The National Theatre Hall and two rehearsal rooms at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy are set to reopen this Friday (October 11), although in a limited capacity. The decision was made yesterday (October 7) during a coordination meeting between officials of the academy and the army. Due to the current situation, some special precautions will be in place, alongside the existing hall allocation policy.

Sources at Shilpakala Academy confirmed that since the student-led protests, army personnel have been stationed in various rooms of the National Theatre Hall, making it impossible to allocate spaces for events or rehearsals. However, as conditions have improved, and following requests from cultural groups and organisations, the hall and two rehearsal rooms will now be available for theatre performances and rehearsals, albeit under strict conditions.

In a written statement, Shilpakala Academy outlined specific guidelines for theatre groups. Only one show will be allowed per group in the main hall per shift, and applications for hall bookings must be submitted online. Additionally, groups must provide a written list of members on the organisation's official letterhead and submit it to the theatre and film department office. This list will be used to control access at the entrance on the designated day of the performance.

The main gate of the National Theatre Hall will open for audience members two hours prior to a show, but it will remain closed otherwise. The main hall's performers will receive priority booking for the rehearsal rooms. If they do not require the rehearsal space, it will be allocated to other groups. In such cases, other groups will also need to submit a list of their members to the appropriate office.

Only members of the approved groups, users of the rehearsal rooms, Shilpakala Academy staff, army personnel, and audience members with tickets or invitations will be allowed entry through the main gate. Journalists can enter by showing their press IDs. Theatre artistes, journalists, and ticket-holding or invited guests must park their vehicles in the designated parking area on the ground floor of the theatre.

The National Theatre Hall had been closed since July 19, when a play scheduled to be performed at Shilpakala Academy's Experimental Theatre was cancelled due to the political situation. Since then, no theatre performances have taken place at any Shilpakala Academy venue across the country.

This reopening marks a hopeful step towards reviving the theatre scene in Dhaka and beyond, with careful consideration of the safety and security of all involved.

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