National
Stage set for 8th Theatre Olympics, 30 countries to participate
New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) India is all set to host the eighth edition of the global Theatre Olympics for the first time – that will see participation from 30 countries with performances in cities across the country, over 50 days.
Hosted by the National School of Drama in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, the global theatre festival will have 17 Indian cities hosting 450 shows, 600 ambience performances, and 250 youth forum shows. It will also have more than 25,000 artistes from across the globe participating in the festival.
During the festival two international seminars will be held in Delhi and Mumbai and six national seminars will take place – in Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Varanasi – hosting national and international academicians and scholars with eminent theatre practitioners.
“Many relevant issues which are usually not spoken or not talked about are often expressed and conveyed efficiently through theatre, its appeal is strong. India has got the opportunity to host the 8th Theatre Olympics where the Indian culture will be taken to the world. And I hope the next 50 days of the Theatre festival will help everyone to exchange cultures,” Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said during a press conference here on Tuesday.
During the festival, the plays will be held in Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Imphal, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi.
Countries like Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mauritius, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Britain, and the US will be participating at the Theatre Olympics.
Theatre veterans like Shabana Azmi, Paresh Rawal, Manoj Joshi, Himani Shivpuri, Seema Biswas and Saurabh Shukla will also take part in the festival.
“With this international event, we wish to express our theatre practices, its variations, philosophies and sheer strength of our texts, narratives, and ways of presentation in front of the global audience. The objective is to create a platform for conversation between Indian and global artists with an intent to enrich our collective understanding and expression of art,” Waman Kendre, Director, National School of Drama said.
The festival will be inaugurated at the Red Fort on February 17 and conclude at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai.
The Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 at Delphi, Greece, and since then it has been held seven times in countries like Japan, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, China, and Poland.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.