Raising the Standard of Tiatr

What is the Raising the Standard of Tiatr scheme?

Raising the Standard of Tiatr is scheme number 8 in the list of 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. The scheme document opens with an unusually blunt admission: although tiatr is the most popular dramatic form of Goa, "its quality and standard cannot be compared to dramas in Hindi, Marathi, English and other languages. Hence, this scheme has been initiated."

The idea behind the scheme is exposure. Rather than run another workshop, TAG pays for tiatr practitioners to sit in the audience of a high-standard play in another language, watch how it is directed, lit, scored and staged, and then write down what they learned. The scheme is aimed squarely at the people who shape a production; actors, directors, back stage artistes managing light effects, background music, stage setting, make-up and costumes.

What TAG pays

• Two persons can witness a play by buying tickets.
• The amount spent on purchasing tickets is reimbursed by TAG, subject to a maximum of Rs 1,000 per ticket, or the actual ticket price, whichever is lower.
• Reimbursement follows submission of the report and the ticket counterfoils.

There is no separate travel allowance, meal allowance or accommodation component published in this scheme document. What is reimbursed is the ticket, capped at Rs 1,000 each.

Who can and cannot claim under this scheme?

You can claim if:

• You are a director, script writer, artist or backstage artist working in tiatr. The scheme names light effects, background music, stage setting, make-up and costumes as qualifying backstage roles.
• You obtained prior permission from the Tiatr Academy of Goa before buying the ticket.
• You watched a drama in Hindi, Marathi, English or another language that TAG accepts as being of high standard.
• You are willing to write a brief report highlighting the positive and negative points of the play.
• You can attach a self-attested copy of your Aadhaar card.

You cannot apply, and are not eligible, if:

• You did not take prior permission. Rule 2 makes prior permission a condition of the reimbursement, not a formality.
• You cannot produce the counterfoils of the tickets. Rule 4 links payment directly to the counterfoils being submitted to the office.
• You do not submit the report. No report, no reimbursement, however genuine the ticket.
• You are claiming for more than two persons for the same play. The scheme allows two persons to witness a play.
• You are claiming more than Rs 1,000 for a ticket. Anything above that ceiling is borne by the artiste.

TAG also reserves the right, under rule 6, to make changes in the rules, so check the current PDF on the Schemes of TAG page before you plan a trip.

How to apply and claim reimbursement under scheme 8

1. Write to TAG for prior permission before you buy the ticket. Name the play, the language, the venue and the date, and say which two people from the troupe will attend. Contact the office on 0832-2230738 or tiatracademy@gmail.com to confirm how the permission request should be sent.
2. Buy the tickets and keep the counterfoils. Do not surrender the counterfoil at the venue if you can avoid it — it is the proof TAG asks for.
3. Watch the play and take notes. You will need to write about both what worked and what did not.
4. Write the report. Keep it brief but specific: direction, acting, set, lighting, sound and pacing are all fair subjects, and the scheme explicitly asks for the positive and negative points to be highlighted.
5. Fill the prescribed application form for scheme 8. It asks for the name of the applicant, address, contact number, email, Aadhaar number, the title of the drama or performance witnessed, and the place, date and time.
6. Attach the counterfoils, the report and a self-attested Aadhaar copy, sign the form, and submit it to the Tiatr Academy of Goa, AS-1, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001.
7. Follow up with the office for the release of the reimbursement. TAG releases the value of the tickets after the report and counterfoils are received.

How do I check the status of my claim?

The Tiatr Academy of Goa does not run an online status tracker for this scheme. Status is checked by contacting the TAG office on 0832-2230738 or by email at tiatracademy@gmail.com, quoting the title of the drama and the date on the application form. Keep a photocopy of the completed form and of the counterfoils before submitting them, because the originals go to TAG.

What are the common reasons a claim is rejected?

• No prior permission. This is the single condition most claimants overlook, and it is written into rule 2.
• Missing counterfoils. Rule 4 ties the reimbursement to them.
• No report, or a report that does not address the positives and negatives. Rule 3 requires the artiste to highlight both.
• No self-attested Aadhaar copy. Rule 5 requires it with the application.
• A claim above the ceiling. Rs 1,000 per ticket is the maximum, and the actual ticket price applies if it is lower.
• More than two claimants for the same play. The scheme funds two persons per play.

Where do I raise a grievance?

Approach the Tiatr Academy of Goa office at AS-1, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001, phone 0832-2230738, fax 0832-2230739, email tiatracademy@gmail.com. Under the Right to Information Act, the Member Secretary of TAG is the Public Information Officer for the academy and the President of TAG is the First Appellate Authority, so a written RTI application on a delayed or refused claim goes first to the Member Secretary at that address. TAG's citizen's charter is published on its website and on the TAG page at goa.gov.in.

Key facts to remember

• Raising the Standard of Tiatr is scheme 8 of the 41 Tiatr Academy of Goa schemes.
• Two persons per play, Rs 1,000 per ticket maximum or the actual price if lower.
• Prior permission from TAG is mandatory before the ticket is bought.
• A written report plus ticket counterfoils are the two documents that trigger payment.
• A self-attested Aadhaar copy must accompany the application.
• The scheme covers dramas in Hindi, Marathi, English and other languages, not tiatr itself.