BangladeshTheatreCaravan2026
Rising Tides, Reinventing the Roots
A Festival That Connects Rural & the Capital
Bangladesh Theatre Caravan brings together theatre, culture, heritage, and environmental consciousness across South Asia through performance, research, dialogue, and collective practice. At a critical crossroads, it explores ecological crisis, cultural erosion, and heritage loss while reconnecting with our shared roots to imagine a sustainable, resilient future.
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26–29 December 2026
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Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi
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6 Bangladeshi, 4 international
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Across the three districts
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Main venue: Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
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Chittagong & Rajshahi, 27–29 Dec
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One session, in Dhaka
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Food, crafts and kiosks
Rising Tides, Reinventing the Roots
From the crisis of our time, we turn to our roots; not to return, but to move forward anew.
Regional Artistic Exchange
Ten theatre teams, six Bangladeshi and four international, meet across five venues in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi to exchange artistic practices, perspectives, stories and experiences across borders.
Living Heritage Activation
Sixteen folk forms on the main stage at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, with open-stage performances in Chittagong and Rajshahi, bringing marginalised performance traditions back into view, reconnecting with South Asia's living cultural traditions, indigenous knowledge and heritage practices to explore how they can be preserved, re-imagined and made relevant today.
Ecological & Social Reflection
Creating dialogue around environmental and social challenges, exploring the relationship between nature, culture, communities and sustainable ways of living through theatre and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Three districts. Five theatre venues.
Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi: five theatre venues, the main folk stage at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and a local mela in every district.
Theatre venues
- Main Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
- Experimental Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
- Nat-mandal, University of Dhaka
- Shilpakala Academy, Chittagong
- Shilpakala Academy, Rajshahi
Ten teams, six Bangladeshi and four international, perform across these five halls.
Folk programme
- Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
The main folk programme runs in Dhaka only. Chittagong and Rajshahi hold short open-stage performances before the theatre shows.
Masterclasses
- Chittagong
- Rajshahi
27–29 December, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, led by the directors of the previous day's productions.
Talk session
- Dhaka
Three subjects in one session, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Local melas & stalls
- Dhaka
- Chittagong
- Rajshahi
Local food, crafts, kiosks and related cultural offerings in every festival district.
- 4
- Festival days
- 3
- Districts
- 5
- Theatre venues
- 10
- Theatre teams
Five components. One continuous act.
Theatre, the folk programme, melas, masterclasses and a talk session, across three districts in four days.
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Theatre Productions
Six Bangladeshi teams. Four from abroad.
The spine of the festival. Ten theatre teams, six from Bangladesh and four from abroad, perform across five venues in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi.
10 Teams5 Venues3 DistrictsTheatre→ - 2
Folk Programme
Sixteen folk forms, gathered on one stage.
The main folk programme takes place exclusively at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, presenting sixteen folk forms. In Chittagong and Rajshahi, short, small-scale open-stage performances are held before the theatre shows.
16 Folk forms1 Main venue2 Open-stage districtsFolk Programme→ - 5
Masterclasses
Mornings with the previous night's directors.
Masterclasses run in Chittagong and Rajshahi across three mornings, facilitated by the directors of the previous day's theatre productions.
2 Districts3 Days2h Each morningMasterclasses→ - 3
Local Melas & Stalls
Local food, crafts and kiosks beside every stage.
Local melas run alongside the festival in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi, with local food, crafts, kiosks and related cultural offerings.
3 Districts4 Days3 Stall typesMelas→ - 4
Talk Session
Three subjects, one morning, in Dhaka.
A talk session in Dhaka takes up three subjects: the creative economy as a cross-cultural initiative and public-private partnership, climate justice and the cultural response to it, and aggressive urbanization against the preservation of South Asian heritage.
3 Topics1 Session3h DurationTalk Session→
Ten teams on five stages.
Six Bangladeshi teams and four international teams perform across five venues in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi.
- 26–29 December 2026
- Dhaka · Chittagong · Rajshahi
- Six Bangladeshi teams and four international teams.
Sixteen Folk Forms. One Main Stage.
The main folk programme of BTC 2026 takes place exclusively at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, presenting sixteen folk forms.
Sixteen folk forms are presented on the main stage in Dhaka across the four days of the festival, giving traditions that rarely reach a national stage a room of their own.
In Chittagong and Rajshahi, short, small-scale open-stage performances are organised before the theatre shows, so audiences arriving for a production meet the folk programme first.
Local Melas & Stalls
Local melas run alongside the festival in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi, with local food, crafts, kiosks and related cultural offerings.
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Local food
Regional kitchens and street food from the host district
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Crafts
Local craft makers selling their own work
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Kiosks
Kiosks and related cultural offerings beside the stages
- 26–29 December 2026
- Alongside the festival programme
- Income for local makers, vendors and food sellers in all three districts.
Three subjects, one morning, in Dhaka.
A talk session in Dhaka takes up three subjects: the creative economy as a cross-cultural initiative and public-private partnership, climate justice and the cultural response to it, and aggressive urbanization against the preservation of South Asian heritage.
- During the festival
- Dhaka · 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- A public conversation on the questions the festival is built around.
Masterclasses in Chittagong and Rajshahi
Three mornings of masterclasses, held in Chittagong and Rajshahi and facilitated by the directors of the previous day's theatre productions, so the room works with the person whose production it watched the night before.
2
3
10 AM
2h
- 27–29 December 2026
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Led by the directors whose work the room watched the night before.
What the caravan leaves behind.
Audience, broadcast, publication and the institutional record of a festival built to return every year.
0K+
Live attendees
5 venues · 4 days · 3 districts
2–0M
TV viewers
National audience
0M+
Social impressions
Across platforms
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Streaming
Online & live stream
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Countries
Press & media outreach
Artistic & Cultural
- 10 theatre teams, 6 Bangladeshi and 4 international, across 5 venues in 3 districts
- 16 folk forms presented on the main stage at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka
- Masterclasses in Chittagong and Rajshahi; new co-production networks formed
Institutional & Publications
- Annual international festival model established for Bangladesh
- Bilingual Festival Magazine published and the talk session documented
- Photo and video archive of the festival developed
Economic, Social & Diplomatic
- Direct jobs created; economic stimulus in three districts via cultural tourism
- Income support for folk artists, artisans and vendors through the Mela platform
- South Asian cultural bonds deepened; Bangladesh positioned as regional leader
A platform of national and regional significance.
Principal Sponsors
Headline association across every venue, broadcast and publication.
Functional Sponsors
Category partnerships attached to festival operations.
Strategic & Institutional
Long-horizon partners in policy, academia and media.
Organisers
Curation & artistic direction
CIRCUS
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Culture, Urbanization and Society
An independent platform advancing research, arts, culture, education and social innovation. We connect ideas, people and communities through interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Annual festival programming
- Research & publication
- Theatre training & education
- Heritage & folk revival
Academic Partner
Department of Theatre and Performance Studies
University of Dhaka
The Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, with 30 years of intellectual journey and experience, proudly presents Bangladesh Theatre Caravan 2026 along with CIRCUS.
- 30 years of practice
- Academic leadership
- Festival host
Operations & logistics
Scope360
Operations & execution partner
Scope360 provides operational management, logistics and event execution expertise across every venue and district.
- Ground operations
- District & venue logistics
- Venue technical setup
- District coordination
Who carries the caravan.
A festival director, two ambassadors and seventeen advisors who carry the caravan.
Festival Director
Shahman Moishan
Moishan is a faculty member of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Dhaka, internationally recognised for his work as a playwright, director, dramaturge and cultural theorist.
Ambassadors
Azmeri Haque Badhon
Nationally and internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi film actress
Mosharraf Karim
Nationally and internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi theatre, TV and film actor
Advisory Council
Tariq Anam Khan
Actor, Director, Writer & Producer
Fatema Tuz Zohra
Nazrul Sangeet Singer
Lubna Marium
Dancer, Researcher & Cultural Activist
Marina Tabassum
Architect
Sadaf Saaz
Poet, Activist & Entrepreneur
Nazia Andaleeb Preema
Visual Artist, Curator
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury
Filmmaker
Dr. Shamsad Mortuza
Specialist, Literary and Cultural Studies
Azad Abul Kalam
Actor, Director & Playwright
Dr. Samina Luthfa
Sociologist & Theatre Practitioner
Dr. Akter Mahmud
Urban Planner & Academician
Nasir Ali Mamun
Photographer
AFM Nurur Rahman Bacchu
Specialist, Arts-Training
Makbul Chowdhury
Documentary Filmmaker
Asadul Islam
Playwright, Theatre Practitioner
Bakar Bakul
Theatre Practitioner
Mohsina Akter
Theatre Academic & Practitioner
Key dates
Call For Production
Submissions open to theatre groups from South Asia and beyond, any country in the world: scripts, preview recordings and paper abstracts.
Final Selection
Declaration of the selected teams and the festival schedule across the three districts.
The festival
Four days across Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi: ten theatre teams in five venues, the folk programme at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and local melas in every district.
Masterclasses
Three mornings in Chittagong and Rajshahi, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, led by the directors of the previous day's productions.
Rising Tides, Reinventing the Roots
Bring your production to Bangladesh Theatre Caravan.
Ten theatre teams, six from Bangladesh and four from abroad, are selected to perform across five venues in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi during the four days of the festival. This page is the submission portal for that selection.