State-run cultural society to soon come up in Gurugram

The Gurugram district administration, in a unique initiative to promote cultural activities in the city, is planning to set up Kala Gram, a society for arts education that will run weekly classes for various art forms and give artists a platform to showcase their talent.

Kala Gram will provide training in various art forms, such as classical music, instrumental music, dance and theatre, among others. It will also promote the arts by hosting events and stage performances of artistes from all across the country.

For art and culture enthusiasts, who were left disappointed after the closure of Epicentre in 2017, known for hosting enthralling music, dance, and theatre festivals, Kala Gram is a likely to fill the existing cultural void. It can also be seen as a substitute for the proposed Rs 170crore art and cultural complex by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) that has been pending for more than three years.

“Kala Gram’s vision is to encourage residents of Gurugram appreciate various art forms,” said Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner on Monday, while addressing the first meeting on Kala Gram with government officials. “The motive behind setting up such a society is to give people a chance to showcase their talent and highlight the art and culture of the state,” said Khatri in an official press statement released by the district administration.

As a part of the plan, the administration will be set up a governing body with deputy commissioner as its chairman and the city magistrate as secretary along with 8-9 other members. It will also have a working committee and an advisory board.

Initially, the project will be managed under the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates programme (CMGGA). The team has been engaged in preparing the activity calendar currently. However, it is yet to zero in on the running of the institute. Their focus currently is on organising cultural programmes for a few months.

Swati Rajmohan, CMGGA, said, “The registration process for the society has already begun. However, we are figuring out a way to run the arts institute. We are still in the initial phase.”

Mahesh Gupta, secretary, Red Cross Society, also a member of Kala Gram society, said, “We are open to taking assistance from people who are culturally active and are running their own academies of dance, music or theatre. There are open-air theatres in the city under Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), where activities will initially take place,” said Gupta.

The funding for Kala Gram will be through a mix of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, donations and grants through the state art and culture department. “A private company has already been roped in for funding under CSR,” said Gupta.

Meanwhile, residents who have been culturally active for years have appreciated the move. For Uma Prakash, organiser and co-founder, Arts and Literature Foundation, who has been actively involved in holding cultural activities in the city for a long time, said that it is music to her ears as the district administration is ready to give the city such an institute. “If the district administration has already identified places to hold these activities, then they should interact with people from the art and culture community, who knows the nitty-gritty of running these spaces. It cannot be a government enterprise alone,” said Prakash.

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