The School of Drama and Fine Arts (SDFA), Thrissur, will organise the first-ever International Festival of Theatre Schools here from February 1.
Eminent actor Naseeruddin Shah will inaugurate the five-day festival of theatre pedagogy on the SDFA campus. The festival has been conceived as an annual programme in connection with the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) which will begin this year from February 5.
The event is aimed at providing a platform for sharing different perspectives on theatre pedagogies across the world, said Abhilash Pillai, director of SDFA.
“As a practical and complex art form, theatre deserves thorough and analytical studies. Unfortunately, our teachers and scholars of theatre give little attention to its pedagogy. And, of course, they might not have received any specific training orientation in theatre pedagogy. The first-ever International Festival of Theatre Schools of the SDFA is trying to formulate some processes for teaching theatre,” said Mr. Pillai.
The essential function of a theatre teacher is the proper recognition of a distinctive and artistic talent in all respects. They should recognise, nurture and develop that talent. It is essential to re-design and re-formulate the aesthetic strategies and artistic structures, particularly in making the curriculum, he noted.
“We hope that the contents of this festival will spark more interest in our diverse teaching methodologies and complex discipline,” said the organisers.
