Ten more retired artistes have been chosen for the scheme. An annual award has also been instituted for the best Shumang Leela artiste aged below 50.
Originally a form of nautanki, Shumang Leela metamorphosed into full-fledged theatre over time.
Acclaimed directors Ratan Thiyam and Aribam Shyam Sharma are just two of the big names to have learned their craft on the Shumang Leela stage.
A unique feature of the art form is that the audience surrounds the stage from all sides. Male artistes not only enact the roles of female characters to perfection, but also sing just like women do.
Hemanta said funds generated by the Shumang Leela festival could be also used to build an auditorium and a shelter for artistes.
The second edition of the festival, however, started on a sad note because award-winning artiste Samurailatpam Devadutta Sharma passed away only last week.