School of Drama & Fine Arts, University of Calicut was established in 1977 is a prime institution in India giving academic training in the theatrical and practical aspects of Drama & Theatre.  This institution offers B.T.A. (Batchelor of Theatre Arts), M.T.A. (Master of Theatre Arts), M.A. (Music) and M.Phil/Ph.D.  The students are exposed to the glorious history of Theatre and different schools of Theatre Practice.  The creative aspects of performing arts such as Play Writing, Acting, Direction, Technical Designing, etc. are the thrust areas in the teaching process.  Our Classical and Folk traditions are explored here along with the present global trends in contemporary drama. The school organizes international placements. The productions of the School as well as its Alumni now create a new visual idiom and sensibility in Theatre, Film, Media and Academics. G.Sankara Pillai, S. Ramanujam, Kavalam Narayan Panicker, VayalaVadudevan Pillai,G. Kumara Verma, Venu G, Mokeri Ramachandran, Jalaja Vama, Shibu S. Kottaram, Smt. Najumul Shahi, Vinod Narayanan, S. Sunil, Sri. Sreejith Ramanan etc. are illustrious personalities were/are leading forces of the department.

           School of Drama is responsible for initiating the modern and contemporary visual language of Malayalam Theatre & film and created a niche in international platform of theatre and film. By exploring our rich classical and folk tradition, school of drama produced important theatre productions in the scenario for Indian and world theatre.  Department organises extension programs like workshops for school and university students in national level, physically and mentally differently abled, child homes, correction home, mental health centres and professional and amateur theatre practitioners.

           “CULT” - Calicut University Little Theatre is the repertory of the department which produce plays annually and perform in interior areas and important festivals by accommodating alumni.“CART” Children’s art and recreational theatre is a residential workshop for children organised as an annual event.   We   had   countable  international   collaborations   with  theatre departments and companies of U.K, United States, Europe, Africa, Asian and South Asian countries. Collaboration with Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademy, in conduct of International theatre festival of Kerala, each year is a prime professional activity of the department. The department collaborated with Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi for conducting theatre workshop for “Transgenders”for first time in India - 2018.

Major International collaborations since 2000 

• Stage publication of Saketham in various venues of Japan in association with Japan foundation of Asian Centre in 2000-2001
• Collaborative theatre workshop and stage publication of the play “Palm grove trees” with students and Faculty of Saint Martins college London – 2005
• Collaborative theatre workshop and stage publication with travelling theatre group from Germany - 2006
• Indo – Korean folk festival, collaborating with Korean centre Chennai - 2008
• Stage publication of Indo-spanish theatre workshop at School Of drama – “Leela- Ramas Play” in collaboration with Casa -De-La-India Spain and Kerala SangeethaNatakaAkademi – 2011
• Collaborative theatre workshop on “physical comedy” with 14 students and a faculty member – Andrea Kusumano, from Central Saint Martin Collage London and performance of stage publication “Pinocchio” – 2011
• Mime workshop and stage publication in collaboration with Elena Kudros and team from France - 2012
• “Navarasa project” a collaborative workshop by Anna Debos and team from France – 2015
• Collaborative Indo Korean music workshop and performance with Korean Center, Chennai – 2015
• Collaborative workshop with students and faculty from Hunter college, City University, New York - 2016
• Association with the International theatre festival of Kerala from 2008 to 2018:
  • School Of Drama & Fine Arts As a Venue and performed international stage publications
  • Faculty members acted as Festival Director, Festival Technical Director, coordinators of workshops & Seminars, Paper presenters
  • Students participated in workshops, seminars and worked in technical, hospitality, stage management, box-office and festival bulletin departments
  • International stage publications of the department
    • “The birthday party” – Director: Dr. S. Sunil-2011
    • “Mahabharatha” – Director: SreejithRamanan - 2017
    • “Transformation” – Director: V. N Vinod – 2018
    • “Death Match”-director: SarathRevathi – 2018
• Apart from this more than 350 renowned theatre practitioners and academics from The United States, Europe, Africa, Asia and South Asia collaborated with School Of Drama for directing plays, conducting various theatre workshops, lectures etc. (Including Smt. Maya Thangborg from Finland in 1979 to Sri. Manuel Layola from Chile in 2018)

International stage publications performed in the department

• “Saketham” – 2000 – 2001
• “Palm Grove Trees” – U K – India - 2005
• “Leela Rama’s play” – Spain and India – 2011
• “Pinocchio”- London and India – 2012
• “Macbeth” – England and India - 2012
• “Imaging “O” – Unisted States - 2012
• “Malai Man and his father” – Singapore -2018
• “zigzig” – Egypt – 2018
• “three penny” – Chile and India – 2018

Renowned alumni

• Jose Chirammel – Theatre practitioner
• Shyama Prasad – Film Maker
• NaripattaRaju – Theatre Practiotioner
• Raghoothaman - Actor
• Renjith – Film Maker
• V K Praksh – Film Maker
• SandhyaRajendran – Actor
• Sreelatha – Actor & Director
• Alex Kadavil – Producer
• Vindhyan- Producer
• KukkuParameswaran - actor
• Roysten Abel – performance Maker
• Abhilash Pillai- performance Maker
• Rajesh touch river – film maker &scenographer
• K.S Sreenath- writer, director & scholar
• Suveeran – Theatre & film director
• Manjulan- Actor & Director
• DeepanSivaraman – Director &Scenographer
• Jyothish – Actor & Director
• ShankerVenkiteswaran – Theator Director 
• P Balachandran – Director /Playwright/Actor/Script writer in Film and Theatre
  
• Manu Jose – Actor (Film and Theatre) and Story Teller.
  

FUTURE PLANS 

• International collaborations with other groups and institutions
• Extension programmes for seminar theatre persons without academic background
• Commencements of MA in Fine Arts and Dance.
• Conduct of International festival for theatre school
• Establishment of Theatre Park
• Commencement of Diploma courses.
• Development of Infrastructure and technical requirements.
• Updation of Theatre Technology to the state of Art.