St. Claret College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai
Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Mysuru, has established a Research Centre in Drama and
Performing Arts. The Centre offers a Ph.D. programme in Drama and Performing Arts from the academic
year 2026–27, providing scholars with an intellectually stimulating environment for advanced research,
creative inquiry, and academic excellence.
The Research Centre is committed to promoting high-quality research in theatre, drama, and the performing
arts while preserving India's rich artistic heritage and encouraging innovative approaches to contemporary
performance practices. It seeks to foster interdisciplinary scholarship that integrates artistic expression with
social, cultural, historical, and anthropological perspectives.
Objectives
The Research Centre aims to:
Provide a vibrant academic platform for scholars to undertake rigorous and meaningful research in
Drama and Performing Arts.
Promote the study, preservation, and documentation of Indian classical, regional, folk, and
contemporary theatre and performing art traditions.
Encourage interdisciplinary research that examines theatre and performance through literary,
cultural, social, historical, and anthropological perspectives.
Facilitate innovative and practice-based research that reinterprets traditional art forms for
contemporary audiences and contexts.
Uphold the highest standards of research, scholarship, and academic integrity under the guidance and
affiliation of the Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Ph.D. programme, scholars will be able to:
Demonstrate advanced knowledge and critical understanding of theories, practices, and emerging
trends in Drama and Performing Arts.
Design and execute independent, systematic, and methodologically sound research leading to the
successful completion of a doctoral thesis.
Critically analyse theatrical performances and artistic practices from technical, aesthetic, cultural,
and scholarly perspectives.
Contribute original research that advances knowledge and addresses significant issues in the fields of
theatre, performing arts, and society.
Develop the professional competence, ethical orientation, and leadership required to excel as
educators, researchers, critics, directors, practitioners, and cultural scholars.
The Research Centre aspires to become a leading hub for scholarly excellence, creative innovation, and
impactful research in Drama and Performing Arts, contributing to the advancement of academic knowledge
and the enrichment of cultural heritage at regional, national, and global levels.