National Centre for the Performing Arts (India)

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National Centre for the Performing Arts (India)

Founded by JRD Tata and Dr Jamshed Bhabha

Location within Mumbai

General information

Type Arts, complex

Architectural ( Then International Style)

style
 Location Mumbai, India

Address National Centre for the Performing Arts, NCPA

Marg & Dorabji Tata Road, Nariman Point,

Mumbai -40001, India.

18.9251°N 72.8206°ECoordinates:
Coordinates
18.9251°N 72.8206°E

Construction 1981

started

Completed 1985

Opened 1986

Height 46.28m

Technical details

Structural Concrete Frame

system

Design and construction

Architect Philip Johnson-concept part; Principal architect

Rustom Patell of Patell Batliwala & Associates

Main contractor Larsen & Toubro Limited

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is a multi-venue, multi-purpose cultural
centre in Mumbai, India, which aims to promote and preserve India's heritage of music, dance,
theatre, film, literature and photography. It also presents new and innovative work in the
performing arts field. The Centre was founded in 1969 by JRD Tata and Dr. Jamshed
Bhabha,[1] (brother of nuclear physicist Homi Jehangir Bhabha).
The NCPA is also the home of the Symphony Orchestra of India, which was established by
NCPA in 2006.[2] In 2010 the orchestra performed Beethoven's 9th Symphony in Moscow at the
5th World Symphony Orchestra Festival - the first time an orchestra from India had performed
there.
On December 29, 2018 NCPA entered its golden jubilee year.[3] It is to undergo renovations to
improve the acoustics and overall experience in 2019.[4]

Contents

 1Principal aims and objectives

 2Theatres
o 2.1Other facilities
 3Performances
  4History
 5See also
 6References
 7External links

Principal aims and objectives[edit]

Members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra rehearse at the Jamshed Bhabha theatre, NCPA before
their performance

 To establish a national centre for the preservation and

promotion of classical, traditional and contemporary performing
and visual arts.
 To establish, equip and maintain schools, auditoria, libraries,
archives, museums, studios, workshops and other facilities
necessary to fulfil the above objectives.
 To disseminate knowledge, promote appreciation, provide
training and sponsor or undertake scientific research in these
fields with the objective of further development by
encouragement of innovation within India and by interaction with
the arts of other countries.

Theatres[edit]

Tata theatre foyer

The NCPA complex occupies an area of about 32,000 square metres (340,000 sq ft) at Nariman
Point, on land reclaimed from the sea.
It has 5 theatres in its premise, each catering to a unique genre of performing arts
Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, From large format orchestras to full-scale operas, the most technically
complex performances can be staged at this Proscenium theatre with a seating capacity of
1,109. Named after the founder, and operational since 1999, its technical facilities allow for
international productions of opera, ballet and major musicals.
This well-equipped, elegant theatre also boasts of a historic marble staircase and a dazzling
double-level foyer. The entire staircase was transplanted from another location; more as an art
object or architectural folly. It is, undoubtedly, the cornerstone for theatrical extravaganzas
staged in South Asia.
Tata Theatre, This distinctive space that can seat 1,010 is the best of both worlds. It effortlessly
combines the intimate ambience of a small-scale venue with the splendour of a full scale arena.
A revolving stage, brilliant acoustics and a foyer with a scenic view of the sea are just some of
the things that make the Tata Theatre the venue of choice for both, performers and audiences.
Created by the renowned American Modernist architect Philip Johnson ( concept part) Rustom
Patell-Patell Batliwala & Associates principal designer and the legendary acoustician Cyril Harris,
this theatre opened in 1982. Today, it is Mumbai's preferred venue for Indian classical concerts,
Western chamber music and theatre.
Experimental Theatre, As flexible as its name, this theatre opened in 1986 and has 300 movable
seats which allow it to be configured to suit a range of events. Its unique 'black box' auditorium is
the perfect platform for innovative theatre productions as well as small-scale dance and music
performances. It also doubles up as a teaching and workshop space.
Godrej Dance Theatre is a small theatre was inaugurated in 1987, with a capacity of 200. Its
small size allows everyone in the audience to have an intimate experience and appreciate dance
up close.
Little Theatre was inaugurated in 1975, and is a smaller venue, seating only 114. It is mainly
used to nurture and promote new talent, such as poets, dancers and musicians. It is also used
for film screenings.
Other facilities[edit]

 Piramal Art Gallery

 Reading and listening libraries
 Studio for archival documentation of dance, drama and music
 Teaching and research block
 Computerised music research laboratory
 Audio-visual archival vault with over 4,000 hours of recording
and theatre research material, and a computerised databank for
easy retrieval

Performances[edit]
Throughout the years NCPA hosted many performances including classical, traditional and
contemporary performing arts in dance, theatre, and music. Notable Indian performers who
performed at NCPA include Vilayat Khan, M. S. Subbulakshmi, Birju Maharaj, Kelucharan
Mohapatra, Savitha Sastry, Mani Madhava Chakyar, Shakuntala, Smita Patil, Parveen
Sultana and Shabana Azmi.[5]
NCPA has also attracted many international performers including Yehudi Menuhin, Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra, Navoi Bolshoi Ballet of Uzbekistan,[6] Marcel Marceau, Barber of
Seville opera, production of Jane Eyre,[5] and other British Council commissioned theatre
productions.[7] In 2006, New Jersey Ballet staged India's first full-length classical ballet with
its Nutcracker production.[8][9] In 2016, NCPA in association with Shapoorji Pallonji Group, co-
produced Mughal-e-Azam, a Broadway-style musical based on the 1960 Bollywood film Mughal-
e-Azam, which was directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji.[10]

History[edit]
The NCPA was registered as a public trust in June 1966 as the 'National Institute of Performing
Arts' and the current name was adopted in November 1967. It was inaugurated by the then
Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi on December 29, 1969 with the performance being
held at a rented premise courtesy of the Bhulabhai and Dhirajl Desai Memorial Trust. [11]
Work on the center as it stands today at the tip of Nariman Point, in South Mumbai, began in
1973 on reclaimed land.[12]

See also[edit]
 Tata Theatre
 Jamshed Bhabha Theatre

References[edit]
1. ^ "NCPA". NCPA Mumbai. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
2. ^ "Symphony Orchestra of India". NCPA Mumbai. Retrieved 25
September 2013.
3. ^ "The journey so far: Fifty years of the National Centre for
Performing Arts". Business Standard.
4. ^ "NCPA gets a sound and light upgrade/20771184". The Mumbai
Mirror.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Performances at the NCPA – accessed 29 March
2009
6. ^ The Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra - Navoi Bolshoi Ballet
(Uzbekistan) – accessed 29 March 2009
7. ^ A Midsummer Night's Dream – accessed 29 March 2009
8. ^ New Jersey Ballet presents Tchaikovsky program. New Jersey
Herald. - accessed on 28 March 2009
9. ^ Birajdar, Laxmi. Western classical music fans in for a treat.Pune
Newsline. 12 September 2006 - accessed on 29 March 2009
10. ^ "'Mughal-e-Azam': An Audacious Screen-to-Stage Adaptation Of
The K. Asif Classic". HuffPost India. 12 September 2017.
Retrieved 22 May 2018.
11. ^ "NCPA at 50: still creating, nurturing and serving arts". The
Hindu.
12. ^ "AN INVALUABLE LEGACY". Serenade.

External links[edit]
 National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai,
website

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 Buildings and structures in Mumbai
 Culture of Mumbai
 Arts organizations established in 1986
 Organisations based in Mumbai
 Performing arts in India
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 Performing arts centres
 1986 establishments in India
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