ASIAN THEATRE SUMMIT
Asian Theatre Summit 2017:
The summit was initiated by the International Amateur Theatre Association’s (IATA) Regional Centre, organised by People’s Theatre Association (PTA) collaboration with BSA and assisted by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. In the sessions of the summit, representatives of various countries will discuss on their country’s culture, while some papers will also be presented along with discussion on them. The two day summit also features a number of presentations of Bangladesh’s Baul music, Charja dance, Gaudiya dance, children’s dance and theatre, foreign plays, various traditional forms of Bangladeshi plays, video festival and jatra pala. Participants from India, Indonesia, China, Laos, Philippine, Nepal, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia will also present their performances.
The summit has been organised to strengthen communication between theatre organizations, theatre activists, researchers and scholars of the Asia region, create scope for mutual cooperation and to establish the rich theatre heritage of Asia in the world.
An essay titled ‘Theatre of Asia’ by theatre experts will be published at the summit. As a part of the summit, an Asian video theatre festival will be held at the International Digital Cultural Archive of BSA, while a children’s art exhibition by child artists of participating countries will be held at National Art Gallery of BSA on May 5 and 6.
Asian Theatre Summit 2018:
The three-day long conference was inaugurated on October 5 at the National Theater Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka. The conference titled “Asian Theater Summit" has brought together theatre practitioners and researchers from Bangladesh and six other countries of Asia. It has been arranged by International Amateur Theatre Association (IATA), Asian Regional Center, Peoples Theatre Association and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
During the inauguration present among the prolific exponents were India’s independent performing artist Rabijita Gogoi; Singapore’s founding director of Chinese Opera Institute, Chua Soo Pong; Japanese Professor Yasu Nagata; Philippine Professor Jimmy Fong; Chan Kam Kwen, Chen Ya Jinn and Kwao Xing Ping from China; Professor Dr Mohammad Kasem Kahdahi from Dhaka’s Iranian Cultural Center. Also present were thespian Ataur Rahman, International Theatre Institute president Ramendu Mazumdar and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky.
After the inaugural session representatives from different participating countries presented an insight into theatre practices in their respective countries. After this session the cultural session followed which started with the melody of flute rendered by artist Moniruzzaman. Two choreographies were then presented, one by artistes from indigenous community and another to the tune of “Mangal Hok Ei Shatak-E" by artistes of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
