View source for Darpana Academy of Performing Arts

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2009}}
{{Infobox organization 
|name         = Darpana Academy of Performing Arts
|bgcolor      = <!-- header background color --> 
|fgcolor      = <!-- header text color --> 
|image        = 
|image_border = 
|size         = <!-- default 200 -->
|alt          = <!-- alt text; see [[WP:ALT]] -->
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|map          = 
|msize        = <!-- map size, optional, default 200px --> 
|malt         = <!-- map alt text --> 
|mcaption     = <!-- optional --> 
|abbreviation = 
|motto        = 
|formation    = 1949
|extinction   = <!-- date of extinction, optional -->
|type         = <!-- GO, NGO, IGO, INGO, etc. -->
|status       = <!-- ad hoc, treaty, foundation, etc. -->
|purpose      = Dance school for [[Indian classical dance]], theatre, puppetry
|location     = Usmanpura, [[Ahmedabad]]- 380013, [[Gujarat]], India.
|coords       = {{Coord|23|02|51|N|72|34|22|E|display=title,inline}}
|region_served =
|membership   =
|language     = <!-- official languages --> 
|founder=[[Mrinalini Sarabhai]]<br> [[Vikram Sarabhai]]
|leader_title = Director
|leader_name  = [[Mallika Sarabhai]]
|main_organ   = <!-- gral. assembly, board of directors, etc. --> 
|parent_organization = <!-- if one --> 
|affiliations = <!-- if any --> 
|num_staff    = |num_volunteers = 
|budget       = 
|website      ={{URL|http://darpana.com}}
|remarks      = }}

'''Darpana Academy of Performing Arts''' is a school for [[performing art]]s in [[Ahmedabad]], Gujarat, established by [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]] and [[Vikram Sarabhai]] in 1949,<ref>{{cite book|last=Epskamp|first=C. P. |author2=Kees Epskamp|title=Theatre for development: an introduction to context, applications and training|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ep3eux75oGkC&q=%22Darpana+Academy+of+Performing+Arts%22+-inpublisher%3Aicon&pg=PA52|year=2006|publisher=Zed Books|isbn=1-84277-733-5|page=52}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = A movement called dance |work=[[Mid-Day]]| url = http://www.mid-day.com/articles/a-movement-called-dance/16491194 |first=Suprita | last=Mitter |date=28 August 2015| access-date = 2016-01-08  }}
</ref> it has been directed by their daughter [[Mallika Sarabhai]] for the last three decades.<ref>{{cite web 
| title = 10 years later, Mallika Sarabhai back with Sita's Daughters | work=Hindustan Times 
| url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/10-years-later-mallika-sarabhai-back-with-sita-s-daughters/story-k7mvgqnzLCtgKRTdibK74O.html |first=Manali | last=Shah|date=28 Aug 2015| access-date = 2016-01-08  }}</ref> The school organises  a three-day Interart, the "Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival" at Ahmedabad, every year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Bid-goodbye-to-2007-on-a-cultural-note/254794/ |title=Bid goodbye to 2007 on a cultural note! |date=27 Dec 2007 |work=Indian Express |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113152522/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Bid-goodbye-to-2007-on-a-cultural-note/254794/ |archive-date=2009-01-13 }}</ref> It celebrated its golden jubilee on 28 December 1998, with the announcement of the annual "Mrinalini Sarabhai Award for Classical Excellence", in the field of classical dance.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981226/36051964.html|title=Tradition takes over|date=26 December 1998|work=Indian Express|access-date=20 October 2010}}</ref>

==Naming==
While ''"darpana"'' is the [[Hindi]] word for "mirror",<ref>{{cite web|title=darpana - Meaning in Hindi - darpana in Hindi - Shabdkosh {{!}} शब्दकोश : English Hindi Dictionary and Translation|url=http://www.shabdkosh.com/translate/darpana/darpana-meaning-in-Hindi-English|website=www.shabdkosh.com}}</ref> the use here also references the ''"Abhinaya Darpana"'', "The Mirror of Gestures", [[Nandikeshvara]]'s ancient text upon Indian stage-craft and dance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mirror of Gesture (Abhinaya Darpana)|url=https://themathesontrust.org/library/mirror-of-gesture-abhinaya-darpana|website=themathesontrust.org|publisher=[[The Matheson Trust]]|access-date=15 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=L'Originalité des cultures: son rôle dans la compréhension internationale|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001611/161118fo.pdf|website=unesdoc.unesco.org|publisher=[[UNESCO]] |page=208 |language=fr|date=22 July 1953}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Vikrambhai and amma .jpg|thumb|Founder of Darpana Academy Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Mrinalini Sarabhai]]

The Darpana Academy of Performing Arts was founded in Ahmedabad, [[Gujarat]], [[India]] by [[Vikram Sarabhai]] and his wife [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Darpana Academy Official Blog|url=http://darpanaacademy.blogspot.com/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = In conversation with danseuse Mallika Sarabhai |work= The Hindu | url = http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/in-conversation-with-danseuse-mallika-sarabhai/article7814196.ece |first=G. S. | last=Paul|date= 29 October 2015|access-date = 2016-01-08  }}</ref><ref name="MunsiBurridge2012">{{cite book|first1=Urmimala | last1=Sarkar Munsi|first2=Stephanie | last2=Burridge|title=Traversing Tradition: Celebrating Dance in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kaepAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA272|date= 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-70379-9|pages=272–}}</ref>

The work in using arts foe social change began at Darpana in the 1960s. Darpana’s puppeteers started working with the central ministry of rural development in teaching village women the use of smokeless stove. The theatre department then run by [[Kailash Pandya]] created a play called Ma to rally people to the war effort. [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]], in a radical departure from the spiritual core of the classical [[Bharat Natyam]] used the style to talk of the horror of dowry violence. Over the years two departments were established to focus the work of using the arts for change. Darpana for Dvelopment in 1980, today run by actor activist [[Jignesh Patel]], and Darpana Communication in 2001 run by film maker Yadavan Chandran. In addition, in 2009 CRANTI (Citizens Resource and Action Initiative) was formed to give practical guidance to citizen to use the laws and tools available to them to fight their own battles, and to train people in the use of the Right To Information Act to solve daily problems of access and justice, run by Bharatsinh Jhala. 
During the last three decades, these departments have worked on over 51 projects all over India, reaching out to over 12.5 million people. The work has been in areas ranging from [[public health]], [[women’s empowerment]], [[gender issues and education to the environment]], [[human rights]], [[communal harmony]], [[good governance]], citizen’s participation in democracy, race, [[gender and disability]]. Through the use of television and film, theatrical and [[street performances]], [[quizzes]] and [[debates]], [[puppets]] and [[board games]]. They have been able to effectively talk about a range of sensitive issues from [[women and violence]], to [[religious intolerance]], the [[Natural environment|environment]], [[human rights]], [[corruption]] and [[justice]].

The academy received [[UNESCO]] sponsorship to offer Artist Residency programs in 1999-2000 and 2005-2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rapport Du Directeur General Sur Les Activites Du Fonds International Pour La Promotion De La Culture (1998-1999)|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001170/117026f.pdf|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|page=9|language=fr|date=27 August 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bursaries for Artists Program UNESCO-Aschberg 2005-2006|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001376/137683m.pdf|publisher=[[UNESCO]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = India - Darpana Academy of Performing Arts | work = UNESCO | url = http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=7211&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html | access-date = 2016-01-08 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201932/http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D7211%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | url-status = live }}</ref> The academy was also listed by UNESCO an institution active in the "Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage", and thereby invited to attend the subsequent Intergovernmental Committee meetings.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage|title=Intangible Cultural Heritage|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002342/234289m.pdf|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|date=5 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 2.COM 4 - intangible heritage - Culture Sector|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/Decisions/2.COM/4|website=ich.unesco.org|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|language=en}}</ref>

In 1962, [[Achyut Kanvinde]] was commissioned by Sarabhai to design the building of the academy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://search.proquest.com/openview/5ceca4c870c2f6262d3f6ba9efd59efe/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y|title=Modern Architecture and Capitalist Patronage in Ahmedabad, India 1947-1969|last=Williamson|first=Daniel|date=2016|website=ProQuest Dissertations Publishing|publisher=New York University|pages=91|via=ProQuest|access-date=2020-02-18}}</ref>

==Activities==
[[File:Darpana Academy .jpg|thumb|dance academy]]
The academy offers courses in Indian classical dance [[Bharatanatyam]], Indian Classical Vocal, [[Mridangam]], Violin and Flute, puppetry and martial art [[Kalaripayattu]]. Its departments range from performance and teaching of the arts, to the use of performance and arts as development communication, through face-to-face impact and software production.

The Drama Section, under acting duo [[Kailash Pandya]] and [[Damini Mehta]], is responsible for more than 100 productions of a wide variety.

Darpana attracted young writers and staged their first scripts, making them an integral part of production efforts. Some of the names can be mentioned as [[Madhu Rye]], [[Labhshankar Thakar]], [[Shrikant Shah]], [[Subhash Shah]], [[Chinu Modi]], and [[Hasmukh Baradi]]. It also conducted theatre-training courses for over two decades.

Its research wing, Janvak, published monographs like Goverdhan Panchal's on [[Bhavai]]. Darpana has also built an experimental thrust auditorium, Natrani, reminiscent of Greek amphitheatres, on the banks of the river Sabarmati.

==List of Kathakali artists and musicians who worked in Darpana since 1949==

* Guru [[Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair]],
* Kavungal Shankarankutty Panicker,
* Guru Kottakkal Gopi Nair,
* Kottakkal Appu Nair,
* V.P. Ramakrishnan,
* Chandramana Govindan Namboodiri,
* Mankombu Sivashankara Pillai,
* Kalamandalam Govindan Kutty,
* Kalamandalam Murali,
* Kalamandalam Gopinath,
* [[Kavungal Chathunni Panicker]],
* Kalamandalam Ravindra Warrior,
* Kalamandalam Madhavan,
* Kalamandalam Bhaskara Menon,
* Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai,
* [[Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup]],
* Kalamandalam Subrahmanian,
* Kalamandalam Sukumaran,
* [[Kalamandalam Haridas]],
* Kottakkal Narayanan Namboodiri,
* Kavungal Gopala Panicker,
* Kavungal Krishna Panicker,
* Kalamandalam Narayanan,
* Kalamandalam Ananda Narayanan,
* Kalamandalam Sasi Poduval,
* Kalamandalam Balaraman,
* Kalamandalam Anandan,
* Thichur Vasu Variar,
* V.P. Shankara Narayanan,
* Kalamandalam Shivaraman Nair,
* [[Kalamandalam Devaki]],
* Kalamandalam Sitalakshmi,
* Painkulam Narayana Chakkyar,
* Kalamandalam Hariharan,
* Kalamandalam Kalyanikutti Amma,
* Kottakkal Sasidharan Nair<ref>{{cite web|last=Kottakkal|first=Sasidharan Nair|url=http://kottakkalsasidharan.com/biography.html|work=Kottakkal Sasidharan Nair Biography|access-date=26 May 2011|title=Biography of Kottakkal Sasidharan Nair|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504143626/http://kottakkalsasidharan.com/biography.html|archive-date=4 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.darpana.com}}
* [http://darpanaacademy.blogspot.com/ Darpana Academy updates]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Dance schools in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1949]]
[[Category:Education in Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:1949 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Dance education in India]]
[[Category:Drama schools in India]]
[[Category:Kalarippayattu]]
[[Category:Bharatanatyam]]
[[Category:Puppetry in India]]
[[Category:Kathakali]]
[[Category:Arts organizations established in 1949]]
[[Category:Music schools in India]]
[[Category:Performing arts education in India]]