Bhubaneswar, March 13: After music and dance institutes, the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi will now give affiliations to the theatre organisations in the state.

The Akademi will conduct examinations annually and give accreditation certificates.

'Theatre is rapidly gaining popularity in the state. At present, there are a number of institutions in the state that impart training in theatre so it has become necessary to give them recognition from the government. This will help the students passing out of the institutes have an identity of their own,' said Akademi secretary Dhira Mallick.

A special book will also be published that will have addresses and contact numbers of all the institutions accredited by the Akademi.

'This will help newcomers in the field to have an idea about the quality of an institution and also locate the institutions,' Mallick said.

The Akademi will award fellowships to six talented artistes in the field of dance, music and theatre. As a part of the programme, each of the candidates will receive an amount of Rs 2000 for two years.

Also, six child artistes in the age group of five to 14 will receive a stipend of Rs 1,000 for two years.

'The initiative will encourage artistes and will also help them to bear the expenses of their training,' said Mallick.

A special committee will be formed to screen the candidates. They will judge the institution on the basis of parameters such as acting skills of the students.

'After giving the affiliation, we will try to promote the institutions and its meritorious students at various national cultural festivals held across the country,' Mallick said.

That apart, a separate 32-member committee has also been formed. This will be responsible for framing plans for the Akademi.