‘Theatre in Education Centre’: Is art revival on cards in Kashmir?

  Srinagar: Post Unlock 2.0, theatre activities have once again picked up in Kashmir.

Last month, the Valley saw several theatre-related performances as part of the ‘iconic week’ celebrations. Among other performances, an Urdu play ‘Jheel Bula Rahi Hai’ written by the late Ali Mohammad Lone and directed by Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan at the Sher-I-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on Friday last was well received by the theatre-starved audience. 

And in a big boost to the theatre in Kashmir, the National School of Drama (NSD) on Saturday kickstarted a Theatre in Education Centre (TIE) that will offer one-year diploma courses. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and NSD chairman Paresh Rawal jointly inaugurated the centre during a function held at the Tagore Hall. 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding holding of theatre activities was signed between Secretary Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), and NSD Acting Director Dinesh Khanna. 

Now, the Actors’ Creative Theatre (ACT) yesterday kick-started a five days theatre workshop in Srinagar. Well-known theatre actor and director Tarique Hameed, who is a faculty member at the Shri Ram Centre, New Delhi, is the director of the workshop. 

“For me conducting workshops for these aspiring actors is a job, in which I tell them what I have learnt all these years and in return learn from them. They may not know that I learnt from their expressions, the way they talk, move etc. but I can use it for my character portrayal in my field, Theatre,” he said.

 Mushtaque Ali Ahmad Khan, Chairman & Creative Director of Actors’ Creative Theatre (ACT), said “I am very happy to organise such activities of performing arts in my own region. It gives aspiring theatre Artists a chance to learn more about this art. I will continue to take such initiatives in future as well,” he said.