Paschim Banga Natya Akademi

Paschim Banga Natya Akademi (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ নাট্য আকাদেমি) is a learned society for drama and theatre in Paschimbanga (West Bengal). Established on 26 September,1987, it is a wing of the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, Government of West Bengal. The aim of this society is to develop skill and expertise, to document and archive the theatre history of Bengal, to disseminate information and theoretical and historical understanding, and to promote and project significant creativity in the field.^[2]

The Natya Akademi conducts annual theatre festivals, seminars and public lectures and training workshops and publishes research works and other books on Bengali drama. It confers Dinabandhu Puraskar and Girish Puraskar, two most prestigious theatre awards in the state, for production playwriting, acting, direction, stagecraft and design and music.

The Natya Akademi owns a number of theatre halls including Academy of Fine Arts (Lady Ranu Mukherjee Mancha), Bijon Theatre, Girish Mancha, Jogesh Mime Akademi, Madhusudan Mancha, Mahajati Sadan, Muktangan Rangalaya, Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Sujata Sadan, Tapan Theatre and University Institute Hall.^[3]

The Natya Akademi publishes Natya Akademi Patrika, an annual journal featuring academic essays and lectures, obituaries, play scripts, archival reprints, reports etc. It has also produced some classics like William Shakespeare’s Chaitali Rater Swapno (directed by Utpal Dutt), Girish Chandra Ghosh’s Balidan (directed by Ashoke Mukhopadhyay) and Rabindranath Tagore’s Chirakumar Sabha (directed by Bibhash Chakrabarty) etc.

See also

• Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi

References