at the University of Chicago and across South Asia in cooperation with the UChicago Center in Delhi. Individual projects during the two years will culminate in performances and documentary films, and for SBSA as a whole we are planning an exhibition and published exhibition volume that accompany a capstone event at the Neubauer Collegium.

We are hopeful that collaborations with several partners can provide financial and infrastructural support in India and Bangladesh. Our Chicago partners include the UChicago Center in Delhi, UChicago Global, and the Committee on Southern Asian Studies. Our South Asian and European partners include the International Balzan Foundation, Ashoka University, the Centre for the Study of Social Sciences, Calcutta, the Humboldt Forum of Berlin, the Goethe Institutes of Kolkata and Dhaka, and the Bangla Academy, Dhaka.