India Theatre Olympiad 2012 in Cuttack

Since 1996, Utkal Yuva Sanskrutik Sangh has been organising India Theatre Olympiad as International Theatre Festival in the miilennium city of Cuttack, Orissa. This annual International Theatre Festival ( Drama, Dance & Music ) is only of its kind in the country and this year it will be held from 12th to 16th October, 2012.

Thirteen countries will take part in the international theatre festival that will be conducted as a part of the 20th Indian Theatre Olympiad here. The Olympiad is organised in the city in September and October each year.

This International event will provide wonderful platform, a small world stage, for countries to strengthen ties with all sections of people of India. Forging bonds through the performing arts, as you know Theatre will be a wonderful tool particularly to help youngsters develop self confidence, self esteem and global understanding of one another. It is also a great way to promote peace, understanding and empathy in an otherwise intolerant world by forge forward national integrity, international amity and universal brotherhood through cross cultural synthesis and social assimilation.

The fortnight-long Indian Theatre Olympiad — a festival of plays in English, Hindi and several regional languages — showcases various trends in Indian amateur theatre every year. However, an international theatre festival consisting of groups from as many as 13 countries remains the special attraction of the Olympiad this year.

Dance, drama and music of countries like Poland, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria and Armenia would be highlights of the international festival along with Bangladesh, Canada, Egypt, Iran, Nepal and South Africa. For the first time in the 20 years of the festival hosted at Cuttack, a cultural team from Pakistan is also expected to take part in the event that will go underway from October 1 to 16. The venues of the Olympiad and festival would be at Sahid Bhawan and Barabati Stadium.