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Campus Culture

Campus Theatre Education

Ershad Kamol

The history of theatre education in Bangladesh is interrelated with the introduction of neo-theatre movement, which began soon after our Liberation War. Formal theatre education was introduced as a branch of Department of Fine Arts of Chittagong University in the '80s. In 1987, Jahangirnagar University introduced Department of Drama and Dramatics. Later, theatre troupe Theatre established 'Theatre School' in 1990. Dhaka University introduced theatre as a course of MA programme of Department of Bangla soon after it introduced Department of Theatre and Music. Today it offers graduation and masters courses on theatre. Later, other theatre organisations introduced different courses on theatre. So, it is evident that there are two types of theatre education programmes continuing in Bangladesh-formal and non-formal.

Formal theatre education programmes
Three public universities namely, Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University offer honours and masters courses on theatre in Bangladesh.

Dhaka University
Dhaka University introduced a 4-year graduation course on theatre under the Department of Theatre and Music. Later, a two-year master course was introduced in 1994.

Jahangirnagar University
The university introduced Department of Drama and Dramatics in 1987. The department offers 4-year graduation and one-year master course on theatre.

Here also students learn theories on theatre as well as application. In the honours programme, students are introduced to direction, design, script writing and acting. In the MA programme the department basically emphasises on script writing and direction.

Rajshahi University
Rajshahi University introduced Department of Theatre and Music in 2000. The department offers graduation and masters on theatre. It also offers literature as well as theoretical and practical application on theatre.

Non-formal theatre education programmes
Theatre School, established in 1990, offers one-year certificate course on theatre. Professor Kabir Chowdhury is the principal of the school. Acclaimed theatre directors, university professors teach at the school. Renowned theatre director, Ataur Rahman, who is also a teacher of the school informed, “40 percent of the course curriculum is theory based and rest are application based. At the end of the one-year certificate course the successful students perform in a theatre production.”

Six-month certificate course on theatre is offered by several schools owned by theatre troupes such as Prachyanaut School of Acting and Design and Nagorik Natyangan Institute of Drama (NNID). Moreover, Theatre Institute Chattagram has introduced three-month short course in theatre, which according to the authorities of the institute, will be developed as a diploma course in future. Besides, a few other organisations and troupes organise workshops and short courses on theatre.