In order to support artists, keep alive dying arts and organise revival projects, the Ministry of Culture devised the creation of spaces dedicated to the promotion of culture and heritage in urban centres of the country.
The seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) headquartered in Patiala (inside the Sheesh Mahal), Udaipur (in Bagore ki Haveli), Allahabad, Kolkata, Dimapur, Nagpur and Thanjavur were set up with the aim to preserve, promote and disseminate traditional folk arts and culture.
Schemes were introduced for the promotion of cultural art forms, young talents and foster national integrations. Schemes like National Cultural Exchange Programme, Theatre rejuvenation scheme, North East Programme, Guru Shishya Parampara and young talent search were introduced.
Scholarships for young artists, for instance, from Kolkata cultural zone, seeks to assist young artistes of outstanding promise for advanced training within India in the field of Indian classic music, Indian classical dance, theatre, mime, visual art, folk, traditional and indigenous arts and light classical music.
Though the two year scholarship only gives Rs 5000 per month to artists, there are 400 scholarships to be availed of.
During the year 2013-14 funds to the tune of Rs 1401.80 lakh were released to the ZCCs as compared to the previous year’s Rs 2159.15 lakh.
“The ZCCs endeavour to develop and promote the rich diversity and uniqueness of various arts of the Zone and to upgrade and enrich consciousness of the people about their cultural heritage,” said Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Minister of Culture.
