Thirteen scripts have been selected out of 35 submissions for the ninth iteration of the Children’s Theatre Festival, according to Navaraj Budathoki, the Chairman of Shilpee Theatre. The festival will begin on February 23 and will see a participation of a total of 300 students. After the staging of the 13 plays, a jury committee will give out awards in six different categories including Best Actor, Best Play, Best Direction, and the Audience Choice Award.  

The line-up of plays for this year’s festival include titles such as Tulshi (by Aakashgana International Academy), Mohan Maina (by Chelsea International), and Jhyauli (by Creative School), among others. The festival will run for four-days and conclude with the awards ceremony.

Other than the staging of the plays, the festival is also slated to see a wide array of events such as games, storytelling sessions, conversations with celebrities, and magic shows. And, 500 more students are anticipated to showcase their talent in one of the events organised by the host, Shilpee Theatre.  “The festival is a great opportunity for young students to showcase their talent,” Aryan Neupane, programme director of the festival said, “Though this is primarily a theatre festival, there will be a lot of avenues for students to showcase their talent.” 

Rohani Bhattarai, a member of the festival’s organising committee informed that the increase in budget of the festival this year will ensure it will be of better quality than the previous years. “This year, after the festival, we will release the name of 10 students with the highest acting potential. They will be felicitated with awards and scholarships encouraging them to further pursue their craft,” Bhattarai said through a press release.