School of Drama and Fine Arts

School of Drama and Fine Arts
TypePublic
Established1977 (1977)
FounderG. Sankara Pillai
Parent institution
University of Calicut
AffiliationNational School of Drama
DirectorAbhilash Pillai
HODNajumul Shahi
Academic staff
9
Location
Thrissur
,
Kerala
,
680618
,
India

10°30′25″N 76°11′27″E / 10.50687276020424°N 76.1907018534294°E / 10.50687276020424; 76.1907018534294
Websitedrama.uoc.ac.in

The School of Drama and Fine Arts, established in 1977, a drama school and a department of University of Calicut, is a prime institution in India giving academic training in the theatrical and practical aspects of drama and theatre. It is located in one of the off-campus centres of University of Calicut, Dr. John Matthai Centre, in Aranattukara, Thrissur, Kerala, India. It offers courses on Bachelor of Theatre Arts, Master of Theatre Arts, Master of Arts in music, MPhil and PhD in theatre and music. The institution is affiliated to National School of Drama.[1][2] The school hosts International Festival of Theatre Schools (IFTS) each year.[3][4][5] The department collaborated with Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi for conducting a theatre workshop for transgenders, the first time in India, as part of the International Theatre Festival of Kerala in 2018.[6]

Courses offered

  • 3 years course on Bachelor of Theatre Arts (BTA)
  • 2 years course on Master of Theatre Arts (MTA)
  • 2 years course on Master of Arts in Music
  • 1 year course on MPhil in Music and Theatre
  • 3-5 years course on PhD in Music and Theatre

Research chairs

In November 2024, the Minister for Higher Education R. Bindu announced the establishment of three research chairs, named after celebrated theatre scholars G. Shankara Pillai, Vayala Vasudevan Pillai and Ramachandran Mokeri, at the School of Drama and Fine Arts.[3]

The Prof. G. Shankara Pillai Chair for South Asian Theatre and Performance Research will focus on fostering research into Asian performance traditions, preserving their legacy, and expanding them into the digital realm. The chair aims at creating a comprehensive digital library documenting South Asian theatre.

The Prof. Vayala Vasudevan Pillai Chair for Research in Kerala and Malayalam Theatre will explore the rich tradition of Malayalam theatre, the intersection of technology and performance, and promote a deeper understanding of Kerala’s cultural and artistic history.

The Prof. Ramachandran Mokeri Chair for Applied Theatre and Practice will focus on theatre’s role in social change, language acquisition, and theatre therapy. The chair’s work will bridge the gap between traditional theatre and its applied forms, including community-based theatre and theatre for social justice.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ "School of Drama profile". SDFA. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  2. ^ "SDFA". keralatourism.org.
  3. ^ a b "School of drama to host third International Festival of Theatre Schools in February". The Hindu. 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  4. ^ "International Festival of Theatre Schools offers a dynamic platform for theatre students, practitioners". The Hindu. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  5. ^ Krishna, Gayathri (27 March 2023). "World Theatre Day - Students vouch for the enduring popularity of dramas". OnManorama. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  6. ^ George, Anjana (12 January 2018). "Theatre of transgenders". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Nagarajan, Saraswathy (7 February 2019). "Class act". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  8. ^ Phukan, Vikram (16 February 2019). "Root Value: Kerala's Narippatta Raju shows village theatre is alive as ever". Forbes India. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  9. ^ "D. Raghoothaman". Mathrubhumi. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b Viswanath, Chandrakanth (4 September 2012). "Remembering Vindhyan". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Shrijit, Sajin (14 January 2019). "Praana is not a gore-filled horror film: VK Prakash". Cinema Express. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  12. ^ R. G., Anjana (6 August 2020). "Though winning big, Garggi Ananthan piqued over lack of appreciation". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.