Theatre artists across Lahore have taken to the streets to protest against the indefinite closure of halls in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The community is demanding that theatres be allowed to resume activities on the coming Eid and have urged the government of Punjab to take their plight into account and accordingly, draft SOPs so that it can resume earning its livelihood.

The protest was held on Mall Road with prominent figures of the theatre circuit participating. Chairman of Punjab Theatre Association Qaiser Sana Ullah Khan highlighted that for months, they have been trying to brief the authorities about the grave situation theatre artists are facing due to lockdown. However, as of yet, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
“Our demand is very genuine and we will follow government instructions. Theatre artists are dying, committing suicide; their families are starving due to poverty. We knocked on the offices of federal government and provincial government but no one is listening to us,” Khan told The Express Tribune.

Adding on, he stressed that the theatre community has contributed a lot to the country’s economy and as such, deserves to be heard. “We have paid millions of rupees in taxes and played our role in the betterment of society through our contribution. It is sad that now we have to resort to this for our very survival.”

Senior producer Qaiser Shahzad warned that the artists would soon have to go on a hunger strike if their demands are not met. “During the last four months, our community witnessed the harshest of times. While everyone celebrated Eidul Fitr, we weren’t able to do so due to financial constraints. We are artists and cannot change our line of work just like that. It is painful that our voice is now dying. If permission isn’t given to resume performances, they (artists) would be forced to go on a hunger strike,” Shahzad said.

Veteran stage actor Shiba Butt echoed the same sentiments, pointing out that certain artists and /or their family members have actually died as a result. “There are many among us who are patients and due to the closure of theatres, we can’t even purchase medicines,” she shared. “We have no money to eat, pay rent and cover for our children’s education. Many theatre artists in different cities have died in last four months. The government should take notice of our situation. We have spent our lives putting smiles on people’s faces but now that we are suffering, no one is noticing.”

Over 75 commercial theatres in Punjab, including 15 halls in Lahore, have been shut since March 15, as per figures provided by the Punjab Information and Culture Department. Around 12,000 thousand families are said to have been affected by the closure.

Earlier on in the lockdown, the theatre community had appealed to the government to let them resume work on Eidul Fitr. In a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, a consortium of Lahore's theatre artists appealed that theatre spaces should be allowed to open for business during the holiday.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2256467/theatre-artists-protest-against-hall-closures