Niloufer Sagar Alumni Production Grant
The Work Continues Beyong Graduation
The Niloufer Sagar Alumni Production Grant supports Drama School Mumbai alumni to develop, make, and share original theatre with audiences.
ORIGINALITY | MENTORSHIP | PRODUCTION PLANNING | AUDIENCE REACH
THE MANDATE
Training is one part of an artist’s journey. Making work is another.
The Niloufer Sagar Alumni Production Grant (NSAPG) is a funding and mentorship initiative under the aegis of Drama School Mumbai that supports alumni in developing and presenting original theatre work.
The years immediately following formal training are crucial. Artists possess vital ideas they want to explore, but turning those sparks into realized productions requires rehearsal space, financial runway, collaborators, and strategic guidance. NSAPG exists to create those exact conditions.
Forms & Practices We Support
Devised & Ensemble Work
Collaborative, non-hierarchical creation rooted in physical and vocal exploration.
Solo Performance & Storytelling
Intimate, text-led, or autobiographical explorations of contemporary reality.
Clowning & Physical Theatre
Vulnerable comedy and physical rigor dissecting complex socio-political absurdities.
Design & Interdisciplinary
Projects led by dramaturgs, scenographers, sound artists, and new writing.
IN MEMORY OF
Niloufer Sagar
“A grant in her memory, supporting artists as they find their own ways of making theatre.”
HER LEGACY
Remembering Niloufer Sagar
Niloufer Sagar was deeply intertwined with Drama School Mumbai, contributing profoundly to the institution’s identity through her lifelong work in independent theatre producing, festival curation, and visionary arts administration.
Serving on DSM’s Managing Committee and Board, she guided the school through crucial phases—including sustaining institutional resilience during the pandemic and championing digital pedagogy initiatives such as Ekalavya.art.
Instituted by her family in her honor, NSAPG carries forward her conviction: that young artists do not merely need training—they need belief, resources, and the structural backing to make courageous work.
THE ROADMAP
From Idea to Production
A structured incubation path built to de-risk experimentation and scaffold creative ambition.
01
The Proposal
Alumni submit an original theatrical concept, artistic rationale, and preliminary budget for evaluation.
02
Development
Selected grantees receive financial grants and structured support around production planning and scheduling.
03
Mentorship
Each team works with a seasoned industry mentor offering dramaturgical and staging critique throughout rehearsals.
04
Audience Reach
The production premiers before public audiences and critics, establishing momentum for independent touring and festivals.
Ready to pitch your next theatre project?
Applications for the upcoming grant cycle are reviewed by an independent jury of practitioners.
CATALOGUE
The NSAPG Production Archive
Explore original theatre works incubated and staged through the grant.
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
CRITICAL RECEPTION
In Conversation with the Theatre Community
Grant Cycle 2026-27
Have a work you want to make?
If you are a Drama School Mumbai graduate with an original theatre project ready for incubation and production, applications are now being accepted.
WHO CAN APPLY?
All DSM graduates across all batches. Applications are welcome from actors, directors, playwrights, devising ensembles, designers, and dramaturgs.
CORE REQUIREMENT
The proposed work must be completely original. Adaptations and translations must present a distinct artistic conceptualization.
WHAT THE GRANT PROVIDES
Direct production funding, rehearsal guidance, proposal refinement, and dedicated 1-on-1 artistic mentorship.
SELECTION PROCESS
Shortlisted applicants present their pitch and artistic vision before an independent evaluation jury.
