NANDIKAR

NANDIKAR , A bunch of young persons, under the leadership of Ajitesh Bandyapadhyay, on June 29, 1960, founded Nandikar. , ACTIVITIES: , 1) Production and Performance of Plays: , During last 50 years, Nandikar mounted about 8o productions of plays from the West and our own, from the ancient to contemporary. These productions have been performed more than 7,500 times all over the country and abroad. , Nandikar also catalyzed about 36 Youth Theatre productions and also 100 Children Theatre Productions. , 2) Nandikar has repeatedly performed in Bangladesh, Scotland, England, USA , Canada, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Oman and China by presentation of , plays, conducting Workshops and Dialogues. , 3) National and International Theatre Festivals . , Nandikar organized 25 Theatre Festivals with National and Occasional participation. , Organized 2 National Women s Theatre Festivals. , Also organized 26 Children Theatre Festivals , 4) Theater - In - Education (TIE): , Nandikar has been successfully engaged in Undertaking consistent programme on Theatre in Education among the students of schools, college, teachers and guardians for last 20 years, in 250 schools. , 5) Theatre among variously challenged children and young persons. , 6) SUPPORTED by Government Departments/National Organizations , It has worked with the Ministries of Culture; Youth Affairs and Sports; Women and Child welfare; and Human Resource Development (Department of Education); and , , With the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Sahitya Akademi, National School of Drama, Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Indian Council for Social Science Research, to name a few. , , 7) WORK WITH CHILDREN AND THE YOUNG , Nandikar, at the initiative of Department of Education HRD, began its Theatre for the Motivation & Liberation of Student Community in Schools since 1989. , While continuing this pioneering works, Nandikar began Children s Theatre on a larger and professional scale with support from Foreign Agencies: , Nandikar began its Project In Search of Children s Theatre in the early nineties with support from the Ford Foundation. This seven-year project involved work with Variously-Deprived Children (e.g. Slum/Pavement-Dwelling and the Visually Handicapped Children). , The work with Children resumed in 2004 when Sida/Swedish ITI (International Theatre Institute), impressed with the group s continuing work for and by the Children, offered funds for a three-year project. , 8) NANDIKAR the Collaborator: , Nandikar believed in seeking to find and in giving to receive. , Hence it variously collaborated with Deptt. of Culture, Deptt. of Education, Deptt. of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sangeet Natak Akademi, National School of Drama, Zonal Cultural Centres etc. and Banga Sammelans in the USA, Tagoreans, Nehru Centre UK, Brecht Zentrum, The British Council, Harvard University, The Ford Foundation, Rupantar and Rakhal of Bangladesh and Swedish ITI,Teater Pero, Dock Teatern Tittut, Marten Hedman s Teater, Backa Theatre, Theatre with the Deaf & Dumb from Silent Teater and Sida all from Sweden. , 9) Theatre in promotion of National Integration among the youth: , Nandikar organizes week-long National Integration Camp for about 150 youth from various states. , 10) Theatre as Aid to the Professionals; , Nandikar undertakes various programme and activities using Theatre as a tool for developing and enriching the art of communication among the Teachers of Schools/ Colleges/ University, Corporate Executives and also future Managers (with IIM, IIT, XLRI) , , ACHIEVEMENTS: , ACCOLADES/AWARDS , Two of its directors the late Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay and Rudraprasad Sengupta are recipients of the National Award; , Swatilekha Sengupta was chosen by Satyajit Ray as the leading lady for his film Home and the World ; , Sohini Sengupta won the President s award as Best Actress in both Film and Stage; , Gautam Haldar won the AV Birla award for best Indian Young Theatre Person; , It has won numerous State Awards on various counts.