Production of Tiatr in Villages/Urban Areas/Educational Institutions

What is the Production of Tiatr in Villages scheme?

Production of Tiatr in Villages/Urban Areas/Educational Institutions is scheme number 16 of the 41 schemes run by the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG), the autonomous body set up by the Government of Goa in 2009 under the Department of Art and Culture. TAG's stated view in the scheme document is that "the hidden singing and acting talents among the youths in the villages must be explored" and that encouragement should be given to develop those talents locally rather than only on the commercial tiatr stage in Panaji and Margao.

The scheme therefore offers financial and technical support so that a village, an urban ward, a parish or a school or college can mount a full-length tiatr of its own. According to the scheme document published on the TAG website, the scheme has been extended beyond Goa to Mumbai, Sindhudurg and other parts of the country at parish level, which is where much of the Goan diaspora tiatr activity happens.

The eight heads TAG funds

Rule 5 lists exactly what TAG will pay for, at an amount fixed by the academy:

• Direction
• Live band, with at least 2 blowing instruments
• Outside artistes
• Stage setting
• Background music
• Costumes
• Make-up
• Light effects

TAG has not published rupee figures against these heads. The scheme says the support is "to the extent as fixed by TAG", and rule 12 makes the whole scheme first-come-first-served, subject to availability of funds. Do not budget on an assumed amount; ask the TAG office what is currently sanctioned per head before committing to a production.

Technical support as well as money

If the applicant needs technical guidance, rule 6 allows TAG to depute a director from its own Panel of Directors to work with the village talents and produce the tiatr. The expenditure of engaging that director is borne by TAG, not by the village group.

Who is eligible and who is not eligible under this scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are an individual, a registered cultural association, a dramatic troupe or an educational institution wanting to promote tiatr culture in a village or urban area.
• Every acting and singing artiste is from that particular village, urban area, parish or educational institution, with a maximum of 3 artistes allowed from outside, who may both act and sing.
• The tiatr follows the original format: 6 or 7 acts (podd'dde), at least 4 cantos, and comedy that is linked to the story rather than bolted on.
• The song list runs to at least 14 kantaram, containing at least 2 duets, 1 duo, 2 trios, 1 quartet or quintet, 2 choral songs and solos.
• This is the first performance of the tiatr for which TAG assistance is being sought. The declaration on the application form says exactly that.

You are not eligible if:

• The acting and singing is done by artistes from outside the village beyond the limit of 3. Musicians are the exception — rule 4 allows them from anywhere.
• You intend to charge for tickets. The show must be free to the public, though sponsorship from businessmen and firms is permitted.
• The script, lyrics, performance or speeches carry adverse remarks against any government, individual or institution, or anything against caste, creed or religion. TAG can disqualify the performance and recall money already paid.
• The same tiatr is being staged at the Kala Academy 'A' or 'B' group tiatr competition and you are also claiming under the separate TAG scheme for that competition.
• The application is incomplete, or reaches TAG less than 30 days before the staging date.

For a production in Mumbai, Sindhudurg or elsewhere outside Goa, both the artistes and the applicant must belong to that particular parish, and address proof of the artistes may have to be attached.

How to apply for TAG assistance to produce a village tiatr

1. Download the prescribed form for scheme 16 from the Schemes of TAG page at tiatracademyofgoa.com. Print it and fill it in full.
2. Fill the production details. The form asks for the name of the individual, registered association, dramatic troupe or educational institution; address; contact number; PAN and Aadhaar numbers; the title of the tiatr; the date, time and place of staging; and the names of the writer and director.
3. Fill the structure declaration. You must state how many podd'dde and cantos the tiatr has, whether the comedy is related to the play, and the exact count of solos, duets, duos, trios, quartets or quintets and choral songs. These numbers are checked against the norms.
4. List every participant with full postal address including house number and contact number. Use a separate sheet if the printed table runs out of space.
5. Attach the typed script and the typed lyrics of all songs, plus self-attested copies of your Aadhaar and PAN cards. If you are not the writer of the tiatr, attach an NOC from the original writer.
6. Sign the five declarations on the form, including that this is the first performance for which assistance is sought and that the cheque may be issued in the name entered at serial number 1.
7. Deliver the complete application to TAG at least 30 days before the show, Tiatr Academy of Goa, AS-1, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001.

What must the organiser do around the performance?

Rule 11 sets out obligations that are easy to miss and that directly affect payment:

• Every advertisement, whether oral, print, electronic or on banners, must carry the line "This Tiatr is organized in collaboration with Tiatr Academy of Goa".
• TAG gives one banner. It must be displayed on one of the two front-side wings of the stage, collected from the TAG office beforehand and returned after the show.
• A statement of expenditure with all original bills must be submitted. Any item above Rs 5,000 needs a stamped receipt. TAG then pays the service providers directly.
• Five photographs of the performance must be sent to TAG for its records, and at least two of them must show the TAG banner during the performance.
• Twenty invitation cards or entry passes must be given to TAG well in advance, and the seats must be from the middle of rows A, B or C.
• The Chief Guest or Guest of Honour must be decided in discussion with TAG. The President or Vice President of TAG, or a nominee, will be the Chief Guest or Guest of Honour.
• TAG may depute an observer from its Panel of Observers. Payment is released only after that observer certifies that the performance followed the scheme norms.

The schedule of rehearsals should also be communicated to TAG in advance so the academy can follow the progress of the production.

Why do applications under this scheme fail?

• Late submission. Anything reaching TAG less than 30 days before the staging date falls foul of rule 13.
• Missing script or lyrics. The application is treated as incomplete without the typed script and typed song lyrics.
• Song count short of the norm. Fewer than 14 kantaram, or missing the required mix of duets, duos, trios, quartet or quintet and choral songs, breaks rule 2(c).
• Too many outside artistes. Only 3 are allowed to act or sing.
• No observer certificate. Without it, TAG does not release payment even if the show went ahead.
• Funds exhausted. The scheme runs on first-come-first-served basis and applications are considered as per the availability of funds, so an otherwise perfect application can still wait for the next financial year.

Where do I contact TAG about this scheme?

The Tiatr Academy of Goa office is at AS-1, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001, phone 0832-2230738, fax 0832-2230739, email tiatracademy@gmail.com. For a formal grievance, the Member Secretary of TAG is the Public Information Officer under the Right to Information Act and the President of TAG is the First Appellate Authority. TAG also reserves the right, under rule 17, to change the rules of the scheme, so always work from the current PDF on the Schemes of TAG page.

How to check your application status

TAG does not run an online portal or a tracking number system for this scheme, so status has to be checked directly with the office rather than on a website.

• Call the TAG office on 0832-2230738 and quote the title of the tiatr, the applicant's name and the date the application was submitted. Since the scheme works on a first-come-first-served basis subject to availability of funds, the office is the only place that can tell you whether your application is still in the queue, has been approved, or is waiting for the next financial year's allocation.
• Email tiatracademy@gmail.com if you need a written response, for example when you must show a funding partner or a school management committee that the application has actually been received and is under process.
• Visit in person at AS-1, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001, particularly once the staging date is close. Because rule 13 ties eligibility to the application reaching TAG at least 30 days before the show, confirming receipt well before that deadline protects you if the form was lost or delayed in transit.
• After the performance, status tracking shifts to the payment stage. Rule 11 makes release of funds conditional on a TAG-deputed observer certifying that the performance followed the scheme norms, so the relevant question to ask the office post-show is whether the observer's certificate has been filed, not just whether the application was approved.
• If a formal answer is refused, the scheme falls under the Right to Information Act through TAG, with the Member Secretary as the Public Information Officer and the President as the First Appellate Authority, so an RTI application is the fallback route to a documented status update.