The 12th edition of International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) will begin here on January 20. The theme of this edition is ‘Imagining Communities’. In all, 19 plays will be staged in the 10-day festival, which will conclude on January 29. There will be seven International plays, six plays from other States of the country, and 6 Malayalam plays.
Writer, translator, theatre critic, and media person Shanta Gokhale is the winner of the fifth Ammannur Puraskaram which will be presented at the inaugural ceremony of the festival on January 20. The award carries a cash prize of three lakh and citation. In the age of fake news, disinformation, and unceasing attacks on the idea of culture, what should be the role of art and theatre? ITFoK-2020 will ponder on such questions, a concept note on the festival says. The festival will seek to reflect upon the state of democracy and call attention to alternative voices. The plays include various kinds of performative works.
Folk theatre
While the festival focuses on showcasing contemporary theatre, it also provides a platform for other folk and traditional theatre forms in Kerala and other parts of the country. “ITFoK aims at providing a truly interactive space between the participating artists and audience,” says the concept note.
