Mumbai, Apr 21(BNP): The National Centre for the Performing Arts announces the return of Summer Fiesta, its annual programme for young audiences, with its most ambitious edition to date. Running from April 29 to July 19, 2026, with theatre programming extending until August 2, the festival brings together over 35 workshops and 13 curated productions, offering a sustained and meaningful engagement with the performing arts across the summer months.
Held across venues including the Little Theatre, Sea View Room, Experimental Theatre and Godrej Dance Theatre, Summer Fiesta continues to serve as a structured platform for arts education beyond the classroom. Since its inception in 2010, the programme has steadily evolved in both scale and scope. The 2026 edition reflects a contemporary approach to performance-making, incorporating not only theatre, dance, music and storytelling, but also stand-up comedy, debate, improv, ventriloquism and digital content creation—recognising the expanding ways in which young people engage with expression today.
At the heart of Summer Fiesta is a clear emphasis on process-led learning. These workshops are designed as immersive experiences that move from exploration to rehearsal and ultimately to performance, allowing participants to engage with the full creative journey. Led by a diverse group of practitioners—including Aditya Kashyap, Amey Mehta, Anuvab Pal, Neha Singh, Devpriya Bihani and Seema Golchha—the sessions combine technical rigour with collaborative discovery. Each participant receives an official certificate from the NCPA upon completion, marking both their achievement and engagement with the programme.
Running alongside the workshops is a carefully curated line-up of 13 plays for children, presented across weekends. Spanning Hindi and English and ranging from puppetry and music-led productions to contemporary theatre, the programme introduces young audiences to a wide spectrum of storytelling while reinforcing the value of live performance as a shared cultural experience.
Together, this dual structure of learning and viewing creates an integrated ecosystem—one that encourages children not only to participate in the arts, but to develop a lasting appreciation for them. In an increasingly academic-led environment, Summer Fiesta offers a vital space for creativity, confidence-building and self-expression.
Bruce Guthrie, Head of Theatre and Films at the NCPA, said:“Summer Fiesta is one of the most important programmes we run. It opens the doors of the NCPA to young people in a meaningful and practical way. The range of workshops this year is particularly strong—there’s real variety, and exceptional value in what’s being offered. For young people with curious imaginations, it’s a brilliant way to spend the summer—learning new skills, collaborating with others, and discovering the joy of performance.”
With its expanded scale and multidisciplinary focus, Summer Fiesta 2026 continues to strengthen the NCPA’s commitment to arts education—bringing together tradition and innovation within a format that is both accessible and immersive.
