ATTF 2023

The Academic Thespian Theatre Festival (ATTF) is an annual Student Theatre Festival organized by the Academic Thespian Student Society with the collaboration of the Department of Theatre, Ballet, and Modern Dance, University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo. This festival is considered one of the leading undergraduate theatre festivals in the country. It is a week-long event consisting of many theatre, dance, and other research-based performances created and performed by undergraduates and alumni of the department. The festival further includes workshops, talks, forums, and discussions enhancing the theatre and dance scholarship of undergraduates, alumni, and academics. The festival annually invites guest performances from recognized theatre groups from outside Sri Lank. It is a moment for the university community and society to come together, engage in, and appreciate the creative achievements of students. This festival promotes inclusivity, diversity, and respect for cultural and individual identities. 

With the understanding of the theatre and performance practices as

political and social transformational tool, we continue to apply our theatre practices within the university and beyond to elevate the much-needed discussion on social integration and reconciliation among communities

• Providing students to engage in professional theatre practices and performance experimentations.
• Making an avenue for students to showcase their creative production to a public audience.
• Establish connections between departmental activities and the creative arts industry.
• Increase opportunities for networking among academics, undergraduates, and industry professionals in local and international settings.
• Knowledge dissemination to society through creative works and research.
• Collaborate with schools and other institutions to share knowledge and expertise in the creative arts.
• Providing exposure to the performing arts and the creative industries beyond the university setting.
• Develop socio-emotion skills and entrepreneurial competencies among undergraduates.

This year ATTF 2023 encapsulates theatre productions, monologues, dance and dance works developed by academics and undergraduates at the department of Theatre Ballet and Modern Dance. Most of these creative works are developed as a part of their undergraduate leaning process and the selected full-length productions are the final-year performance projects developed by 4th year undergraduates. ATTF 2023 further showcases two international theatre productions representing rich theatre cultures from Manipur India and Nepal. ATTF values cultural identities and inclusiveness in performance practice. Therefore, this year festival showcases a Tamil Language theatre production produced by the academics and undergraduates of the Dept. of Drama and Theatre Arts, Sri Ponnambalam Ramanathan Faculty of Performing and Visual Arts, university of Jaffna.

Special Note: The selected theatre, dance and other performances at ATTF 2023 do not necessarily represent ATTF opinions or believes. All the creative works and their contents are sonly created by authors and directors of these productions and ATTF does not represent any idea or opinion shared in those performances.