Ninasam Overview & History
Founded in 1949 by a small band of enthusiasts in the little village of Heggodu, Karnataka, Ninasam has, over these five decades, evolved into a many-winged cultural institution that has won wide recognition. It has been acclaimed as a unique experiment in fusing culture and activism, art practice and social commitment, individual creativity, and collective responsibility. Originally begun as an amateur theatre group it has branched off in several directions and now enfolds a variety of sub-institutions and projects which are engaged in multifaceted activities. Its exploration of a new synthesis of formal and non-formal modes of arts education has been seen as a refreshing attempt at revivifying the vital links between the arts and the community. This endeavor of Ninasam to be a bridge between the microcosm of rural Karnataka and the macrocosm of the world at large has brought it many honors, one of the highest of which has been the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Creative Arts, Communication, and Journalism, conferred on its co-founder and guiding spirit, Late. K.V. Subbanna, in 1991.
Wings and Activities
Wings and Activities
The Ninasam family, at present,
consists of the following bodies
Wings
Ninasam Theatre Troupe
Fondly called the ‘Mother troupe’, this is a loosely formed amateur theatre group which has been putting up theatre productions regularly since its establishment in 1949.
Wings
Ninasam Theatre Institute
Begun in 1980 and recognized by the Karnataka State Government, the institute offers a 10-month diploma in theatre arts and has trained over 500 students who have gone on to work in Kannada theatre and allied fields such as journalism, activism, education, and television.
Wings
Ninasam Tirugata Theatre Repertory
Started in 1985 and largely comprising Ninasam Theatre Institute alumni, this travelling theatre troupe stages three new productions across Karnataka each year and has presented over 3,000 shows at 250+ rural and semi-urban centres, reaching nearly 19 lakh people with Indian and Western classics.
Wings
Ninasam Film Society
One of India’s rare rural film societies, it has led world cinema screenings, long-running film appreciation courses, rural festivals, and Kannada film scholarship through courses and publications.
Activities
Ninasam Samskriti Shibira
In addition, Ninasam has also been conducting various medium- and short-term training courses and workshops, particularly in the field of theatre, film, literature, and culture. It has also lent its premises for the use of several local organizations engaged in socio-political work. Some of these activities are summer workshops for children, training camps for local self-government bodies, and environmental groups.