About

Kerala is acclaimed as God’s own country, but in a wider sense, it is Art’s own country also. With an enviable tradition of numerous art forms, Kerala presents as distinctive charm to its varied cultural life. No one who visits this land can return home, without an impression on his mind and soul of this singular charm, deep rooted in the life and culture of the Keralites. This distinctive character of the Kerala society is nurtured to a considerable extent, through the popularization and enrichment of local art formsThanks to the pioneering efforts made by the first elected Chief Minister of united Kerala, Sri.E.M.S. Namboothiripad, his ministry realized the need to establish a government agency for the encouragement, preservation and documentation of the rich legacy of the varied art forms of the state. Consequently, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi was formally inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of Independent India Pandit JawaharlalNehru on 26th April 1958.

Thanks to the pioneering efforts made by the first elected Chief Minister of united Kerala, Sri.E.M.S. Namboothiripad, his ministry realized the need to establish a government agency for the encouragement, preservation and documentation of the rich legacy of the varied art forms of the state. Consequently, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi was formally inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of Independent India Pandit JawaharlalNehru on 26th April 1958

Publication of rare and valuable books on various arts like music, drama and dances of Kerala is an important programme of this institution. Besides, a bi-monthly journal entitled’ KELI’ which functions as the mouth piece of this institution is also published regularly. Helping artists by financial assistance , disbursing annual financial grants for Arts clubs and institutions, conducting amateur and professional drama competitions and arranging art festivals etc., are a few of the regular activities of the Akademi . It accomplishes this mission by constructively interacting with similar bodies like the Sangeetha Nataka Academy, the National Academy of Music, dance, and drama, New Delhi, which grants affiliation to organization, institutes awards and fellowship for outstanding artists and conducts seminars and workshops.

The akademi like the Kerala Sahithya Akademi and Lalitha Kala Akademi has its head quarters situated at Thrissur, the cultural capita well equipped auditorium known as Regional Theatre, for harboring workshops, seminars and various artistic and cultural activities which it promotes.

Programmes initiated by the Akademi in the recent past include ‘Attam’ the folk festival of Kerala ‘Octave’ the theatre arts of eight states of India (Assam, Thripura, Manipur, Missoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland) with the tradition of a glorious past, The Akademi is poised for conducting an Asian Theatre Festival and a for 45 days long theatre workshop in the days to come