Sangeet Natak Akademi

Sangeet Natak Akademi (Devanāgarī: संगीत नाटक अकादेमी or, "The National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama" in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.

History

It was set up by the Indian education ministry in May 31, 1952 and became functional the following year, with the appointment of its first Chairman, Dr. P. V. Rajamannar. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, inaugurated it on January 28, 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House. Academi's Fellowship and Award are considered very prestigious.

Functions

The academy functions as the apex body of the performing arts in the country in an effort to preserve and promote the vast cultural heritage of India expressed in the forms of music, dance and drama. It also works with, both, the governments and various art academies in different states and territories of the country.

* It establishes and maintains institutions and projects of national importance. Some of its prominent child institutions include
**National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi in 1959.
**Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal.
**Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance), New Delhi in 1964
**National Projects in the support of Kuttiyattam (the age-old Sanskrit theatre of Kerala)
*Subsidizing the work of institutions engaged in teaching, performing or promoting music, dance, or theatre
*Gives [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/programmes_schemes&grants.html grants] to aid research, documentation and publishing in the performing arts
*Organizes and subsidizes seminars and conferences of subject specialists
*Documents and records the performing arts for its audio-visual archive.
*Renders advice and assistance to the Government of India in the task of formulating and implementing policies and programmes in the field.
*The academy also carries a part of the responsibilities of the state for fostering cultural contacts between various regions within the country, as well as between India and the world.

The facilities

The academy is also an important source of information and offers the following facilities

The audio-visual archive

The academy's [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/facilities_audiovisuallibrary.html audio-visual archive] has several audio/video tapes, photographs and films. It is the largest archive of its kind in the country and is extensively drawn upon by the India for research on the performing arts.dance cd for kathak artistof India.

The library

The academy maintains a [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/facilities_library.html reference library] consisting of about 22,000 books.

Books on several subjects including Dance, Drama, Music, Theatre, Sociology, Folklore, Tribal Studies, Indian History and Culture, Indian Art, Religion and Epics, Mythology, Anthropology and Reference works such as Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Yearbooks, Bibliographies, Indexes and Newspaper clippings about Academy Awards and eminent artistes in the field of performing arts, can be found here.

The library also maintains data files on awardees and fellows of the academy since its inception (1953) and along with those on other eminent personalities of the field.

Gallery of musical instruments

The academy also has a [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/facilities_museum.html museum-cum-gallery] of musical instruments in Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. There are more than 200 musical instruments on display here.

Documentation unit

It also has a documentation unit that collects and records works of masters in the field of music, dance and theatre on audio and video to help researchers. The academy also produces several [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/facilities_library_inhousepublications.html in-house publications] .

Award and Fellowship

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

The academy awards are the highest national recognition given to practicing artistes. It carries a purse money is Rs. 50,000/-, a shawl and "Tamrapatra" (a brass plaque).

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, 'Ratna Sadsya'

Each year the Academy also awards Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships, 'Ratna Sadsya', to distinguised individuals for their contribution to the field of arts, music, dance and theatre.

Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar

Instituted in 2006, in memory of Ustad Bismillah Khan, this youth award is given to young artists for their talent in the fields of music, dance and drama [ [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/guidelinesbkawards.html Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar] ] .

See also

*Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
*Lalit Kala Akademi - equivalent national academy for visual arts
*Sahitya Akademi - equivalent national academy for literature

References

External links

* [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/ The official website of the Sangeet Natak Akademi]
* [http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2004/stories/20030228001708500.htm "An agenda for the arts", Frontline magazine (The Hindu), February 15 - 28, 2003] - article on 50th anniversary
* [http://www.accu.or.jp/ich/data/O_IND4-more.html Data Bank on Traditional/Folk performances]
* [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/events_currentevents.html Current events] page on the website ("slightly outdated")
* [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/programmes_recognition&honours.html The Academy's Official List of Award winners] .
*D. G. Godse The Academy's Awardee 1988