Much to the delight of the theatre fraternity of the underdeveloped Koraput region, The Nandanik theatre group of Koraput will host a week-long theatre workshop at Koraput commencing on July 24. The maiden venture is being held in collaboration with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre of Kolkata under the Ministry of Culture and the District Culture Council.
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee theatre personality Probir Guha from Kolkata will conduct the workshop.
“Our group is just three years old. Our thrust is on a professional approach to theatre training and study. Most of our members are youths and students. We focus on training, practice and performance throughout the year. Apart from performance, Nandanik has been hosting theatre workshops and seminars at regular intervals besides having regular activities of our Children’s Theatre wing,” informed Nandanik founder and workshop director Sourav Gupta.
An Assistant Professor of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at the Central University of Odisha, Koraput, Gupta, from Kolkata, has been practising alternative theatre for two decades. He has been trained under stalwarts like Badal Sircar, Peter Brooks and H Kanhaiyalal.
“The primary objective of the workshop is to train the participants in the basics of theatre. The theatre scenario of the Koraput region has a rich heritage and needs a revival. The workshop aims at inculcating interest and motivation to take up the practice of theatre as an art form in a serious manner. There is a grammar to pursue theatre, to think or act logically or to use one’s body, brain and speech. like all other disciplines, theatre too is a faculty which has to be learned with proper scientific approach and, above all, hard work, passion and dedication. With a stalwart like Probir Guha, we are hopeful of getting the desired guidance for our participants,” Gupta added.
While Guha will focus on body language and alternative theatre, the Bhubaneswar-based Mayur Art Centre’s director Pradip Kumar Mishra will train on music and dance for theatre. The District Council of Culture would offer accommodation for outstation participants on prior intimation, informed Gupta, who can be contacted over phone numbers 09439424183 and 09938902001.