1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 What is Performing Arts?

The performing arts refers to art forms wherein artists use movements of their bodies, often in
relation to other objects and their voices, to convey artistic expression. It is different from visual
arts, which is when artists use paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art
objects. Performing arts include several disciplines, each performed in front of a live audience.
Performing Arts are a form of art which involves external artistic expression through voices
and actions. The performer conveys a message, a story or a feeling to the audience through the
extroverted means chosen by him/her. The performer at any performing arts stage has a power
to hold the attention of people, to influence and to make a deep impact.

The Performing arts cover forms of music (orchestral, choral, pop/rock and jazz), opera,
musicals, dance and drama. The history of drama, music and dance date back to pre-historic
times and act as a means of recreation, entertainment and of imparting cultural knowledge and
richness to generations. Essentially though the performing arts are concerned with a space for
a live performance experienced by an audience within a set period of time. The space is defined
by specific technical and spatial demands and requires a conducive atmosphere for both
audience and performer.

The performing arts are born of the creative processes of writing plays, composing music, and
choreographing dance, directing productions and designing settings: realization is found
through conductors, musicians, singers, dancers, actors and other performers.

All are developing and new music, opera, musicals, dance, drama and other forms of
performing art continue to be created. They require the opportunity to be staged within
traditional or new methods of presentation, while established works, as well as being staged in
traditional and time-honored ways, are also subject to re-interpretation or presentation in
different formats. Experiment in the performing arts may bring new forms of auditorium:
electronic music compositions have challenged the requirements of the concert hall whose
traditional forms are based on non-amplified acoustic instruments. Similarly promenade drama
presentations do not require fixed seating and stage positions, the characteristic of traditional
theatre auditoria, while street theatre with only nominal technical backup contrasts with the
increasing sophistication of stage machinery and sound and lighting technology for ever larger
theatrical productions.

1.2 Historical Background

The earliest origins of drama are to be found in Athens where ancient hymns, called
dithyrambs, were sung in honor of the god Dionysus. These hymns were later adapted for
choral processions in which participants would dress up in costumes and masks. Eventually,
certain members of the chorus evolved to take special roles within the procession, but they
were not yet actors in the way we would understand it.
That development came later in the 6th century BC, when the tyrant Pisistratus, who then ruled
the city, established a series of new public festivals. One of these, the 'City Dionysia', a festival
of entertainment held in honor of the god Dionysus, featured competitions in music, singing,
dance and poetry. And most remarkable of all the winners was said to be a wandering bard
called Thespis.

According to tradition, in 534 or 535 BC, Thespis astounded audiences by leaping on to the
back of a wooden cart and reciting poetry as if he was the characters whose lines he was
reading. In doing so he became the world's first actor, and it is from him that we get the world
thespian.

1.3 What is P.A.C.?

P.A.C. (Performing Arts Centre) is a multiuse performance space that is intended to use by
various performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. Performing arts is a form of art
where artists use their voices, and bodies to convey a message or artistic expression. It is
different from visual arts, in which an artist use paint, canvas and various materials to create
art objects.
The visual Arts gives a way to express feeling, emotion, opinion, or taste through visual means,
for instance, photography, painting, sculpting and drawing. Performing Arts have ways to
express an opinion, emotion, feeling, or taste, through means of performance, like, theatre,
public speech, dance, music, and more. Visual arts are primarily created for Aesthetic Purposes,
and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness. Visual Arts include painting, sculpture,
watercolor, graphics, drawing and architecture.
Also falling in the Visual Arts category is; music, poetry, film, photography, conceptual art
and printmaking. People in this field are termed, artists. Performing arts are basically arts or
skills that require a performance in front of a public audience. Examples are acting, singing
and dancing. In some ways, all forms of art will have certain aspects that can be found in all of
them. The force behind art forms might be the same, but, it is the way in which it is relayed,
that is different.
In both art niches, you can convey cultural messages. Visual art can depict historic places on
canvas or through photography, whereas, performing arts can display cultural stories through
dance and also through constructing scenes of long ago on a stage. Song and Dance are usually
main ingredients in cultural tradition.
1.2 Building Typology
These buildings include any building or a part of building where a group of people gather for
recreation, awareness, social, religious, amusement or cultural purposes. Place of assembly,
recreation or entertainment, including museums, socio cultural center, performing arts center,
planetariums, science parks, dance halls, auditoriums, swimming pools, amusement parks,
residential clubs, sports stadiums and pavilions, art galleries, conference halls, cinemas, theatre
and place of worship all fall under the category of Assembly Buildings. P.A.C. falls under the
Group D: Assembly Building category of National Building Code 2016. These buildings
contribute towards the enhancement and development of the society and also promotes our
culture among the mass.
The typology Performing Arts center has two fundamental factors performing arts and visual
arts. The discipline/typology relates to the social and cultural aspect of society and the way of
living in a given society. It caters to the design and development of spaces which impart cultural
and artistic values which is an essential part of the society. Any building, organization private
or government which is responsible for such a function falls under the discipline and typology
of socio-cultural.
Institutional on the other hand focuses on the exchange of knowledge essentially. It is
responsible for the design and development of the mass and focuses on providing knowledge
to the members of the society which would further on produce capable and productive citizens
for the society. Institutes are therefore responsible for the learning aspect of the society and it
forms a framework within which it works, which starts from the education at a fundamental
level, intermediate level and professional level. Providing these opportunities to the society to
furthermore form careers and development as a whole essentially.
1.5 Need of the Project
Gone were the days when people could have small gatherings and celebrations in the vicinity
or around their home as there was plenty of space for it. People used to gather in large verandahs
and grounds where they could educate and conduct awareness programme or one could have a
meeting or could display his or her own works. But as per today’s scenario we are deprived of
those open spaces that played a major role in bringing our society and community together.

Our society is in the urgent need of those spaces which can bring together each other with effect
of our culture and history. Also people must be made aware about advancement and
progression of our surroundings and culture. By inculcating these kind of spaces we can
contribute for the betterment of the society.

1.5.1 Global Scenario

At the beginning of the 21st century, when the audiences are being wooed by an
increasingly sophisticated range of home entertainment, the performing arts industry is
being forced through nothing less than a total metamorphosis. According to author
Michael Hammond (in his book “Performing Architecture”).

Most European countries provide public subsidies to national theatres, operatic

companies and orchestras, as well as to smaller and regional companies. Moreover, the
high capital costs of building and maintaining theatres, opera houses and concert halls
are often borne by central and local government.

In the Scandinavian countries, there is a strong tradition of supporting the performing

arts through subsidies. The subsidies are not all directed at national theatres and
companies. In Sweden, for example, independent theatre and dance companies, which
have long-standing and strong roots in local communities, account for around one-third
of publicly subsidized performance companies.

In France, the tradition of state subsidies to the performing arts goes back to the
seventeenth century. Until the 1990s, Paris received most of the subsidy and this acted
as a magnet for the performing artists, much as London does in the UK. Today, it is
standard for urban regeneration projects to have a mix of facilities for what is broadly
dubbed ‘culture and recreation’. The facilities range from green spaces and sports
facilities to cinemas, theatres, libraries and concert halls.
 1.5.2 Indian Scenario

Performing arts in India and its practitioners are referred to as being part of the
“entertainment industry.” This indicates a paradigm shift in the manner in which the
arts is being viewed by society. The message apparent by the shift is that the audience
now expects that the Arts must entertain in the manner defined by the entertainment
industry, and they must form part of an organized industry. There is an obsession in the
industry with the idea of checks, balances, net profits and turnovers. It would, therefore,
seem only natural and come as no surprise that even in the area of performing arts, those
genres that have a record of yielding attractive enough turnovers and lucrative profit
margins would be easily and successfully globalized. In the context of Indian music,
the success of mainstream Hindi film music presents a case in point.

1.6 Area of Study

 Auditoriums
 Art galleries
 Exhibition Spaces
 Museums
 Library
 Food Courts
 Open Plaza

1.7 Nehru Centre for Performing Arts

The Centre comprises of two proscenium theatres of 1360 seats and 250 seats and their
ancillary spaces. It also includes food courts, a café library, an experimental theatre & outdoor
terrace café and any other suitable activities. The planning also integrates the metro on
Himalaya Marg and provides pedestrian connectivity. A theatre street is to be generated for
street plays, exhibitions and audiences that would seamlessly merge into the plaza creating
greater opportunity for casual gatherings, chance encounters, recreational activities and a pause
point in the hustle bustle of the busy and crowded commercial complex.

1.8 Why I chose this project?

 Performing Arts Centre is a value adding project for the surroundings.
 It helps to cultivate many tangible and intangible aspects of site surroundings.
 This project involves study of vast variety of users and activities.
 It is a kind of project which brings all types of individuals together by allowing them
to share same space.

1.9 Proposal Methodology
a) Procuring data
b) Research
c) Analysis
d) Concept
e) Design
1.10 Site

2. ANALYSIS OF ENVISAGED ACTIVITIES

2.1 Activity Analysis
 Administrative spaces
 Performing spaces
 Exhibition spaces
 Recreational spaces
 Technical service zone
 Storage spaces
 Other Service areas

2.2 Performing arts in India

3. ANALYSIS OF ENVISAGED USER PROFILE

 Admin staff- Manager, employee, souvenir shopkeeper
 Support and maintenance staff- Peons, helper, office boys, janitor/ cleaner, security
staff, gardener, canteen cook, ticket person, waiters
 Service staff- HVAC engineer, Technical engineer, electrical engineer, public health
staff
 Visitors- Children, young people, elderly people, students, guests, VIP, foodies,
Workshop host and lecturers
 Performers and artists

13. REFERENCES
 National Building Code of India 2016, Volume 01, Building typology
 Manuel Miller, The Old Jail Art Center, 31st August 2017, what is the difference
between visual arts and performing arts?
 Lawrence E. McCullough, Ph.D., Art Pride, 23rd April 2015, 7 ways a performing art
center can help build a community.
 Anuj Mayapuri, Socio cultural center, Dwarka, 13th June 2019, Area of study,15-22
 Stuart Cary Welch, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1st October 1985, India: art and
culture 1300-1900.

 The role of Public arts and cultural institutions in the promotion of cultural diversity
and intercultural dialogue’ Chapter 2, Pg-10
 Hecht Ben, Opportunity at the Intersection of Community Development and creative
place making, Living Cities , Pg. 5
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performing_arts_center(accessed on 03 July,2019)
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performing_arts(accessed on 03 July,2019)
 https://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/Services/PerformingArtCentre/PerformingArtCent
reHome(accessed on 04 July,2019)
 https://www.ncpamumbai.com/(accessed on 05 July,2019)
 University Of Oregon School of Music and Dance: Historical Timeline, 2013,
http://music.uoregon.edu/about/timeline/1880-1889(accessed on 08 July,2019)
 http://www.nios.ac.in/media/documents/SecICHCour/English/CH.12.pdf (accessed
on 08 July,2019)
 Ringholt, Niels (2015), European Expert Network on Culture (EENC), Promoting
access to culture via digital means, EENC Ad hoc question, March 2015, p. 11.
www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/digitisation/EENC-
Promotionofaccesstocultureviadigitalmeans.pdf. (accessed on 10 July,2019)
 https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/globalisation-and-indias-performing-
arts/article2761382.ece(accessed on 10 July,2019)
 National Endowment for the Arts: A History 1965-2008, January 2009,
http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/nea-history-1965-2008.pdf(accessed on 10 July,2019)
 Hult Center for the Performing Arts: History, 2013,
http://www.hultcenter.org/visitors/history.htm#.UmRucRb6a9o(accessed on 11
July,2019)
 Oregon Cultural Trust: The Trust History, http://www.culturaltrust.org/about/the-trust-
history(accessed on 11 July,2019)
 Rosenberg, A. (2011, April 11). EMPAC / Grim Shaw. Retrieved December 24, 2018,
from https://www.archdaily.com/124708/empac-grimshaw(accessed on 11 July,2019)
 Cardenas, D. (2016, June 02). The Marshall Family Performing Arts Center /
Weiss/Manfredi. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/788399/the-marshall-
family-performing-arts-center-weiss-manfredi(accessed on 11 July,2019)