World Theatre Day is celebrated on March 27 across the globe. All theatre enthusiasts, theatre schools, theatre practitioners make sure that the day is made special. To mark the day, people organise award events, conduct charity plays, and theatre workshops. As the name suggests, the day is meant to make more and more people aware about this particular art form.
World Theatre Day is also for governments, politicians and institutions to take cognisance of the efforts put in by theatre artists, and also to recognise the potential for its economic growth.
The main goals of World Theatre Day are:
- Promote theatre in all forms across the globe.
- Raise awareness among as many people about forms of theatre.
- Enable theatre communities and promote their work at a bigger scale.
The World Theatre Day is being celebrated since 1962 by the International Theatre Institute Centres, International Theatre Institute Cooperating members, theatre professionals, theatre organizations, theatre universities and theatre lovers.
The message for World Theatre Day 2021, has been written by Helen Mirren, who is a stage, screen and TV Actress. She has won many awards including the prestigious Academy Award for her performance in The Queen.
In her message, Mirren has stressed upon how the past year has been difficult specifically for those artists who have been actively involved in live performances. Giving her message a more optimistic approach, the Academy Award winning actress mentioned that it is the constant insecurity of this field that has made the artists survive the global pandemic. She has also touched upon the role of internet in these times and how it has helped everyone to communicate in more innovative manner.
A part of her message read, “The creative urge of writers, designers, dancers, singers, actors, musicians, directors, will never be suffocated and in the very near future will flourish again with a new energy and a new understanding of the world we all share.”