Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the Bangladesh Centre of the International Theatre Institute, and the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation jointly observed World Theatre Day 2026 at the National Theatre Hall of BSA on Friday.
The event comprised a procession, a discussion, and an award ceremony under the theme ‘Theatre and a Culture of Peace’.
American actor and theatre-maker Willem Dafoe delivered the World Theatre Day speech this year. In his message he wrote, ‘As an actor and theatre-maker, I remain a believer in the power of theatre. In a world that seems to get more divisive, controlling, and violent, our challenge is to avoid the corruption of theatre solely as a commercial enterprise but rather to foster its strength to connect people, communities, cultures and above all to question where we are going. Through storytelling, aesthetics, language, movement, and scenography—theatre as a total art form can make us see what was, what is, and what our world could be’.
The note was translated into Bangla by Abdus Selim and read at the venue. The Bangladesh speech for World Theatre Day was written by noted researcher and cultural activist Mafidul Haque.
Additionally, renowned dancer and assistant professor of Dhaka University’s dance department, Tamanna Rahman, delivered the World Theatre Day lecture, while Chattogram-based theatre director and organiser Shishir Dutt received the World Theatre Day Award 2026.
In a separate event, Sketch Gallery-Nandan organised a photography exhibition depicting the theatre practices of Chattogram, titled ‘Alokchitre Monchalok Chattogram 1971-2026’.
Curated by Sahriar Hannan, the exhibition was held at the Zila Shilpakala Academy, Chattogram.
