Established in 1988–1989, the Department of Performing Arts stands as a pioneering centre for theatre education, performance training and performance research in India. Originating from the legacy of the Sri Sankaradass Swamigal School of Performing Arts—founded in the same year and later renamed the School of Performing Arts in 2007—the Department has grown into a vibrant academic community committed to creative inquiry, scholarly innovation and cultural enrichment. As the sole department under the school, it carries forward a distinguished tradition of nurturing artists, scholars and cultural leaders whose work resonates across national and international creative landscapes.
The Department offers a comprehensive range of programmes aligned with global standards in theatre and performance studies: B.P.A., M.P.A., Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre Arts, and PG Diploma in Theatre Arts (PGDTA). These programmes balance rigorous theoretical study with intensive studio-based practice, reflecting the Department’s commitment to shaping multiskilled, critically aware and professionally grounded theatre practitioners.
Guided by an inclusive and holistic academic vision, the Department embraces classical, folk, tribal, contemporary and emerging performance traditions. Its pedagogy is both practice-led and research-driven, offering structured training in acting, directing, stagecraft, scenography, lighting, sound, theatre technologies, digital performance, community theatre, applied theatre, children’s theatre and performance analysis. The curriculum encourages interdisciplinary engagement by bridging theatre with music, dance, literature, media studies, anthropology and digital arts, enabling students to navigate global performance discourses with confidence and creativity. Training in arts leadership, cultural management, arts entrepreneurship and digital theatre further prepares graduates for diverse creative industries and advanced research environments.
A distinctive feature of the Department is its deep engagement with India’s vast performance heritage. Students are encouraged to research, interpret and perform from classical theatre traditions, folk and tribal forms, ritual performances, community narratives and oral storytelling practices. This culturally rooted approach cultivates artistic authenticity, a strong sense of identity and an acute understanding of social responsibility. Through rural field studies, interactions with traditional master performers, intensive training modules, studio productions, workshops and lecture-demonstrations by national and international experts, students gain immersive learning experiences comparable to those at leading global theatre institutions.
The Department sustains a dynamic research culture focused on comparative theatre, performance theory, cultural studies, ethnography, theatre pedagogy, documentation of endangered art forms and practice-as-research methodologies. Faculty members and research scholars actively contribute to national and international conferences, journals, collaborative projects and interdisciplinary initiatives, thereby strengthening the Department’s academic visibility and global reputation.
Over the last three decades, the Department has produced a distinguished body of alumni who serve as vice-chancellors, academic leaders, professors, researchers, actors, directors, playwrights, dramaturges, designers, stage managers, educators, consultants and community theatre practitioners across India and abroad. Their contributions to theatre, film, television, education and public service exemplify the Department’s longstanding commitment to excellence and cultural advancement.
From its origins within the Sri Sankaradass Swamigal School of Performing Arts to its present stature under the School of Performing Arts, the Department has remained steadfast in its mission of quality education, cultural preservation and artistic innovation. Today, it continues to shape globally informed artists, culturally grounded leaders and creative thinkers who use theatre as a transformative medium for education, expression and empowerment.
