Koraput, Sep 23: The 6^th Deomali National Theatre Festival 2021 by Nandanik started today with the 8^th Foundation Day Lecture by Prof Sachidananda Joshi.

The online lecture aired on social media was titled, Changing Pattern of Performances in the Digital Era.

In his speech, Prof Joshi, an eminent author-playwright-academic and currently, the Member Secretary of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi, asserted that the artist community is the worst affected community in the Covid-19 pandemic era and expressed deep concern that their socio economic situation is worsening in the absence of performances which are restricted due to the pandemic.

 He explained the psyche of an artist and the importance of arts in the society with reference to ancient Hindu philosophical texts. To demonstrate the emotion of an artist who can’t perform, Prof Joshi also shared a video prepared by Dushyant Joshi where Malavika Joshi, eminent actress enacted the pain of an actress who is missing her audience. The heart wrenching performance was adapted from the poem, Bina Awaz Ki Taali penned by Prof Joshi.

The Foundation Day Lecture acted as a curtain raiser to the 6^th Deomali National Theatre festival which is being hosted by Nandanik at Tribal Museum, Koraput. 6 plays in Odia, Bangla, Hindi and English will be performed by theatre troupes from Odisha and West Bengal in strict adherence to Covid guidelines.