A fund would help revive much needed theatre

Of all the arts in Sri Lanka, theatre is the most neglected, not considered necessary for the development of societal values, and most importantly, the sense of reflection of the embedding of humanity or compassion amongst the populace, a factor which seems to be fast disappearing from present-day society. It’s very sad and most unfortunate. This is because dramatists are unable to be fully committed to the theatre arts. The reason is a lack of finances.

Now of course they are totally kept out of it due to the Coronavirus pandemic from which they do not know when there will be an escape. The other poor theatre practitioners - playwrights, actors, actresses, stage hands, make-up artists, and the whole gamut of personnel involved are in a desperate position with no means for survival.

I have a solution for this problem: for the Prime Minister as the Finance Minister and Minister of Culture, to approve the introduction of a Lottery titled “Natya Setha” in the Lotteries Board in order to create a “Theatre Fund” from which all the artistes in the field can be supported by a grant system with no hindrance for their survival.

Furthermore, in the future this Theatre Fund can begin a separate Department of the Ministry of Culture and can manage and support the propagation of theatre totally promoting “Theatre Artists’’ as a professionally trained group. If such a scheme is introduced through the Lotteries Board it would certainly not be a burden to the Government. The general populace too would support such a lottery since they know whom the funds would be allocated to. The buyers of the lottery tickets spend only a tiny sum of twenty rupees with the personal aim and wish of winning an award. The Government of course, would have its profitable share and the tax benefit too.

Theatre is the strongest discipline of the art forms that exist in society. All over the world, theatre is the tool where people are made socially responsible human beings through the process of understanding and comprehension. Theatre convinces us what humanism is. Audiences are moved when they view meaningful heart-breaking serious theatre. So it is when they see good comedies. They break into laughter. Theatre is a collective art, and most importantly and fundamentally it is religious, for it moulds and guides the character of humans through understanding and perception.

What theatre practitioners want is encouragement and the availability of finance and freedom. It is also necessary to state here that there is a huge number of graduates who have passed out from all the Universities of the country; moreover a separate

University exists for Theatre and the Arts in Colombo namely the Aesthetic University. Theatre and drama is also a curricular subject in all educational institutions in the country.

This theatre fund can be converted into a decent source of income for the annual Budget too if it is encouraged by the Government whilst providing a good employer scheme as well. This has to be well designed and made into a professional mechanism like any other business. I repeat and propose that a lottery titled “Natya Setha” be introduced by the Lotteries Board just like any other weekly lottery. Dr Namel Weeramuni Via email