No room for city in SCZCC’s calendar as minister focuses on outside destinations

Nagpur: Headless for nearly ten months now, South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), toast of city for past six years for its high grade cultural events, is wearing a deserted look. The last big programme organized by the centre was the low key Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Music Festival held from July 30 to Aug 1. The next event will be the Orange City Craft Mela tentatively scheduled for January 2018.

This year, the cultural centre will not be holding the national exhibition of contemporary art, a high profile painting competition which saw participation of national level artists. Training of students contingent to participate in Republic Day parade, too, has been dropped. Though its mandate is to hold workshops to promote tribal art and culture, not a single such activity has been held since February when the then director's term ended.

But the centre's deputy director Sudarshan Patil insists that things are on course. "Our programmes are taking place as per our calendar but not in Nagpur," he says. SCZCC organized a Lok Kala Yatra at Tirupathi in September and an art workshop was also held there. "We also organized a similar yatra in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and will be holding another one at Hospet in Karnataka." Patil says that two of the regular programmes, Bramhanaad and Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai are being held in the city. Bramhanaad has lost much of its sheen as it is now featuring local and lesser known artists. While the talent hunt programme Mujhe Bhi Kuch Kehna Hai has been outsourced.

Justifying the quality of Bramhanaad, Patil says, "The cultural minister Vinod Tawde who also heads our programming committee says that promoting established artists is not the mandate of SCZCC." Refuting the perception that funds are the reason behind not inviting A grade artists he continues, "We have sufficient funds though they are being released on a quarterly basis now under a new policy," and adds that SCZCC has been criticized for its continuous focus on Nagpur. "The minister feels that we should be holding our events at places outside Nagpur," Patil says while confirming that a folk theatre workshop will be organized by SCZCC at Wardha in association with the local university. "We are collaborating with state government to hold events at smaller districts like Yavatmal too," he adds.

The lull at the cultural centre is also being attributed to monsoons. "Now that the rainy season is over, we will begin our activities," Patil assures. As of now, the aesthetically done up premises is a favourite for holding exhibitions. After the recently concluded Tamil Nadu state handicrafts expo, a local, private exhibition will commence from October 6. "These exhibitions are our bread and butter and help us in maintaining the premises," says Patil. "Now even banks and corporates are showing interest for holding their meets at our conference hall," he says.

Need of full time director at SCZCC

With five out of seven zonal cultural centres working without a full time director, sources say that some change in policy is brewing at the Ministry of Cultural affairs, New Delhi. EN Sajith, director of South Zonal Cultural Centre, who is also officiating as director SCZCC will complete his term in January 2018 and the position at West Cultural Zone which too was filled in 2014, is also likely to get vacant around that time. The advertisement for the post of a director at SCZCC was placed in April and the final date for submission of application was May 31. But even four months after the last date the process is still to begin. Though most of the work at SCZCC is going on through phone calls and e-mails, major decisions are not being taken and big projects like conducting the National Cultural festival or training a cultural contingent for R-Day parade are going to the two centres that have a full time directors. "Work is definitely getting affected as quick decisions, permissions and motivation for employees can come only from full time director," says an SCZCC employee. Interestingly, SCZCC also placed an advertisement for the post of deputy director in June this year.