Sponsors leave Thespo in the lurch

Corporate sponsorship of the arts might seem to be back on the upswing after a period of financial caution following the recession, but the organisers of theatre group youth festival Thespo have discovered the truth the hard way.

In spite of being in its 12th year and having established a reputation of nurturing an entire generation of theatre and film talent, Thespo is struggling to put up a festival once again, much like last year. Quasar Thakore Padamsee, founding member, Thespo feels corporates must look beyond the immediate bottom-line if they truly wish to support the stage.

“They don’t understand the power of what Thespo has achieved. If a corporate aligns with us for say five years, they’ll be making a difference to an entire generation of theatre aspirants, only making their brand stronger. But sadly, Indian companies look for short-term gains,” he rues.

Surprisingly, funding is lacking in spite of the fact that the festival has expanded in scope and repute in the past few years. Last year, an inconspicuous Marathi play Geli Ekvees Varsha produced by Pune theatre group Natak Company was staged at Thespo and went on to win at a prominent festival in Italy.

This year, 95 entries have come in from nine different cities. But what makes Thespo different from your average college festival, which sees no dearth of corporate funding, is that the emphasis is on quality rather than numbers. “Of these 95 entries, we’ll showcase only four plays. At the same time, a lot more time and energy is invested from our end and that of the performers,” says Padamsee.

Another reason for corporate cold feet that one can surmise is the limited visibility that brands are afforded in prominent theatre venues in the city. As Vidisha Kanchan, festival director, Thespo 12, points out, “We don’t have our own venue and have to rent space at Prithvi theatre. So we can’t plaster the place with banners and hoardings, since Prithvi has strict rules regarding this.”

Thespo too draws the line in commercialising theatre — the proscenium is kept banner-free and don’t expect to see an actor walk on stage clutching a can of your favourite cola (unless it’s crucial to the script, of course).

So then what’s the solution? Last year, Thespo organisers were amazed by how the theatre community came together to make things happen. This year, to formalize this tremendous support from Thespo alumni, the theatre community and the rest of Mumbai, the organisers have set up Friends of Thespo, an initiative that’s hoping to generate through donations the Rs5lakh they still need to put up the festival. “We want to build a community of people who support this kind of a festival in their city. We want to show that if the city wants Thespo to happen, it will happen,” says Padamsee.

Thespo 12 will take place from the December 14 to 17 at Prithvi theatre, Juhu and from the December 18 to 19 at the NCPA. To make a contribution, write to thespo12@gmail.com or call 98675 62859