Major U.S./Afghan Theatre Collaboration Underway in Kabul as Bond Street Theatre of New York Leads bi-lateral 'Peace through Performance Effort in Afghanistan

Bond Street Theatre of New York returned to Afghanistan March 20-April 13, 2005 to continue work with Exile Theatre of Kabul -- joint performances and workshops have reached 25,000 children and adults in Kabul and rural villages of northern Afghanistan. This is a very special gift to us from the United States," says Mahmood Salimi, Artistic Director, Exile Theatre of Kabul.

(PRWEB) April 8, 2005 -- The tragic events of September 11th occurred blocks from Bond Street Theatre and it propelled them into action: We have spent years working around the world and we have experienced the power of theatre to illuminate issues, heal the spirit and find creative paths to making peace," says Bond Street Artistic Director, Joanna Sherman. No moment is more critical than this for peace and Bond Street is proud to have been selected as a force for positive change in the region," stated Bond Streets Associate Director Michael McGuigan.

The project has received direct support from the U.S. State Department, Plan International, UNICEF, and other major support agencies, as well as dozens of local families in the region who have personally supported the effort with homestays, contacts, and security.

Background: Bond Street Theatres desire to promote peaceful dialogue between the nations brought the troupe to northern Pakistan to entertain children and adults in the teaming refugee camps near Peshawar. There they met the exiled theatre group, Exile Theatre. One year later, the two theatre groups met in Kabul and combined their crafts to create a non verbal collaborative play to offer Afghan audiences -- many of whom would be viewing theatre for the first time- and workshops designed to help develop self-confidence, teamwork and creative problem solving -- the tools of effective leadership in a recovering nation.

We believe that cultural dialogue between nations brings people close together and reflects the good will between them. We are emphasizing a culture of peaceful coexistence that will uplift Afghan and American spirits." Mahmood Salimi, Artistic Director, Exile Theatre, Kabul.

Bond Street Theatre, a non-profit company with a 25-year history of creating international arts projects, champions the relevance of the arts in conflict zones, post-war environments and in nations where cultural diplomacy is crucially needed. Ms. Sherman and Mr. McGuigan have created a 'cultural peace corps among the artists they represent and train who have traveled around the world to be on the front lines with humanitarian aid that mends the social fabric and heals the cultural wounds caused by war, terrorism, and other disasters.

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