The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the 8th Global Theatre Olympics on 17th February, 2018 at the majestic Red Fort in New Delhi. This Global Theatre Festival is being held in India for the first time. Due to magnitude of the event, it has been termed ‘Natya Mahakumbh’.
Where: The 51 days long event will travel to 17 Indian cities with 450 shows, 600 ambience performances and 250 power packed youth forum shows. 25000 artists from across the globe will participate in the festival which will conclude on 08th April, 2018 with a grand ceremony at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai.
Who is the host: The theatrical extravaganza is being hosted in India by the National School of Drama under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Theme of the event: The theme of the 8th Theatre Olympics is “Flag of Friendship” that aims to bridge borders and bring people of different cultures, beliefs and ideologies together through the medium of theatrical art. Budget: The 8th Theatre Olympics is being organized with a budget of Rs.51.81 Crore and the performances will be held in 30 Indian languages, 15 foreign languages as well as non-verbal languages.
Who are the Participants: Participants from 30 countries including Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mauritius, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, U.K and U.S.A would showcase their acumen in theatre.
Play: During the festival, plays will be held in Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Imphal, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, Thiruvananthapuram and Varanasi.
How India will benefit: This illustrious event provides a unique opportunity for cultural exchange through the medium of theatrical art.
- With this international event, India will express its theatre practices, its variations, philosophies and the sheer strength of its texts, narratives and ways of presentation in front of a global audience.
- In return India will extend its arms to welcome the practices, ideologies and philosophies of visiting performers. Objective: The objective of this grand event is to create a platform for conversation between voices of Indian and global artists with an intent to enrich our collective understanding and expression of art.
What is Theatre Olympics?
- The Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 at Delphi, Greece.
- Being an international theatre festival, the Theatre Olympics presents some of the greatest theatre practitioners from around the world.
- It is a platform for theatrical exchange, a gathering place for students and masters, where a dialogue despite ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged.
- Since 1993, the Theatre Olympics has been held seven times in the following countries: Japan (1999), Russia (2001), Turkey (2006), South Korea (2010), China (2014), Poland (2016). This most awaited event of world theatre in India attempts to bring all the creative minds from across the globe to this ‘Natya Mahakumbh’.
About The National School of Drama
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- The National School of Drama is the torchbearer of theatre in India and has trained some of the most respected actors and theatre stalwarts of all time.
- Established in 1959, it has a proud legacy spanning over six decades of theatrical perfection. Hosting the 8th Theatre Olympics adds another feather to the cap of this history institution
