Is bankruptcy looming over Indian theatre or are theatre groups in a better position to make money now than they ever were? Aditi Sharma asks if changing the way theatrewallas approach corporate sponsorship, is the answer
Is bankruptcy looming over Indian theatre or are theatre groups in a better position to make money now than they ever were? Aditi Sharma asks if changing the way theatrewallas approach corporate sponsorship, is the answer
Quasar Thakore Padamsee now has time for humour. After spending anxious weeks scrounging for funds to hold the 12th edition of Thespo, the annual youth theatre festival that's often found itself struggling to make ends meet, the group's blog thanks strangers, musicians and theatre practitioners from foreign lands for reaching out. 
Actor-director Naseeruddin Shah (centre) started theatre group Motley,
that celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 1979. Waiting For Godot,
the modern classic by Samuel Beckett was their first production. Seen
here are actors Benjamin Gilani, Akash Khurana and Randeep Hooda
in a recent performance of the play
That's a far cry from a month ago when they "were offered a variety of items from a cup of coffee to 4,000 packets of potato chips! But no cash." And so, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" -- the last line from Tennessee Williams' play, A Streetcar Named Desire -- seems a fitting start to their latest blog post.
That the Ministry of Culture is working on a draft policy for supporting Cultural Mega Festivals organised by non-government organisations across the country, under which a festival could receive upto Rs 15 lakh in cash and Rs 30 lakh in kind, may make Thakore-Padamsee a shade happier.u00a0
But it's corporate sponsor apathy that's disappointing, says the actor-director. "It's difficult to raise money for theatre because sponsors want instant gains. They don't want to invest time in a particular project but want immediate returns. It's not always about making your logo look better or splashing banners all over the auditorium," he says.
Thespo's open appeal for funds, and the launch of a Facebook initiative spurred a media debate on whether Indian theatre was nearing bankruptcy. Ironically, some of his seniors and contemporaries couldn't comprehend what the noise was about. "I don't think there's been as much money in theatre as there is today. The audience is ready to shell out money for expensive tickets. We have been averaging 150 shows a year, across the country, for the last three years. Explain to me how I can do this if we weren't getting the money?" asks theatre veteran Rahul DaCunha, founding member of Rage Productions.
Over the last four weeks, Thespo managed to raise Rs 3.5 lakh through the Friends of Thespo initiative and a generous grant by actor-director Anupam Kher. "We have been able to connect with the community directly to sustain the festival. Over 90 individuals have contributed. Corporate India needs to understand the benefit of the arts as an expression of what is right with society, and what's not. They must take on the cultural supporter tag," argues Thakore-Padamsee.
Although the festival will unfold on schedule, the prize money and number of shows have been sliced.
In 2007, the youth magazine that sponsored the festival did not live up to its commitment. "Nearly 55 per cent of what we were promised was not paid. We went ahead and spent from our own pockets."
Veterans in the industry, although empathetic, say it's the right time to introspect about how a theatre group, and theu00a0 industry as a whole, are run. "It is a festival that connects Indian youth from across the country. I am shocked no corporate sees value in it. Perhaps they haven't been able to communicate well with corporates," says a theatrewalla, on condition of anonymity. What's needed is to engage the corporate world professionally.
"One major change we need to bring about is to stop complaining, whining and begging, as a community. We have to hold our heads high and speak clearly about what value we bring to the table," says Sanjna Kapoor, director, Prithvi Theatre and artistic director, Prithvi Theatre Festival.
The theatre community is gradually realising that the corpus of corporate funds available has to be shared between a host of activities spanning music, art and performance, and the better idea will bag the fatter fund.
"Cultural activities like theatre do not get money from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. Let's face it -- if a corporate is given the choice of feeding 50 poor children or supporting a play, he'll feed the kids," says theatre critic and writer Deepa Gahlot. She recently organised NCPA's first-ever theatre festival.
Being a known name within the industry helps rake in the money. Some groups don't begin work on a script till they have locked in a sponsor. Actor-director Lillete Dubey is an example. Dubey's Prime Time Productions celebrates its 20th anniversary December 14 onwards, and has a commercial bank on board as sponsor. Raell Padamsee's Ace Productions works with corporates and hotels to create supper theatre versions of their plays, for which sponsors can invite a select audience.
Obviously, they have been able to create a revenue model that works. Some groups work out a barter system -- they use costumes or property of a certain brand, thereby reducing costs on one front. Other groups book an auditorium for an extended period of time, and promote their own mini-festivals, thereby drawing the attention of the audience and sponsors.
"For a new theatre group to bag sponsorship is a huge task. In fact, during my mother's (veteran Pearl Padamsee) time, they wouldn't have a single sponsor. Only well-wishers. It makes no economic sense if you don't have some part of your cost underwritten," says Rael Padamsee.
The bright side? Newer theatre avenues are opening up not just in cities but towns too.
Organisations like the British Council, Alliance Fran aise and Max Mueller Bhavan routinely support local productions and theatre owners in bringing down international acts.
"Student and young theatre groups find it difficult to get sponsors but it is a matter of proving yourself," says Gahlot. A case in point -- young theatre group Natak Company from Pune. They recently got an opportunity to travel to Italy with their play, Geli Ekvees Varsha, after winning numerous awards.
While individual effort has helped a number of groups and organisations tap into funds, the theatre community needs to come together and represent itself as a unit. "We should build bridges with allied groups, talk to top decision makers in the government, consulates, funding agencies and organisers of international festivals, to create a pressure group that can lobby for theatre," says playwright Ramu Ramanathan.u00a0 He, in fact, suggests the launch of a ''Best Practices'' guidebook for theatre companies, and the practice of nominating a committee that can negotiate with corporates for sponsorship. "This will make sure the wheel doesn't have to be re-invented every time a new project is started. We need to integrate theatre in education too," he says.
Seasoned hands say, bagging a sponsor is just the start. Sustaining a partnership with corporates is the real challenge. Most regulars at Prithvi Theatre will remember its in-house caf ufffd bathed in orange, the colour associated with a telecom operator that was its main sponsor. It's the ambience that has stayed on in public memory. "I respect Sanjna for the way she makes it work for Prithvi. She maintains the sanctity of the space, and still manages to meet the sponsors halfway," says DaCunha.
While talk of the government doing little is common, quite a few organisations manage to make the most of government-funded initiatives. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) supports young talent within the country and abroad. Nehru Centre organises an annual theatre festival that showcases talent from across the country. Recently, the Academy of Theatre Arts, Mumbai University, under Waman Kendre, has also been associated with theatre-related events. In October 2009, the Cultural Functions Grant Scheme (CFGS) was introduced to provide up to Rs 5 lakh in cash to a festival or event.
You know all is not lost when you see what was perhaps the nth performance of the heart-tugging Tumhari Amrita, with its original cast of veterans Shabana Azmi and Farooque Sheikh, sold-out last week at SARKASH, a fund-raising festival for theatre group Janam, that dreams of building an alternative theatre space in Delhi.
Pan India scene
Gujarati
For long, Marathi and Gujarati theatre have enjoyed a strong audience base. Gujarati plays depend on word-of-mouth publicity, and commercial plays make profit from ticket sales alone. Gujarati theatre also has a tradition of charity shows, where social organisations book shows at a set rate and organise a social evening around the performance. US tours of popular plays are common, and help rake in moolah.
Marathi
While Gujarati plays are scheduled over weekends, Marathi plays are performed through the week at major theatres in Dadar, Thane, Dombivli and Kalyan. Both, commercial and experimental groups have loyal viewers who do their bit to support theatre. In August, when actor Prashant Damle revived his cult play, Gela Madhav Kunikade, no less than cricketing star Sachin Tendulkar lent his support. The state government also steps in. The South Central Cultural Zone, Nagpur, a state government initiative, supported NCPA Pratibimb Marathi Natya Utsav, a festival of Marathi experimental plays, held recently. Most theatrewallas are praise for Ajay Ambekar, director, cultural affairs, Maharashtra, for his hands-on approach.
Bengaluru
Ranga Shankara Theatre is one of those rare success stories of Indian theatre. They have managed to sustain corporate sponsorship, bring in support from famous citizens like Sudha Murthy and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Ministry of Culture, and build a relationship with Max Mueller that helps them draw in resource persons for various activities.
"During our International Theatre Festival for kids, we had 50,000 children come watch our plays, of which 50% belonged to underprivileged backgrounds. Corporates made generous donations through their CSR funds," says Gayathri Krishna, part of Ranga Shankara's management.
Delhi
Established theatre groups in the capital find corporate support, while the National School of Drama (NSD) receives funding from the government. Till some time back, smaller and amateur groups could depend on what are known as 'call shows' where troupes perform for large private groups. "However, in the late 90s, the NSD Repertory began offering free performances; that's when demand for other groups fell," says Sudhanva Deshpande, member of Delhi-based theatre group Jana Natya Manch (Janam).
Deshpande's own group performs several shows a year, from which they draw a steady trickle of funds.
Why Premier Automobiles will be Mumbai theatre's favourite company
The late Vinod Doshi, chairman of Premier Automobiles Ltd., was a patron in the true sense. His home, Walchand Terrace, features in theatre legends. Stalwarts like Satyadev Dubey, Govind Nihlani, Vijay Tendulkar, Girish Karnad and Arun Kakade rehearsed at Walchand Terrace. MF Husain would often drop by for dinner, and so would Jennifer and Shashi Kapoor. Doshi also extended financial support to theatre companies and helped them through lean periods.
80,000, the annual footfall Prithvi Theatre sees in about 550 shows
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