Budhan Theatre
Theatre for Community Development
Theatre Festivals Organized by Budhan Theatre
Ahmedabad Theatre Festival
February 24-26, 2012
What: Three day theatre festival organized by Budhan Theatre to showcase the plays of 28 organizations around India. The festival came to be the biggest theatre festival ever in the state of Gujarat. The festival featured 7 states and plays in 7 languages - Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Illahabadi, and Bengali.
Who: Organized by Budhan Theatre. We invited 28 organizations from all over India to perform their plays. Over 7,000 people watched these plays during the 3 day festival.
Where: The plays were performed at six different venues around Ahmedabad, including community spaces where theatre was never before performed.
When: February 24-26, 2012
How: The festival was supported by the Ford Foundation and Bhasha Research and Publication Centre.
Why: The festival was organized to display various socially relevant plays from all over India, including political plays, social dramas, and traditional plays. At the culmination of the festival, Budhan Theatre expressed that after hundreds of years of hatred from the citiy, we were responding with love through theatre. Having run the organization for twelve years, it was now civil society's responsibility to step up and participate. Many people came forward upon this call for support.
Black Comedy Theatre Festival
May 11-12, 2012
What: Two day theatre festival organized by Budhan Theatre, featuring four plays: Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo, Bakari by Sarveshar Dayal Sexena, Bade Bhaisaabby Munshi Premchand, and Dayashankar ki Diary.
Who: Organized by Budhan Theatre. 18 DNT communities participated in the festival, and over 300 people watched the plays.
When: May 11-12, 2012
Where: Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad
How: The first ticketed show put on by Budhan Theatre, the festival brought in over 25,000 rupees.
Why: To showcase four socially and politically charged plays. At the festival, many DNT leaders met from different parts of Gujarat and formed a committee to lobby with the state government for the rights of DNTs.
Media Coverage on Black Comedy Theatre Festival
From Proscenium to Pol – Times of India
City of Savour Some Black Comedy – DNA
The political power of the play – Times of India
It pays to good show theatre – DNA