Ajoka at 40: A milestone for Pakistani Theatre

As we stand on the cusp of celebrating Ajoka's 40th anniversary, we invite you to be part of this remarkable journey that echoes the spirit of peace and social change through theatre.

For four decades, Ajoka Theatre has been at the forefront of utilising the power of theatre to advocate for peace, religious tolerance, gender rights, and social transformation. We take immense pride in nurturing narratives that resonate with the soul of Pakistan. We have performed all over Pakistan with gripping socially meaningful and culturally enriching plays, held "theatre for social change" workshops, organised international theatre festivals and performed all over the world including US, UK, Norway, Denmark, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Egypt, Oman, Iran, Hong Kong, UAE.

Ajoka's name has become synonymous with Pakistani theatre. In fact, Ajoka has put Pakistan on the world theatre map. No wonder UNESCO’s International Theatre Institute invited Ajoka co-founder, Shahid Nadeem, to write the "World Theatre Day message 2020" and then invited him to be the keynote speaker at the 36^th World Theatre Congress in UAE, 2023. The Government of Pakistan honoured Ajoka founder and iconic theatre director, Madeeha Gauhar, with “Tamgha i Imtiaz" (Medal of Distinction), while Shahid Nadeem was honoured with the President’s Pride of Performance Award.

We have achieved all this with the support of our loyal, loving patrons and supporters. Despite unwelcoming attitude of religious extremists and authoritarian regimes, we have remained true to our cause while remaining steadfastly independent, refusing to be manipulated by the profit-driven market forces. Our team has continued to contribute to the cause with a spirit of sustained commitment and passion.

In this spirit, we seek your support to celebrate this historic moment for Ajoka and Pakistani theatre. By joining hands with Ajoka, you can endorse a vibrant legacy of art and culture while fostering positive change in our society.

We cordially invite you to participate in Ajoka@40 fundraising campaign and play a crucial role in magnifying the impact of our socially meaningful artistic initiatives throughout 2024. We are planning to hold Ajoka Best of Four Decades festivals in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi and an international theatre festival in November, as well as a children’s theatre festival, documentaries and books on Ajoka and Pakistani theatre. A calendar of events is available on our website, www.ajoka.org.pk

Your contributions can leave an indelible mark on our nation’s cultural landscape and further strengthen Ajoka’s capacity to help create a just, democratic and prosperous Pakistan.

For people in Pakistan, wanting to donate through bank transfer:

BANK: Faysal Bank Limited

Bank Title: Ajoka Theatre

IBAN:

PK19FAYS 0334000524460000

SWIFT Code: FAYSPKKA

Branch Address: Cavalry Ground Lahore Cantt Pakistan

For more information, please reach out to us at [email protected] or through Whatsapp at 92 327 8005254