MM News

Karachi: The 4th Tilism Theatre & Dance Festival celebrating 45 years of Tehrik-e-Niswan to be held from 6th to 22nd January at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi.

This was announced during a press conference held at the arts council on Wednesday.

Ms.Sheema Kermani, the founder of Tehreek-e-Niswan, and Mr.Ahmed Shah, President of Arts Council of Pakistan, addressed the presser. They said that Tehrik-e-Niswan, in association with Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, is pleased to present Tilism4 — Theatre and dance Festival to mark 45 years of socially relevant performances.

In 2008 Tehreek-e-Niswan held the 1st Tilism Festival to celebrate 30 years and since then has held many more Festivals. Many of the plays being performed in Tilism4 Festival have been landmarks in the history of theatre and dance in Pakistan.

The Festival includes the presentation of the Urdu version of “Light in the Village”, originally written by Scottish playwright Jo Clifford who will be coming from Great Britain to be present at the Festival. She will be the main speaker at a Conference “Building a Theatre of Love” on Monday 9th Jan followed by 2 performances on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th Jan of her play “Ga’on Mae Roshnr.

Another highlight of,the Festival is the Premiere of the new production “Indar Sabha”. This is a delightful romantic dance and music extravaganza with exquisite costumes, sets and lights. The Festival includes the comedy play “Bherupiya”, the historical “Jinnay Lahore Nahi Vekhya”, the tale of the Sufi poet, dancer, saint Bhagat Ranwar Ram and concludes appropriately on the brilliant dance drama “The Song of Mohenjodaro” to mark 100 years of the discovery of Mohenjodaro.

Tehreek-e-Niswan was formed 45 years ago with the objective to create awareness about women’s rights and to bring about changes in moral, social, patriarchal attitudes towards women and other marginalised communities, through cultural means.