UNCC boss Peter Ojede reveals why Ugandans should always celebrate World Theatre Day

Through Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC), Uganda wıll joın the rest of the world to celebrate World Theatre Day 2021. The day ıs annually celebrated on 27th March worldwıde.

World Theatre Day was ınıtıated ın 1961 by Internatıonal Theatre Instıtute (ITI) and the Internatıonal Theatre Communıty whereby National and International theatre events are organized to mark and celebrate this day.

In Uganda, the day will be celebrated under the theme “Theatre is a Shrine of Witty Men and Women: Who will moderate the over-pouring creative spectacle during and post the Covid-19 times?”

The main objective of the celebration is to bring together theatre lovers and popularize theatre and theatrical activities to the public.

According to Francis Peter Ojede, the Executive Director of UNCC, they treasure World Theatre Day as it underpins one of UNCC’s core mandates of preservation, promotion, and popularization of Uganda’s performing art/theatre in Uganda and beyond.

“The Government of Uganda recognizes the role of theatre in the lives of the people. Theatre is an institution that puts play aspects of humanity that are inherent in all of us and portrays the lives that we lead, regardless of our cultures. It, therefore, unties, in a unique way, people of diverse cultures as they portray life through song, dance, drama, etc,” Mr Ojede noted.

“To further the works of theatre it must be promoted by the people who are already within this institution as a way of passing on their God-given talent to the next generation. In celebrating World Theatre Day, we are celebrating a medium that appeals to the visual imagination. WTD enables us an opportunity to present theatre as an art form that does not only entertain but educates as well. World Theatre Day is marked to celebrate art, take stock of the achievement made in the creative sector in the previous year and chart a way forward that will see the growth of theatre productions around Uganda,” he added.

Mr Ojede further revealed that the celebrations will include activities like symposium, reading of theatre message,theatre monologues, profiling women making impact in the theatre world in Uganda, and remembering Prof Rose Mbowa.

“I would like to call upon well-wishers and theatre lovers to join us at National Theatre Kampala as we celebrate this year’s World Theatre Day,” he said.