The intention of the event Ibsen through New Eyes is to provide an arena where scholars and theatre practitioners working on Ibsen in a non-conventional way can have direct interaction in order to learn from each other and to explore cross-cultural approaches to Ibsen’s work.
 
The event Ibsen through New Eyes will consist of
  ● Opening Ceremony
    Time : 16:30
Date : 12 November 2009
Venue : Main Stage, National Theatre, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
     
  ●

The international seminar Ibsen through New Eyes : Religion and Freedom
    Dates : 13-15 November 2009
Venue : Seminar & Conference Hall, Jahangirnagar University
     
    The focus of the seminar will be on cross-cultural approaches to Ibsen’s texts within theory as well as theatre practice and film productions, with particular emphasis on religion and freedom. Key note speakers are Prof. Frode Helland, Director, Centre for Ibsen Studies, University of Oslo and Prof. Julie Holledge, Drama Department, Flinders University, Australia. In addition there are confirmed paper readers from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Iran, Nepal, Norway, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey and USA.
     
● The international theatre festival Ibsen through New Eyes
    Dates : 12-22 November 2009
Venues : National Theatre: Main Stage, Experimental Theatre Hall and Studio Theatre.
     
    The festival will focus on Ibsen productions in Arab and Asian countries where religion is a dominating factor in social or socio-political life. There will be in total 21 theatre productions based on Ibsen’s plays. Participating countries are Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Nepal and Pakistan.
     
  ● Interactive sessions
    Dates : 16-22 November 2009
Venue : Studio Theatre, National Theatre
     
    The interactive sessions will give an opportunity for dialogue between theatre directors, performers and international Ibsen scholars on the basis of selected theatre productions staged in the festival.
     
  ● Ibsen-Lab: Cultural transmission of Ibsen's texts
Working text: The Lady from the Sea
    Dates : 16-18 November 2009
Venue : Rehearsal Room-1, National Theatre
     
    Ibsen-Lab is part of the research project Ibsen between Cultures, Centre for Ibsen Studies, University of Oslo. Dhaka will be an Ibsen-Lab site, along with Oslo, Shanghai, Adelaide, Mumbai and Kathmandu. The aim of Ibsen-Lab is to look inside rehearsal rooms where Ibsen's plays are being adapted to local cultures. Theatre directors and actors across three continents will rehearse two scenes from The Lady from the Sea in their home cities while researchers document their approaches. By comparing this data, the researchers hope to throw new light on the cultural transmission of Ibsen's texts. Director of Dhaka Ibsen-Lab: Dr. Saleque Khan; Ibsen-Lab Research Coordinator: Prof. Julie Holledge, Drama Department, Flinders University, Australia. Facilitated by Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT).
     
  ● Art exhibition 1 : Images of Selim Al Deen's Life & Plays
    Opening date : 14 November 2009
Exhibition period : 14-22 November 2009
Venue : National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
     
   

Selim Al Deen, a pioneer of neo-theatre movement in Bangladesh, a theoretician of drama, a scholar, an organizer who has developed a 'new drama form' based on the narratives of traditional indigenous theatre. His contribution to Bengali drama is considered a legendary dramatist in the post-colonial Bangla literature. The drama legend was honoured with several prestigious national and international awards, including the Bangla Academy Literature Award, National Film Award, Ekushey Padak and Olokto Shahitya Puroshkar.
 
More than 100 artists will take part in this art exhibition : Images of Selim Al Deen’s Life and Works.
     
  ● Art exhibition 2 : Ghosts of the Heartland by Sara Paula Hoffman, Professor of Art, Savannah College of Art and Design, USA
    Opening date : 14 November 2009, with lecture by Prof. Sara Paula Hoffman
Exhibition period : 14-22 November 2009
Venue : National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
     
   

The exhibition includes psychologically inspired oil paintings and drawings influenced by Ibsen’s play, Gengangere (Ghosts). The artist creates visual theatre on a two-dimensional stage in paintings and drawings. The work draws the curtain on the illusory Kodak moment of the artist’s mid-20th century family life in America’s Heartland. This Midwestern family is viewed through an Ibsen lens; the artist brings themes from the play into her contemporary narrative works. The aim of exhibition is to prompt wide ranging dialogues with the viewers on topical issues from Ibsen’s plays on the basis of the artist’s autobiographical visual journal, and past showings of Sara Paula Hoffman’s paintings and drawings have sparked such dialogues.
     
  ● Film Shows: Ibsen Crossing Borders
    Date :   14-22 November 2009
Venue : Rehearsal Room-2, National Theatre
     
 
The full programme will be made available at the home page of Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) : www.catbd.org or by contacting Centre for Asian Theatre.
 
For further information and registration, please contact Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT).
 
Closing date for interested paper readers to submit abstracts: 15 September 2009
Closing date for participants in seminar and interactive sessions: 12 October 2009

Mosharraf Hossain Tutul        Prof. Shafi Ahmed        Kamaluddin Nilu
Secretary General                       Seminar Coordinator      Consultant

Contact information
Plot: 100-101, Block-D
Avenue-1, Section-2,
Mirpur, Dhaka-1216
Bangladesh
Website : www.catbd.org
E-mail: cat@bdmail.net