Course: The Producer's Toolbox – Arts Management for Performing Arts

Kaivalya Plays, in collaboration with NIV Art Centre invite you to...

Course

THE PRODUCER'S TOOLBOX: Arts Management for Performing Arts

A weekend course on marketing, fundraising, documentation, budgeting and event management for emerging arts workers and artists, with an opportunity to manage a real-world live performance at the end of the course.

Dates: Sundays, Beginning May 4, 11, 18, 25 & June 1

Timings: 3pm to 5pm every Sunday

Venue: Studio B, NIV Art Centre (MAP LINK)

Registration: INR 4999/- for the full course of 5 sessions and showcase at the end, and INR 1499/- per drop-in session.

Use code KPSUMMER15 to get 15% off on early bird prices until Friday 18th April.

About The Course

This 5-week course offers practical, hands-on training in the key areas of theatre production, equipping you with the essential tools to plan, promote, and execute live performances effectively.

Participants will dive into the following core areas over five sessions:

• Audience, Programming & Safety: Learn how to design and curate theatre experiences by understanding audience engagement strategies, programming essentials, and the vital role of safety protocols in live events.

• Budget & Grant Writing: Master the fundamentals of budgeting for theatre productions and develop compelling grant applications to secure funding for creative projects.

• Event Management End-to-End: Gain practical insights into planning, coordinating, and managing theatre events, from rehearsals to final execution.

• Comms & Publicity: Explore strategies for marketing, PR, and promotion, including crafting press releases, social media campaigns, and developing outreach plans.

• Data & Documentation: Understand how to efficiently document productions for reports, portfolios, and future reference, while using data to evaluate impact and audience reach.

As a capstone project, participants will have the unique opportunity to produce two showcase performances as part of the summer school, applying their newly acquired skills in a real-world context.

Meet Your Facilitator

Gaurav Singh Nijjer is a theatre-maker, arts manager, and creative technologist with over nine years of experience in the performing arts and cultural programming. He is the General Manager of Kaivalya Plays, where he has produced and presented performances across India, the UK, and Germany, collaborating with institutions such as Goethe-Institut New Delhi, Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi, MediaFutures, and the Moleskine Foundation. A Chevening Scholar (2020-21), Gaurav holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Theatre Practice from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, and is a German Chancellor Fellow (2023-24) with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and a Salzburg Global Fellow (2025-26). He has also led arts management workshops for several arts organizations. Gaurav’s expertise spans event management, fundraising, and marketing, with experience in applying for national and international grants. He has previously worked in arts management at organizations like Martin Segal Theater Centre CUNY (United States), The Nursery Theatre (United Kindom), The Little Theatre Group (LTG) Auditorium as well as short-term consultancies with others.

Varoon P. Anand is the Artistic Director of Kaivalya Plays and a facilitator with a diverse background in theatre, journalism, 

and community advocacy, specialising in applied improvisation. Since 2012, Varoon has pioneered the use of applied improvisation for mental health and language learning in India and abroad, utilising theatre games to foster intellectual risk-taking, collaborative practices, and personal growth within participants. Varoon's international reach is demonstrated by his numerous projects and collaborations. From 2014-2024, he received over 20 commissions from the Embassy of Spain, the Embassy of Argentina, the Embassy of Ecuador, and the Instituto Cervantes to adapt Hispanic work for Indian audiences. In 2016-2019, Varoon collaborated with the Instituto Cervantes New Delhi, serving as Cultural Manager and overseeing various cultural events and coordinating artists visiting India from Spain. In 2023, Varoon was awarded the Creativity Pioneers Fund from the Moleskine Foundation, the Arts for Good Fellowship from the Singapore International Foundation and received the Mediafutures Artists for Media grant from the EU's Horizon programme to develop Mining Hate, an interactive improvised performance on online attacks on Indian journalists and disinformation tactics. Mining Hate will perform at the inaugural CAPAS festival in Göttingen in May 2024. In 2024, Varoon received the Cross Cultural Programme Synergy grant from Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen in Germany to collaborate on a new project with Fringe Ensemble in Bonn. Most recently, Varoon was selected for the At-Work Creative Leadership Programme held in Milan in June 2024.

About Kaivalya Plays

Kaivalya Plays is a performing arts and production company led by Varoon P. Anand as its Artistic Director and Gaurav Singh Nijjer as its General Manager. Since 2012, they have built transcultural associations across India and the world. Their artistic work includes original, devised theatre performances that are multilingual, interactive, and hybrid, use technology and media on stage, and are built using techniques of improvisational, documentary, and physical theatre. Through a focus on education, training and community, their work spans diverse offerings of programs across artistic development, language learning, mental health, gender, accessibility, and transcultural collaboration. They have received multiple artistic commissions and grants through their collaborations with Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi, Goethe Institut Delhi, MediaFutures and other cultural partners. Their recent artistic work includes I, Josef (2024), The Pillowman (2024) ABSURDO (2023), Mining Hate (2023), Funes The Memorious (2021), Lifeline 99 99 (2021), Unravel (2019), amongst others. Most recently, they were awarded the Creativity Pioneers Fund 2023 by the Moleskine Foundation. Read more about their work on www.kaivalyaplays.org

About NIV Art Centre

NIV Art Centre, located on the southern edge of New Delhi near the picturesque Aravalli hills, is a creative hub dedicated to advancing plastic arts and new media arts while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural exchange. Providing facilities like artist studios, galleries, theatres, and residencies, it serves as a platform for emerging and established artists to create, exhibit, and engage with audiences. NIV focuses on bridging gaps between creators, distributors, and consumers, supporting artists from underserved regions, and promoting contemporary art practices through a blend of traditional studio disciplines and modern global influences. With a commitment to nurturing creativity and building a legacy for the future, NIV creates opportunities for artistic growth and broader public engagement with art.