The 25th edition of the festival, arranged by India’s prestigious theatre school National School of Drama, will begin on February 1 in Mumbai and will be held across 15 cities till February 21 with the theme, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Vande Bharangam”.

Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, who recently captivated the audiences with her brilliant performances in the Aarshinagar theatre troupe’s "Siddhartha" in its back-to-back five shows, is all set to make her directorial return to theatre with a play based on the life of children with special needs.

Like William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the plot of the play revolves around two families, who differ from each other in terms of religion in the adapted backdrop of a city in Bangladesh.

The inaugural ceremony, graced by celebrated guests including playwright Mamunur Rashid, actors and actresses Tariq Anam Khan, Bonna Mirza, Salahuddin Lavlu, and Aruna Biswas, marked the commencement of the theatrical affair. Indian artistes Anshuman Bhowmick and Sanchita Bashu added an international flavour to the event, emphasising the cross-cultural significance of the fair.

A cluster of paintings crafted by Bangladeshi author, screenwriter, novelist, dramatist, and journalist Anisul Hoque has been gathered for the orchestration of a solo art exhibition at Galleri Kaya in the capital’s Uttara region.

The Japan Foundation, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, is set to showcase an exhibition titled "NINGYŌ: Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls" at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The term "NINGYŌ" translates to "dolls" in Japanese.

Amongst Padma Shri winners are 47 awardees in the field of arts from 110 total nominees. They are Rezwana Choudhury Bannya (Rabindra Sangeet exponent, Bangladesh), Ratan Kahar (folk singer, lyricist), Ashok Kumar Biswas (artist), Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil (dance exponent), and Pandit Om Prakash Sharma (theatre artiste), amongst 42 others from arts category.

Palestinian art took on a more secular style from the late 19th century with issues related to “identity, memory, location, and resistance.” Artworks depicting Palestinian life also included a repertoire of “politically potent icons like the cactus and metaphors such as Palestine as the motherland.” The territory’s vibrant arts community was a testament to Palestinian resilience, but now it is losing voices central to its spirit.

Under the direction of Shawkat Hossain Sajib, the school will stage the play on Monday, January 29, at 7:00pm at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Theatre Hall. Prachyanat, which is renowned for its socially and politically aware grand theatrical presentations, is going to stage the epic play as part of its biannual school productions.

An eagerly anticipated event by the Drama and Performing Arts Department of Tagore University of Creative Arts (TUCA) is gearing up to present the play "Kritodasher Hashi" today.

Dr Israfeel Shaheen, a noted theatre director and professor at the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka, has many achievements in his bag as a prominent theatre personality who is taking Bangladesh’s folk, indigenous, and improvisational theatrics to the world’s stage. However, besides his commendable accomplishments, he always traces back to his roots and brings forth what we, as Bengalis have to offer centered on our rich cultural genesis and resourcefulness.

"Duality" is an artistic collaboration between Salma Zakia Bristy and her son, Mashrafi Aveen. Each mother shares a unique story with her child, and Bristy is no exception. A visual artist and mother of two, her younger son Aveen has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with ADHD personality traits, as diagnosed by doctors when he was 18 months old.

Popular theatre troupe Aarshinagar is all set to stage one of their crowd-favourite plays, “Siddhartha”. The play, which is the fourth production of the troupe, is adapted from German-Swiss writer and playwright Hermann Hesse’s novel by the same name.

The exhibition "Rising Echoes" at Batighar – Smritite Sharaney Aly Zaker, brings forth a compelling visual narrative capturing the repercussions of climate change and the drawbacks of modern development. Photographer Mrittika Gain and artist Hlubaishu Chowdhuri employ their respective mediums to highlight the challenges faced by communities affected by environmental transformations.

In a poignant tribute to the late Mannan Hira's theatrical legacy, his final written play, "Rongin Chorki", is set to premiere today at 7:00pm in the National Drama Theatre at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Directed by Sajidur Rahman, this play marks the culmination of Mannan Hira's profound contributions to Bangladesh's dramatic arts.

The spring festival began with a captivating dance performance by a prominent Chinese Cultural organisation, the Song and Dance Ensemble of Yunnan Province. Performers created the Hani dance “Divine Bird Flapping Swings of China” at the event.

Ashim Das and Komol Barua adapted the play “Khonj” from Lebanese-Canadian writer and director Wajdi Mouawad’s popular text “Birds of a Kind”. This is going to be the play's 25th production.

Actress Bonna Mirza initiated her acting journey on the stage, despite gaining recognition and popularity through television. She became involved in theatre during her days as a university student, honing her skills and progressing from there. While achieving success on the TV screen, she consistently maintained her connection with the stage.

20 cultural icons and organisations are set to receive the Shilpakala Padak in recognition of their significant contributions to the cultural arena. The Bangladesh Shikpakala Academy (BSA) has been bestowing the prestigious accolade annually since 2013. For the fiscal years 2021 and 2022, a total of 20 individuals and organisations have been selected to be honoured.

The event will consist of performances of ancient Indian classical music and poetry genres in a bid to revive and reinstate its significance in the ever-changing world, confirmed authorities from its organiser, Saudha.