Our Story
New Art Players (NAP) is a non-political, non-governmental, socio-cultural organisation based in Guwahati — the gateway to Assam and Northeast India — whose members are committed to altruism, friendship and social responsibility.
The club was formed in 1954 by a group of young high school leaving examinees whose love for dramatics propelled them to stage a play. Out of that youthful energy an organisation was born, fondly christened New Art Players, with the words Society, Friendship and Art as its motto. It was formally registered under the Societies’ Registration Act XXI of 1860 on 16 April 1959.
With the staging of Durgeswar Barthakur’s Assamese play Jibonor Pachoa, New Art Players took off on a journey in pursuit of excellence in art and culture. For over seven decades since, it has been a torchbearer in the socio-cultural arena of Assam and the Northeast — a pioneer and trendsetter in organising drama competitions, chorus competitions, children’s drama festivals, one-act play competitions, Borgeet and elocution contests, an annual inter-school sports quiz, and festivals of classical music and dance, alongside biennial public lectures — all part of its aim of bringing about a cultural revitalisation of society.
Our Home: The NAP Cultural Centre, Ambari
For much of its history, NAP functioned from a rented premises at Jorpukhuri, Guwahati. In recognition of the organisation’s substantial contribution to the socio-cultural life of the region, the Government of Assam allotted a plot of land in the heart of the city at Ambari — and the New Art Players’ Performing Arts Cultural Centre of Excellence now stands there as the club’s permanent home.
The four-storeyed complex houses an auditorium, studio and rehearsal hall, conference hall, library-cum-archive, office and guest rooms. It is also home to the Nrityakalpa Dance Academy, and has enabled NAP to revive its classes in classical vocal music and tabla for children.
(Inaugurated in [YEAR])
Aims & Objectives
- To establish an organization for the pursuit of Art, Culture and Social Services
- To provide facilities to those who have got interest and talent in the field of art and culture
- To organize and hold cultural performances, exhibitions and camps
- To undertake social services, constructive works and relief measures
- To print, publish and sell books, magazines, bulletins and other literatures relating to the objectives of the club.
- To undertake productions and sale of movies, discs (records), cassettes, video recordings and other audio-visual and media items of high cultural values for the propagation of art, music, dance and other forms of performing arts of the people of Assam and India.
- To help any other institutions having objectives similar to those of the club
- To promote universal friendship and general cooperation amongst the different sects and tribes irrespective of caste, creed and religion in social and all other spheres of non-political set-up.
- To send to and invite from various places in the country and outside, cultural troupes, preceptors, lecturers, instructors, organizers, social workers and such other persons competent in the task of strengthening cultural relationship and reviving, promoting and propagating culture, art and literature.
- To buy or to take on lease or otherwise, to acquire, possess and enjoy any land or building and also to accept gifts of property, movable or immovable, free from encumbrances in furtherance of any of the objectives of the club.
- To collect and raise funds by donations, subscriptions and other contribution for furtherance of its activities.
- To give or receive loans and grants with or without interest for the purpose of carrying on the activities of the club.
- To enter into agreement with the Government, Quasi Government, Municipal Corporation, individuals, Associations or foreign part or parties for due performance of any project which is deemed conducive to the objectives of the club.
Nrityakalpa Dance Academy
Established in 2010 as a sister concern of NAP, Nrityakalpa is devoted to promoting Sattriya — the classical dance of Assam — alongside the state’s rich ethnic dance traditions. It conducts regular classes qualifying students for diplomas and degrees in dance, and its repertoire group has earned acclaim across India, from Spic Macay lecture-demonstrations at IIT Guwahati to the national festivals of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Nrityakalpa is directed by Dr Meernanda Barthakur, an A-grade artist of Prasar Bharati and one of India’s renowned classical dancers, honoured with the first Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by Sangeet Natak Akademi (2008–09) and the 4th Devdasi National Award, Bhubaneswar.
The Ladies Wing
Formed in 1996, the Ladies Wing has rendered substantial service in the artistic, social and altruistic spheres of NAP’s life. It celebrates Silpi Divas (17 January) and Bishnu Rabha Divas (20 June) every year with cultural programmes and lectures honouring two giants of Assam’s socio-cultural history.
A highlight of its calendar is the Annual Lecture by established medical practitioners on aspects of life, living and disease — speakers over the years have included specialists in gynaecology, psychiatry, orthopaedics, neurology, urology, ophthalmology, dentistry, cardiology and ENT.
The Wing contributes regularly to the Blind School at Beltola and the Assam Sishu Kalyan Sadan orphanage at Jalukbari, providing essential commodities every Children’s Day, conducts tutorial classes for children from underprivileged sections of society, and felicitates the meritorious children of members.
Want to know the people behind NAP?