ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts

SPECIAL ISSUE ON DIGITAL FUTURES OF ARTS AND CULTURE: AI, DATA, CREATIVITY, AND SOCIAL IMPACT

Dipti Chauhan — 2026-04-03

The ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts invites original research papers, reviews, and creative-critical contributions for a Special Issue titled “Digital Futures of Arts and Culture: AI, Data, Creativity, and Social Impact.”

In the contemporary era, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital technologies are fundamentally transforming the production, dissemination, and reception of visual and performing arts. These transformations are not only reshaping artistic practices but also redefining cultural participation, audience engagement, institutional management, and the broader socio-cultural ecosystem.

This Special Issue seeks to explore the evolving intersections of art, technology, and society, with a particular focus on how digital innovations influence creativity, authorship, cultural sustainability, and social inclusion. It aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for scholars, practitioners, and researchers to critically examine the role of emerging technologies in shaping contemporary visual culture and performance practices.

This Special Issue aligns with the journal’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research across visual arts, performing arts, media studies, design, and cultural studies, particularly within the context of emerging technological and social transformations.

Submissions that demonstrate theoretical rigor, methodological innovation, and critical engagement with contemporary issues are especially encouraged. Both empirical and conceptual papers, as well as practice-based research, are welcome.

Issue Editor:

Dr. Dipti Chauhan

Professor & Head in the Department of Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Prestige Institute of Engineering Management & Research, Indore, M.P., India

Email: dchauhan@piemr.edu.in / diptichauhan09@gmail.com

Dr Lai Mun Keong

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management & Technology, Malaysia

Email: munkeong05@hotmail.com

Dr. Jehad

Department of Special Education, College of Education, Qassim University

Email: Jksa.Saudi@gmail.com

Dr. Himanshu Dwivedi

Assistant Professor and Head of Department, Department of Drama and Theatre, Raja Mansingh Tomar Music and Arts University, Gwalior (M.P.), India

Email: himanshu.theatre7@gmail.com

Dr. Sulekha Ojha

Head, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Fashion and Textiles IIS (Deemed to be University) Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Email: sulekha.ojha@iisuniv.ac.in / ojha.sulekha@gmail.com

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN VISUAL DESIGN: OPPORTUNITIES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS

Ay Prabhakar — 2026-04-03

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the field of visual design by introducing new tools and techniques that enhance creativity, efficiency, and scalability. AI-driven systems such as generative design models, computer vision algorithms, and automated layout tools are enabling designers to produce high-quality visual content with reduced time and effort. These technologies assist in tasks including image generation, color palette selection, layout optimization, and user experience personalization. AI-powered design platforms are increasingly used in industries such as advertising, marketing, entertainment, web development, and product design, allowing organizations to streamline workflows and generate visually appealing outputs. Despite these benefits, the integration of AI in visual design raises significant ethical concerns that require careful consideration. Issues related to intellectual property rights, originality, data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the potential displacement of human designers have sparked ongoing debates. AI models are often trained on large datasets containing copyrighted artwork, leading to questions about ownership and fair use. Furthermore, biased training data may result in designs that unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or exclude certain cultural perspectives. The increasing automation of creative processes also challenges traditional notions of authorship and creativity, prompting discussions about the role of human designers in AI-assisted environments. This paper explores both the opportunities and ethical implications of AI in visual design. It examines how AI technologies can augment human creativity while highlighting the importance of responsible AI development, transparency, and ethical guidelines. By analyzing current applications, challenges, and future directions, the study aims to provide insights into achieving a balanced integration of AI that supports innovation while safeguarding ethical and professional standards in visual design.

YOGA, BREATHWORK, AND VOCAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT

Vasundhara V Ghorpade — 2026-04-03

Vocal performance requires a harmonious integration of breath control, posture, mental focus, and vocal endurance. In recent years, holistic practices such as yoga and breathwork have gained attention for their potential to enhance vocal capabilities among singers and performers. This study explores the role of yoga postures (asanas) and controlled breathing techniques (pranayama) in improving vocal performance, respiratory efficiency, and vocal stability. Yoga practices contribute to better posture, enhanced lung capacity, and reduced muscular tension, all of which are essential for optimal voice production. Breathwork techniques help regulate airflow, strengthen respiratory muscles, and improve breath support during singing or speech. Additionally, yoga promotes mental relaxation and stress reduction, which can positively influence vocal confidence and stage performance. The research analyzes how integrating structured yoga routines and breathing exercises into vocal training programs can support improved pitch control, vocal stamina, and sound resonance. The study also highlights the physiological and psychological benefits of these practices for professional singers, public speakers, and performing artists. By examining existing literature and practical training approaches, this paper demonstrates that yoga and breathwork can serve as effective complementary techniques for vocal training. The findings suggest that incorporating mind–body practices into vocal education may significantly enhance vocal quality, endurance, and overall performance outcomes.

ETHICS OF DIGITAL REPRESENTATION IN VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Nisha Wankhade — 2026-04-03

Rapid emergence of the digital technologies has witnessed a massive transformation of the production, expression, and dissemination of the visual and performing arts. The technologies of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, motion capture, and synthetic media have offered potent tools of applying new forms of artistic expression, and creating immersive experiences to the audience. They are expanding the creative opportunities and the global reach, but these technologies are causing acute ethical concerns on authenticity, cultural representations and identity of the performers, intellectual property and privacy of information. These problems must be taken into consideration in order to align technological innovation in the arts with responsible and culturally sensitive practice. This paper examines ethical aspects of digital representation of visual and performing arts according to the analysis of the literature available on the topic of digital media ethics, artificial intelligence in art, and cultural heritage preservation. The essay addresses the significant technologies that enable the production of the digital pieces of art and mainstream ethical concerns that provide authenticity, cultural appropriation, algorithms bias, rights to own, and privacy issues. Comparative evaluation of the current existing ethical frameworks has shown that the current models tend to consider individual variables of digital ethics and not give a detailed analysis in the context of art. In order to fill these gaps, the paper suggests a conceptual artistic ethical framework of digital representation. The framework combines the concepts of responsible digital art creation, ethical design standards of artists and institutions, governance structure of digital platforms, and the workflow of ethical artistic production and distribution. The model suggested should help facilitate transparency, cultural authenticity, performer permission, and responsible artificial intelligence usage in artistic activities. The results emphasize the significance of inter-disciplinary cooperation of artists, technologists and policymakers and cultural institutions in formulating ethical principles that facilitate creativity without undermining artistic integrity and cultural diversity in the dynamic digital arts ecosystem.

SOUND, TECHNOLOGY, AND HEALING: EXPLORING MUSIC THERAPY IN HEALTHCARE

Nisha Wankhade — 2026-04-03

The growing popularity of music therapy as a complementary treatment option in the contemporary healthcare system is associated with the capacity of this method to promote emotional, psychological, and physiological health. By combining the sound-based therapeutic practice with the new digital technology, the application has opened new possibilities of making the music therapy interventions more effective and more accessible. This paper analyzes the interface of sound, technology, and healing through the aspects of music therapy within the medical facility context and the possibilities of technology-based systems of therapeutic assistants. The paper involves itself in the history and theories of music therapy, and highlights the psychological and neurological processes involved in the human health in the sound process. An in-depth survey of the literature available points at the clinical usability of music therapy in mental health care, neurological rehabilitation, pain control, and patient care. The study is also exploring the potential of the emerging technologies, such as digital audio processing, wearable health sensors, artificial intelligence, mobile health applications, and immersive virtual environments, in assisting personalized music therapy intervention. The technologies allow creating adaptive therapeutic systems that react on patient physiological indications and emotional conditions in real-time. On the basis of this analysis, the paper will present a technology-based model of music therapy aimed at incorporating patient monitoring, generating therapeutic music, interactive feedback systems, and connecting with healthcare systems. The framework that is offered to be implemented will contribute to better patient interactions, increased therapy customization, and the possibility to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy using the data. In addition, the paper addresses the measures of evaluation of clinical ecoefficiency, usability, and ethical evaluation of technology-based music therapeutic systems. Some obstacles facing the therapeutic music design process like technological awareness, cultural sensitivity, therapeutic music design protocols, and standardization of therapeutic protocols are also discussed. The results indicate that the combination of modern technologies and music therapy procedures can greatly increase the opportunities of sound-based medicine in healthcare. The future of research is in creation of AI-controlled individualized music therapy systems, immersive therapeutic spaces, and standardized clinical models that will enable the further integration of music therapy into the modern healthcare systems.

YOGA PHILOSOPHY AND AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE IN INDIAN PERFORMING ARTS

Sujata V Patil — 2026-04-03

Indian performing arts have been influenced over a long time by yoga philosophy, which highlights harmony of body, mind and consciousness. The study examines how yogic practices are correlated with aesthetic experience in the traditional Indian performance traditions. The paper discusses the role of the principles based on the philosophy of classical yoga in artistic discipline, expressive eloquence, and interaction with the audience. Analysis of yoga philosophy and Indian aesthetic theory is offered conceptually and a case study with yoga-integrated training amongst classical dance performers is presented. Such performance measures as posture stability, breath control, rhythm synchronization, emotional expression, and endurance during the performance were measured prior to and after a structured training program that involves yoga practices. The results show the stable improvement of all measured parameters, though the emotional expression and performance endurance show the highest improvement. The findings of the evaluation of the audience also show that there is higher engagement and a greater aesthetic perception after the training in yoga basis. Such effects indicate that the yogic practices enhance the self-awareness of performers, their concentration, and the expression of messages, which enhances the aesthetic quality of art performances. The study brings out the trans-disciplinary nature of yoga philosophy in the development of physical, cognitive and emotional aspects of performing arts practice. Introducing yoga into modern performing arts education programs will not only improve health and performance of the performers but also increase the authenticity of the art form and retain the philosophical roots of the Indian artistic circles.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION DESIGN IN PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS

Ganesh Rohidas Tungaskar — 2026-04-03

Communication skills are critical in effective public health campaigns, particularly in the delivery of complex health information in a manner that is easy to understand, engage and to be reached by the various populations. Information design and visual communication is particularly important to influence the perceptions, interpretations, and reactions of the audience on the health messages. Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the use of visual data like infographics, pictograms, data visualizations, and interactive media in the dissemination of important information concerning disease prevention, vaccination, hygiene, and lifestyle modifications by governmental bodies in the area of public health. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the relevance of effective visual communication in regulating the behavior of the population and decreasing misinformation. Nevertheless, regardless of the general use of visual components in health campaigns, there are still concerns of readability, cultural inclusiveness, usability, and information overload. The present research paper will explore how visual communication and information design can be used to make the public health campaigns more effective. The research presents the literature on the field of health communication design, assesses the most popular visual techniques, and determines the weaknesses of the existing practices. The traditional text-based communication and visual-centric health messaging are comparatively analyzed to prove the advantages in the understanding, memory, and the involvement of viewers. It is on the basis of these findings that a structured Visual Health Communication Framework (VHCF) is suggested in the paper, which is a combination of a design principle, behavioral psychology, and digital media technologies. The framework will enhance clarity of messages, understanding of the audience, and their involvement in the public health programs. The paper concludes that strategic visual design is important in increasing the reach and effectiveness of a public health campaign. A combination of data visualization, culturally mindful imagery, and user-friendly design principles can help the organization of the field of public health to develop more effective communication approaches. This research can be of great use to designers, policy-makers, and health care providers who can enhance health literacy and favorable health behaviors by using visual media.

ETHICS AND POLICY CHALLENGES IN THE DIGITIZATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

Rajesh Uttam Kanthe — 2026-04-03

The process of cultural heritage digitization has turned to be one of the most important strategies of preservation of the historical artifacts, manuscripts, art pieces, and the digital age intangible traditions. Cultural institutions can preserve heritage resources, capture more, and make them more accessible and then ever before through the use of high-tech technologies such as the features of 3D scanning, artificial intelligence, digital archiving, and cloud data storage. The digitization also increases accessibility among researchers, educators, and the general population as well as preserving the cultural materials which are easily prone to damage, natural calamities and war. Nevertheless, the fast pace of digital heritage projects pose the major ethical and policy issues. The problems of the intellectual property rights, cultural artifacts ownership, and presentation of culturally sensitive materials have to be considered. In addition, the problem of community approval and the rights of indigenous people also raises the question of the inclusivity and cultural sensitivity of digitalization activities. International and national policy and legal frameworks are also very important in regulating the preservation of digital heritage especially in areas like copyright, licensing and cross-border data sharing.

INTEGRATING YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION

Supriya S. Patil — 2026-04-03

Education in arts is important in the development of creativity, arts expression and communication of culture. Nevertheless, the conventional training of performing arts tends to emphasize more on the development of technical skills and the preparation of performance to the exclusion of the physical and psychological health of performers. This study examines how yoga and mindfulness can be incorporated in the process of performing arts education as a comprehensive strategy towards ensuring the development of the performers. This paper investigates how mind-body techniques enhance physical training, mental concentration, emotional, and creative expression in the performing artists. An integrated model is suggested that integrates yoga-driven bodily training and mindfulness-driven mental training in aiding the development of whole performers. The framework incorporates the important elements of yoga practice to ensure the flexibility and posture management, mindfulness meditation to focus the mind, breathing to regulate the emotions, and reflections to explore the creativity in a creative way. The comparison of traditional performing arts training and mindfulness-based training is made through a number of evaluation parameters such as physical conditioning, mental focus, emotional, regulation, creativity, and wellness of the performers. The findings show that yoga and mindfulness practitioners are significantly better in their concentration, emotional stability, confidence on the stage, and well-being than those participants who use conventional training programs. Future research directions (including integrating digital learning, AI-assisted mindfulness training, and using AI in cross-cultural performance arts education) are also addressed in the research. The results suggest that the incorporation of mind-body practices into performing arts curricula is vital to provide more balanced, creative, and sustainable learning opportunities to the performers.

ART-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

Prashant Vasant Ghunkikar — 2026-04-03

Mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, and emotional distresses have become a common issue among the various age groups. The old treatment methods such as psychotherapy and medication have been shown to be effective but tend to lack in meeting the needs of creative and an emotional expression of patients. As a means of healing, art-based interventions have developed as a form of complementary therapy, where the participants are able to express their feelings, alleviate mental stress and elevate their emotions through artistic endeavours. The study examines the importance of art-based interventions in mental health care and suggests a systematic model that includes artistic activities with psychological testing and electronic surveillance monitoring instruments. The study examines current methods of art-therapy, including the visual arts therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, and the expressive writing. They are compared and analyzed based on their effectiveness in terms of emotional expression, accessibility, therapeutic engagement and outcome measurement. On the basis of limitations identified, the new hybrid system is offered with the combination of digital platforms, guided activities, emotional tracking and therapist feedback to increase the results of therapy. The suggested structure allows a systematic provision of intervention and maintains the creative freedom. The anticipated benefits are the enhanced emotional control, enhanced patient involvement, and improved observation of therapeutic progress. In the study, the authors present the significance of incorporating artistic activities into the system of mental health support and propose the potential directions of future research that involve the use of AI-assisted analysis of emotions and digital art therapy platforms.