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- Title
Social Theatre in Bangladesh.
- Authors
Ahsan, Nazmul
- Abstract
This article describes the type of theater employed by the Loke Nattya O Sanskritik Unnayan Kendro (LOSAUK), a people's organization for sociocultural development. LOSAUK use jatra and khaner gan, two Bengali performance forms, to raise social awareness and advocate change in Bangladesh. LOSAUK was set up in 1987 in Khulna, a port city in the southwest of Bangladesh. LOSAUK from its inception has emphasized mobilization for social change. To accomplish this, LOSAUK uses theatre as its main tool--theater that is both socially responsible and entertaining. People listen to the actors, enjoy their performances, and in the process learn what can be done to improve their own lives. LOSAUK trained a cultural team to perform in the open-air. The first type of program was a research-based program that entertained the audience but was not participatory. LOSAUK gradually changed its method, developing a network with local community based organizations and the local cultural organizations. LOSAUK conducted a good number of workshops and street theater performances for them. There was plenty of interaction with audiences as well as follow-up meetings. In 1997, LOSAUK changed its way of working, organizing a Theater for Development (TFD) workshop linked to the University of Dhaka and King Alfred's College in the United Kingdom.
- Subjects
KHULNA (Bangladesh); BANGLADESH; THEATER; PERFORMING arts; THEATER &; society
- Publication
TDR: The Drama Review (MIT Press), 2004, Vol 48, Issue 3, p50
- ISSN
1054-2043
- Publication type
Literary Criticism
- DOI
10.1162/1054204041667776