The Department of Performing Arts functions as a vibrant academic and creative ecosystem dedicated to excellence in performance training, research, documentation, and cultural engagement. Theatre is not merely an art; it is a way of seeing, a way of feeling and a way of transforming the world. As a discipline, it trains the body, refines the voice, sharpens the mind and elevates the spirit—integrating embodied practice with intellectual inquiry and ethical responsibility.
Our pedagogical foundation draws from the core principles of modern theatre thought. As Konstantin Stanislavsky reminds us, “Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art.” In this spirit, our programmes emphasise sustained actor training, self-discipline and reflective practice, recognising that artistic work begins long before the performer steps onto the stage. Students are guided to cultivate physical, vocal, emotional and intellectual awareness, enabling performance to emerge as lived truth rather than surface technique.
Rooted in India’s rich and diverse performance heritage, the Department offers structured training and research in folk, tribal, classical and contemporary theatre practices, including Therukoothu, Devarattam, Paraiyaattam, Kalaripayattu, Silambattam, Oyilattam, Yakshagana, Bharatanatyam, Puppet Theatre, African tribal djembe traditions, and Tamil erudukattu (Jimla) percussion. These practices are integrated with global acting methodologies, performance studies, technical theatre, digital and media performance and applied theatre, ensuring cross-cultural competence and international relevance.
The Department views theatre as a powerful mode of inquiry that reveals hidden realities and deepens human understanding. Echoing Antonin Artaud’s vision that “Theatre must make the invisible visible,” our academic and creative practices encourage students to explore the inner, social and cultural dimensions of performance, engaging audiences at emotional, intellectual and sensory levels.
Aligned with international academic benchmarks, the Department actively integrates emerging technologies such as digital theatre, multimedia design, AI-enabled creative tools and advanced stagecraft into its curriculum. Research-led practice, documentation of endangered performance traditions, and community-engaged theatre addressing social and environmental concerns remain central to our academic mission.
Our academic philosophy may be succinctly articulated as: “Rooted in tradition, driven by innovation, committed to excellence, connected to the world.” In this evolving space, the Department of Performing Arts strives to remain a place where heritage becomes modern, creativity becomes knowledge and performance becomes a powerful force of transformation.
Our strategic priorities include strengthening national and international collaborations, promoting student and faculty exchange, developing interdisciplinary research and establishing specialised centres such as a Tribal Performing Arts Research Centre, a Performing Arts Documentation Centre, and a Centre for Theatre Technology and AI. These initiatives support global mobility, employability and scholarly contribution.
The Department also affirms the social responsibility of theatre. In the spirit of Bertolt Brecht’s assertion that “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it,” our programmes encourage critical thinking, social awareness and creative engagement with contemporary realities. Theatre education here seeks not only to train skilled performers, but also to cultivate questioning minds and responsible cultural practitioners.
Supported by a committed faculty, distinguished visiting scholars and master artists from traditional performance communities, the Department of Performing Arts offers a globally relevant, academically rigorous and practice-oriented learning environment. We invite students, researchers and institutional partners from around the world to collaborate with us in advancing theatre as a vital discipline of knowledge, creativity and social transformation.
