Sanket Trust

Sanket Trust is a non-profit theatre organization established in 1992 in Bengaluru, India. It was formed by a group of theatre enthusiasts, including people associated with the Sanket theatre group and its work with Shankar Nag and Arundhati Nag. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial theatre company, the Trust functions as an institutional and administrative vehicle for theatre presentation, venue management, and the development of performing-arts infrastructure. The Trust’s principal activity is the administration of Ranga Shankara, a Bengaluru theatre venue established in 2001 as an initiative of Sanket Trust. Ranga Shankara was created to address the shortage of suitable, accessible performance spaces for theatre practitioners and audiences. Its stated purpose has been to bring local and international productions to Bengaluru audiences at affordable prices while making a professionally equipped venue available to theatre groups at comparatively affordable rent. Sanket Trust’s governance has combined theatre expertise with administrative experience. Playwright and actor Girish Karnad served as chairman, while actor and theatre practitioner Arundhati Nag served as managing trustee. The board has also included theatre personalities and administrative specialists. Beyond its formal trustees, the organization has been advised by theatre activists from across India. This wider advisory network meets as needed to review Ranga Shankara’s activities, discuss operational and artistic questions, and share ideas about the development of theatre in the country. The Trust is therefore best understood as a cultural and theatre-management organization rather than as a consumer-facing brand. Its public identity is closely connected to Ranga Shankara, whose programming and venue operations provide a platform for theatre companies, performers, directors, and audiences. The organization’s work has focused on sustaining a dedicated theatre ecosystem in Bengaluru: presenting performances, enabling touring and local productions, and supporting access to a purpose-built performing-arts space. Available reference material does not identify a commercial parent, public listing, revenue figures, or a separate product portfolio. It also does not provide a current executive roster beyond the historically documented roles of Girish Karnad and Arundhati Nag. The Trust’s continuing status is inferred from its ongoing association with Ranga Shankara, while detailed current governance and operating information require further verification.

Sanket Trust was established in 1992 in Bengaluru by a group of theatre lovers. Many of those involved had previously worked with Shankar Nag and Arundhati Nag through the Sanket theatre group. The Trust was created as a non-profit institutional framework for advancing theatre activity rather than as a conventional commercial production company. From its early years, the organization brought together practitioners from the theatre world and people with administrative expertise. Girish Karnad served as chairman, and Arundhati Nag served as managing trustee. Its governance model also incorporated an informal advisory circle of theatre activists from different parts of India. This group was intended to provide practical and artistic guidance, meeting when necessary to assess activities and exchange ideas. The Trust’s most significant institutional development came in 2001 with the establishment of Ranga Shankara. The venue was launched as a Sanket Trust initiative to strengthen Bengaluru’s theatre infrastructure. Its aims included presenting local and international performances to audiences at affordable prices and providing theatre groups with access to a suitable performance space at affordable rent. Ranga Shankara consequently became the main public expression of the Trust’s mission. Through its administration of Ranga Shankara, Sanket Trust has occupied a distinctive position in Indian theatre. It has connected venue management, programming, audience access, and support for theatre companies within a non-profit structure. The organization’s work has been particularly significant in the context of Bengaluru’s theatre community, where a dedicated and accessible venue can support both established and emerging productions. The available historical material does not document a detailed chronology of individual productions, fundraising campaigns, financial results, changes in trusteeship, or later institutional reforms. It does establish the Trust’s founding in 1992, the creation of Ranga Shankara in 2001, and the continuing relationship between the Trust and the venue. Current leadership and operational details should be verified through up-to-date organizational sources.

• 2001

  Ranga Shankara is established

  [1]Sanket Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Sanket Trust establishes Ranga Shankara as a theatre venue intended to host local and international performances and provide theatre groups with affordable performance space.

• 1992

  Sanket Trust is established

  [1]Sanket Trusten.wikipedia.org

  A group of theatre enthusiasts, including people connected with the Sanket theatre group and the work of Shankar Nag and Arundhati Nag, establishes the non-profit trust in Bengaluru.

A non-profit theatre institution focused on accessible performance, professional venue management, and support for theatre practitioners in Bengaluru and India.

• Theatre venue and cultural institution · 2001

  Ranga Shankara

  Ranga Shankara is the principal theatre initiative administered by Sanket Trust. Established in 2001, it was created to expand access to live theatre in Bengaluru by presenting local and international performances at affordable prices. The venue also provides theatre groups with a dedicated performance space offered at affordable rent, supporting the production and circulation of theatrical work.

1. 1Sanket Trusten.wikipedia.org