Chairperson's Message

The expansion of the NSD across the country over the last decade is a little- known fact. Delhiites are aware of our work largely through enjoying all four of our annual theatre festivals— Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Bal Sangam, Jashne Bachpan and the Summer Festival of the Repertory Company, besides our regular shows throughout the year.
However, over the last year alone NSD has taken some significant steps towards fulfilling its vision of spreading theatre training beyond Delhi. The Bengaluru Chapter of NSD, initiated at the Guru Nanak Bhawan in 2009, began with nine month long workshops spread over a variety of theatre disciplines in 2010. We are hopeful that from July 2013 onwards the intensive three year program, as offered in New Delhi, will be activated in our Bengaluru Chapter as well.
What is encouraging is that the Karnataka Government has allotted us prime land adjoining Kalagram and the Bengalaru University. Here NSD will be building a state- of- the- art campus with all up-to- date facilities.
Side-by side- NSD has initiated a one- year course in Agartala, Tripura, in June 2012. This diploma course is for specializing in Children’s Theatre based on the TIE methodology. The Tripura government has allotted us the use of one complete wing of their new theatre complex and a regular use of the theatre. The NSD course has received eligibility status by the Tripura Board of Education, thereby encouraging a large number of school teachers to enroll.
Our theatre work in the North East has expanded exponentially. In the last five years alone we have conducted 150 workshops, the majority of which are production based, while some are with children. A regular theatre festival, Purvotar Natya Samaroh, takes place annually with plays from across the country along with those from the north east, being showcased.
We have established a Training Center in Gangtok, Sikkim that offers a one year certificate course and has its own Repertory Company.
All these efforts, we hope, will strengthen NSD’s ties with the rest of the country, and help to promote a greater awareness and enjoyment of theatre as a vibrant and powerful medium of communicating new ideas.

Amal Allana