Business Leaders Join Force to Boost Cultural Activity in the City

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
In a collaborative Corporate Cultural Responsibility initiative, three top business leaders of the state have come together to revive a pioneering cultural institution of Kerala capital, lending its activities a wider scope to showcase the rich range of the state’s performing arts.

The Trivandrum Centre for Performing Arts (TCPA) is all set to come alive from the lull induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, as corporate leaders Balagopal Chandrasekhar, V K Mathews and Thomas John Muthoot are on a mission to help the institution regain its prominence.

The inaugural event of the revamped TCPA will be a music concert of Agam Band in the city, the proceeds from which will be contributed to the relief and rehabilitation of people devastated by the recent natural disaster at Wayanad. The concert will be held at Uday Palace Convention Centre, Kowdiar on Agust 24. The seats for the concert, priced from Rs 499 upwards per head, can be reserved through bookmyshow app- https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/agamlive/ET00405199.

The revamped TCPA will reach out to a larger audience, drawing youngsters to music, dance, theatre and visual arts of high heritage value, while also encouraging the seniors to engage with contemporary forms.

Balagopal is a former IAS officer and the founder of Terumo Penpol and the past Chairman of Federal Bank, VK Mathews is the Executive Chairman of IBS Software and Thomas John Muthoot is the Chairman & MD of Muthoot Fincorp.

Addressing the media, the trio revealed that TCPA will, from now on, function as an international platform hosting high-profile events, collaborating with cultural institutions as well as performers across continents, and participating in international festivals and cultural exchanges.

Imparting a fresh start to its endeavours, TCPA has appointed cine actor Cuckoo Parameswaran as the new Artistic Director. Scholar and activist Cuckoo brings extensive experience and innovative ideas from her work, earning her national and international recognition.

Building on its global appeal of the city, TCPA will strive to transform Thiruvananthapuram into an even more vibrant cultural metropolis. The idea is to nurture artistic talents, enlighten audiences and elevate the city’s cultural profile on the global stage, the trio said about their not-for-profit organization.

To begin with, TCPA will conduct two or three shows annually, complemented by a series of designed and curated events throughout the year.

Besides supporting budding artistes, an early priority is to create a comprehensive database of artists across genres to support emerging talents and enrich the cultural landscape. Financial sustainability will be generated through ticket sales, membership fees, sponsorships and grants.

The reconfigured TCPA is envisioned as an inclusive platform for the performing arts of the region, the country and the world.

TCPA has also plans to come out with a scheme to provide pension and retirement benefits to financially disadvantaged artistes

It will build relations with global cultural institutions and facilitate participation of artistes representing various performing and artistic traditions in national and international cultural events.

By promoting a vibrant cultural environment through domestic and exotic art-forms, TCPA will model itself on famed institutions such as NCPA (National Centre for the Performing Arts) in Mumbai and Ranga Shankara of Bangalore. TCPA will collaborate closely with government bodies, cultural institutions and other stakeholders.

Founded in 2016, TCPA’s initial years were defined by conduct of classical Western music performances featuring internationally reputed artists. These events were curated by Programme Director Satish Kamath, who played a pivotal role in shaping TCPA’s early success. The connoisseur had an untimely demise (in September 2018), after which the global pandemic led to a complete pause in the organisation’s activities.

Today, TCPA has devised a comprehensive three-pronged approach based on community engagement. To start with, the association will promote a wide array of performances and events to win regional, national and international attention, thereby creating a buzz around the state capital’s cultural scene. The aim is to rapidly increase the city’s visibility in the cultural landscape by building on its foundation for artistic development.

Second, TCPA will organise diverse educational initiatives. These include workshops, master-classes, residencies and community outreach projects designed to hone the skills of emerging artists and embolden the performer-audience connection.

Further, TCPA will collaborate with global cultural institutions as well as performers, and participate at international events in ways that highlight the region’s rich cultural heritage and contemporariness fuelled by artistic innovations.

Through such concerted efforts, TCPA aspires to create a thriving cultural environment that celebrates the arts even as Thiruvananthapuram is recognized as a key player on the global cultural stage, the founders revealed.

TCPA will foster partnerships between artists from varied disciplines and cultures, encouraging innovative as well as collaborative works. Its workshops, talks and educational programs will facilitate cultural conversations and deepen public engagement with the arts.