Regional children's theatre festival at Dinajpur

Artistes perform at the programme.

At the three-day regional children's theatre festival at Dinajpur organised by Peoples Theatre Association (PTI), 20 local troupes participated. Children from the ethnic minority groups also staged theatre performances at the festival, which continued from August 28 to 30 at Setabjang Pauroshova Auditorium, Dinajpur.
Claiming the festival "a huge success", Liaquat Ali Lucky, secretary general of PTI, told The Daily Star that performances by the troupes of children, especially those representing the ethnic minority groups, at the festival were vibrant. He said, "Children of Oraon and Santal communities participated at the festival."
Lucky further informed that apart from the privileged and underprivileged Bengali children, PTI and Regenerative Action for Kaleidoscopic Human Activity and Learning (Rakhal) have been jointly focusing on the ethnic minority children since 2005.
Liaquat Ali Lucky is also the secretary general of Rakhal. Lucky said, "Our aim is to protect the unique cultural heritages of the ethnic minority groups in the country. Through theatre performances we are trying to provide space to the ethnic groups along with Bengali children."
"We have several member groups run by ethnic communities at different corners of the country," he added.
On the latest achievement of PTI, Lucky informed that PTA's sister concern Peoples Little Theatre's production Alo participated at the Moscow International Children's Theatre Festival. Liaquat Ali Lucky led the 12-member troupe.
"Our production, Alo, written by Leela Majumder and directed by Yasmin Ali, was appreciated at the festival at which children's theatre troupes from different corners of the globe took part," Lucky said.
Liaquat Ali Lucky believes that to ensure a better future for children's theatre in the country, theatre practices should be encouraged at the school level.
PTA and Rupantor jointly organised a policy advocacy seminar recently at which a plan for the development of theatre practice at schools was chalked out.