Editor,
I recently read a piece in the readers’ forum questioning the state’s International Theatre Festival, and the points raised deserve serious attention.
The most striking observation was the disconnect between the festival’s grand scale and the actual state of theatre in our region. If theatre culture barely exists here, why are we hosting an ‘international’ festival? It does seem counterintuitive – like celebrating something we haven’t yet built.
The writer’s point about organisers only producing work when festival funding is available also stood out. If these are supposed to be theatre practitioners leading the charge, shouldn’t they be creating work throughout the year, not just during one sponsored week?
What really resonated was the lack of involvement from schools and colleges across districts. If the goal is truly to develop theatre culture, wouldn’t it make sense to engage young people and spread the opportunity beyond a centralised group? Building culture requires widespread participation, not exclusive showcases.
The writer isn’t against the festival itself, but is asking for it to actually serve its stated purpose. That seems like a fair demand. If public funds are being used, there should be transparency about impact and genuine effort towards year-round cultural development, rather than an annual spectacle.
These are legitimate concerns that I hope the organisers and relevant authorities will address openly.
A regular reader