Call for wholesome entertainment for children

A three-daylong children's theatre festival, titled 'Barisal Bibhagio Shishu Natya Utshab 2011' (Barisal divisional children's theatre festival), began at Barisal Aswani Kimar Hall on Monday evening with a call for wholesome entertainment for children.
The festival has been arranged jointly by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and People's Theatre Association.
Liakat Ali Lucky, secretary general People's Theatre Association, inaugurated the festival.
Advocate Talukdar Md. Yunus, AL lawmaker; SM Arifur Rahman, deputy commissioner, Barisal and president of district Shilpakala Academy; Sahan Ara Begum, cultural organizer; KM Mohsin, former director, drama of Shilpakala Academy and Faruk Hossain, member secretary of the festival organising committee addressed the gathering at the inaugural ceremony. The programme was presided over by Syed Dulal, convener of the festival organising committee.
A rally also made its way through the city roads as part of the inaugural ceremony Monday evening.
Speakers and participants of the festival pressed for the implementation of their 11-point demands, including regular financial grants; available theatre stage in the upazila and educational institutions; arranging annual national and biannual international theatre festivals for youngsters in the country; allotment of a plot in Dhaka for the office complex of People's Theatre; assistance in organising country-wide scholarships; training and workshops for organisers, performers and directors of children's theatre; introducing national medals for this sector and construction of a children's theatre institute in the country.
Six theatre groups and two cultural organisations from Dhaka, Barisal, Patuakhali and Barguna will stage six dramas and two dance-dramas at the Aswani Kumar Hall in the city from Monday to Wednesday.
'Bikoshito Shishu, Alokito Agami' (flourishing children, enlightened future) was the slogan of the festival, calling for the creation of a new stream of healthy entertainment for the children, encouraging them to become good citizens, said the convener of the festival committee.
Peoples Theatre of Dhaka, Barisal Shishu Theatre, Prantik Sangeet Bidyalaya, Khelghar of Barisal city, Natun Mukh of Barisal, Sundarom Children's Theatre of Patuakhali and Barguna Little Theatre will stage plays at 6:30pm everyday at the festival, said the organisers.