Shilpakala: Whimsically cancelalation of hall allocation outrages theater workers

Last March, the theater group ‘Tarua’ applied to book the National Theatre Hall of Shilpakala Academy for three days to stage an anti-war play titled ‘All Quiet on the Western Front.’ Following their application, they were granted the hall for April 22, 23, and 24 respectively. Accordingly, the troupe conducted rehearsals and sold tickets to the audience. However, on Sunday, they were informed without any explanation that the booking for April 23 had been canceled.

In a letter sent to Tarua, Shilpakala said, "Due to unavoidable circumstances and by administrative order, it is not possible to provide the final allocation of the National Theatre Main Hall for the theater organization (Tarua) on April 23. We sincerely regret this." This incident is not unique to Tarua; the Shilpakala administration has taken similar actions against several other theater groups and cultural organizations, recently.

Those involved in the theater industry say that this practice of suddenly canceling hall allocations will socially detach the country’s theater practice from its audience. The proud position of regular theater performances through ticket sales, which has been established since the Liberation War, is being damaged.

Renowned theater personality Mamunur Rashid said, "If hall allocations are canceled so suddenly, the habits of the audience are disrupted. Cultural organizations face various complications, including financial losses. Such irrational behavior is unacceptable in any way." Mamunur Rashid also noted that the Aranyak Natyadal was similarly granted an allocation for April 14-16, which was later canceled.

"We had booked the hall for the staging of Aranyak’s production ‘Company’ on Pohela Boishakh. Later, we were informed that Shilpakala would organize its own New Year program, and our allocation was canceled. We were told we would be given a hall the following month," said Mamunur Rashid.

Explanation and compensation demanded from Shilpakala

Bakar Bakul, head of the theater troupe Tarua and director of the play "All Quiet on the Western Front," told Agamir Somoy, "Our play utilizes a large-scale set, which requires significant time for technical rehearsals. We were scheduled for a technical rehearsal on April 22, with ticketed performances sold for April 23 and 24. However, just three days before the show, the allocation for April 23 was canceled without any explanation."

"This sudden decision has caused financial losses and damaged our relationship with audience members who already purchased tickets. Such a decision isn't just harmful to one troupe—it is detrimental to the theater industry and audience culture, which are already in crisis. It is unacceptable for the National Theatre Hall, which is designated for staging plays, to have its scheduled dates canceled like this," Bakar Bakul added. Holding Shilpakala Academy responsible for the damages, he demanded a proper explanation, a remedy, and financial compensation.

Alok Basu, a theater personality who had purchased an advance ticket for the April 23 show, expressed his disappointment to Agamir Somoy: "Tarua apologized and asked me to watch the play on the 24th. I will have to enjoy it the following day, but such irresponsible behavior from Shilpakala is harmful to overall theater practices. Many audience members might become detached from theater due to such arbitrary actions."

Apu Mehedi, playwright and executive editor of the theater magazine Khapa, stated, "If Shilpakala cancels a hall allocation so abruptly, they must issue a public notice explaining the reason and provide the affected troupe with at least triple the financial subsidy."

"After taking payment for a hall allocation, Shilpakala cannot simply cancel it whenever they please. If an allocation is canceled for a specific reason, that explanation should be made public. The audience members who bought tickets have a right to know why the performance was canceled," Apu Mehedi said.

Tarua announced that they have apologized to the audiences who bought tickets for the April 23 show and have arranged for ticket refunds.

Shilpakala has halted events mid-way before

Previously, on December 19, Shilpakala Academy halted the conference of the Bangladesh Street Mime Association mid-way. The Association stated in a press release that their two-day conference and National Street Mime Festival began at 9:30 AM in the seminar room of the National Theatre. Just an hour and a half later, at 11:00 AM, the Shilpakala authorities declared all programs suspended.

Representatives from 20 organizations across various districts, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rangpur, and Gazipur, had attended the conference. Participating groups included Pantomime Movement, Silent Theatre, Natyatori, Mukta Bihanga, Pradipta Pantomime, Muktamancha Nirbak Dal, Mime Tales, Mime for Children, Mime Face, Nimajjan, Naogaon Mime Theatre, Swapnik, and Puran.

Agamir Somoy spoke with several members of Shilpakala's hall allocation committee on Monday to find out why Tarua’s allocation was canceled. None of them agreed to comment on the record.

An official from Shilpakala’s Drama and Film Department told Agamir Somoy that they conveyed this decision to Tarua after receiving orders from higher authorities. Another event will take place in the hall that day. Several Shilpakala officials noted that, recently, various non-theater events are being held at the National Theatre Hall based on ministry recommendations, which they say violates the hall’s policy.

Shilpakala Director General Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed did not answer multiple phone calls seeking comment on the matter.

In the words of theater personality Mamunur Rashid, "The National Theatre Hall was built specifically for the development of drama. Shilpakala has other auditoriums in the Gallery and Music buildings for non-theater events. Organizing other programs in the Theatre Hall disrupts the natural momentum of theater practice. This should not be done."