Shilpakala Academy


Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is the principal state-sponsored national cultural center of Bangladesh.

History

It is the national academy of fine and performing arts. The academy was established through an act of Parliament in 1974 as a statutory organization under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. But subsequently the Act of 1974 of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy was amended through a new act of Parliament in 1989. The academy is headed by a Director General.
The overall direction for the functioning of the academy is provided by an Executive Council headed by the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The Director General of the academy is responsible for its administration. He is also responsible for the implementation of decisions taken by the council. He is assisted in his work by an executive committee which is elected by the Council.
The duties and responsibilities of the academy include promotion of the arts and national culture and creation of necessary facilities for their development. The activities of the academy also include organizing workshops, seminars, discussion meetings, short-term specialized trainings, providing scholarships and financial grants for talented artists, organizing competitions in the various field of fine and performing arts.

District branches

To extend its reach throughout the country, the academy has set up branches in most districts. The branches arrange district-level festivals, programs, and training in various fine and performing arts.
The branch in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second largest city and headquarters of the eponymous district, grew out of the private-sector art gallery Chattagram Kalabhaban. The gallery was founded by artist and professor Rashid Choudhury in 1972, two years before the national academy came into being.