Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and DramainEnglish) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.
It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 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 28 January 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House. The academy's Fellowship and Award are considered very prestigious.[2]
The academy functions as the apex body of the performing arts in the country to preserve and promote the vast cultural heritage of India expressed in music, dance and drama. It also works with governments and art academies in states and territories of the country.
SNA established several institutions over the years:
Subsidizes the work of institutions engaged in teaching, performing or promoting music, dance, or theatre
Gives grants to aid research, documentation and publishing in the performing arts
Organises and subsidises 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
Carries a part of the responsibilities of the state for fostering cultural contacts between regions in the country, as well as between India and the world
Organises its annual festival of music, dance and theatre in NCT Delhi.[5]
The academy's 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 for research on the performing arts of India.
It 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 produces several in-house publications.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is the highest national recognition given to practicing artists, gurus , employees and scholars. It carries a purse moneyofRs. 1,00,000/-,[6]ashawl, and a tamrapatra (abrassplaque). The number of awards given annually is 33 at present and, till date, over 1000 artists have been honoured.
Each year the Academy awards Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships, Ratna Sadsya, to distinguished individuals for their contribution to the field of arts, music, dance and theatre. The first Fellow of the Akademi was elected in 1954, and till date, the Akademi has honoured 123 eminent personalities as Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna).
Instituted in 2006, in memory of Ustad Bismillah Khan, this award is given to young artists (under 40 years of age) for their talent in the fields of music, dance and drama.[7]
On the occasion of the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna and Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Puraskar were conferred. These awards were given at events in Kolkata – Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Samman on 25 April 2012[8] and in Chennai Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Samman on 2 May 2012.[9]
Sangeet Natak Akademi has started Kala Deeksha Initiative which is carrying on Guru Shishya Parampara. It was launched by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER, Shri G. Kishan Reddy.[10]
