Curtain comes down on 16th International Theatre Festival of Kerala

The 16th International Theatre Festival of Kerala showcased 47 performances, celebrating global narratives and cultural diversity in Thrissur.

The 16th International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK), organised by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi on the theme ‘Voices of Silence,’ concluded in Thrissur on Sunday, once again underlining the city’s standing as Kerala’s cultural capital.

Held from January 25 to February 1, the eight-day festival featured 47 performances of 22 plays, including eight international productions and 14 national plays. Theatre groups from across the world and India presented diverse narratives, performance styles and theatrical traditions, drawing enthusiastic audience throughout the festival.

In addition to stage performances, the festival offered a rich range of parallel events, including dialogues, panel discussions, memorial sessions, documentary screenings, music programmes, and exhibitions of photographs, paintings and posters, adding multiple layers to the festival experience.

Tribal art forms were given special prominence in the cultural programmes. A highlight of this year’s festival was the percussion ensemble presented by students of Cherur St. Joseph’s Special School at the ITFoK venue, which received warm appreciation from the audience.

Another notable feature was the participation of students selected from all 14 districts of Kerala, who attended ITFoK to watch and engage with theatre, reflecting the festival’s growing outreach and educational focus.

Marking a historic first in ITFoK’s journey, the play Romeo and Juliet, staged at the festival, was also performed before inmates at the Viyyur Central Jail, extending theatre beyond conventional spaces and reaffirming its social relevance.