The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) plans to spend part of the Rs. 372 crore it obtained from auctioning Homi J. Bhabha’s bungalow in south Mumbai, “Mehrangir”, to repair and upgrade its theatres and set up a new one.
“The highest priority is to fix all technical problems [in the theatres]. This includes repairing the buildings and conducting a structural audit. We want to rejig and repair the old structures completely,” Khushroo N. Santook, NCPA Chairman, told The Hindu .
The centre expects to receive the auction proceeds in a few months, and the repairs may take a year.
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“We have to see simultaneously if we can have at least one more theatre,” Mr. Suntook said. The municipal authorities have been approached for this, and permissions are expected soon.
The NCPA now conducts programmes in Indian music and dance, western music and theatre, featuring icons and celebrities, with specific events being funded by various institutions.
“The dependence on this legacy is not my idea of running the show. We will form a corpus of Rs. 150-200 crore and the interest earned on it should sustain us. We will use the capital for expansion and rejigging of theatres,” he said.
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Also on the anvil is the purchase of musical instruments, broadcast of Indian arts internationally and curation of the NCPA’s own productions.
The centre plans to set up a consultancy cell to advise other art centres. Another plan is to enter Delhi. With the best acousticians and programming expertise, the centre plans to train people and help modernise theatres.
“While Delhi is one place we should enter, we first have to fix ourselves before venturing out,” Mr. Suntook said.
The NCPA is drawing up a strategy and appointing professionals to oversee fund-raising. It plans to approach corporates and could consider holding black-tie dinners to rope in celebrities for fund-raisers. “We have to improve managerial infrastructure. If we want to become an international-class performing arts centre, we need extraordinary programming experts and strategic thinking on how to place Brand NCPA both nationally and internationally,” he said.