Online desk:
Professor Dr. Israfeel Shaheen of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka, will represent Bangladesh at the 18th Asia-Pacific Bond of Theatre Schools Festival & Directors’ Conference 2025. The event will be held at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in China from 28 November to 4 December 2025.
Prof Shaheen confirmed the news yesterday.
In addition to delivering a keynote speech, Professor Shaheen will conduct theatre-focused masterclasses, workshops, seminars, and symposium sessions throughout the weeklong festival. He will present his longstanding research and work on prison theatre, theatre in juvenile correction centres, and therapeutic theatre in mental health institutions.
The 2025 edition of the festival is being organised to mark the 80th anniversary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA). Directors, researchers, teachers, students, and artistes from more than 25 countries and theatre schools across the Asia-Pacific region will participate. The participating countries include China, India, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Bangladesh.
The festival will feature:
- Directors’ Conference on theatre education and global collaboration;
- Workshops and masterclasses on acting, directing, movement, and stage technology;
- Student showcases and performances from various institutions;
- Academic forums, symposiums, and roundtable discussions;
- Industry panels and exchange programes focusing on international touring, funding, and theatrical innovation.
It is worth noting that the Shanghai Theatre Academy is a key member and a regular host of the UNESCO–ITI–affiliated APB Network. Established in 2008, this regional network aims to strengthen research, exchange, and collaboration among theatre education institutions across the Asia-Pacific region.
