Every year on March 27th, World Theatre Day is celebrated. It is a special holiday for all theatre lovers and a symbol of unity and creative unification of the international theatre community. Theatres and drama groups hold special events to celebrate the art of theatre and its important role in culture and society.

The International Theatre Institute (ITI) was established in 1948 on the initiative of the first Director-General of UNESCO, Julian Huxley, together with the British novelist and playwright John Priestley. The mission of the founders of the ITI was to create an organisation that would be in line with UNESCO’s objectives in the fields of culture, education and the arts and would focus on raising the status of all members of the performing professions.

World Theatre Day celebrations around the world

In Russia, the annual “Theatre Day” event is held on this day, during which performances are shown, awards are given, and spectators are invited to meet the actors and look behind the scenes. Many theatres organise free performances, workshops, tours and other events to attract the public and show that art is accessible to everyone.

In India, Theatre Day is also an important event. Here, theatre festivals are organised to showcase both national and international productions. In addition, competitions, workshops and lectures on various aspects of theatre are also held on this day.

In Brazil, a country with a rich cultural tradition and passion for the arts, this day takes on a particularly colourful and unique feel. The celebration is accompanied by various activities: performances, workshops, discussions and exhibitions to highlight the importance of theatre as a means of social and cultural communication.

In an exclusive commentary to TV BRICS, Sergey Skorokhodov, Associate Professor at the Department of Marketing and Sports Business of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, explained how the people of Brazil celebrate International Theatre Day.

“Brazil, known for its carnivals and love of art, on this day cordially opens the doors of theatres for a joyful celebration with the rest of the world. The activities and events held to celebrate Theatre Day reflect the diversity of the country’s cultural life. Theatres from big cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to small communities put on free performances to make the arts accessible to a wide audience. Free or discounted tickets ensure that a wide variety of people are included in the celebration,” shared Sergey Skorokhodov.

Special attention is paid not only to traditional productions, but also to modern experimental projects. On this day it is customary to organise discussion forums, workshops, master classes from famous actors, directors and playwrights, which promotes professional exchange and development of theatre art.

In China, the celebration of World Theatre Day 2024 will be held from Wednesday to Friday in Langfang, Hebei Province. This year’s celebration will include a wide range of activities such as conferences, festive performances, seminars and workshops.

In addition, the World Theatre Day 2024 celebration will feature a variety of performances by theatre and arts groups from China and other countries.

For example, choreographer Susana Pous will help participants dive into the intricacies of Cuban choreography.

World Theatre Day gives audiences and actors around the world the opportunity to enjoy theatre performances, discover new plays, experience emotions and be inspired by creativity.

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