Aten-day long theatre residency comprising theatre artists and writers from Asia started on Thursday at Yala Maya Kendra in Lalitpur.

The residency comprises of 13 theatre artists from six Asian countries—Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

The residency is organsied to “build a network of diverse professional theatre-makers and cultural leaders from across South Asia to meet over a series of skills, leadership and creative exchange platforms during a three year period,” the host, British Council, said in a press note, “The focus of the network and the platforms is to promote cultural dialogue, social cohesion, empowerment of women and girls—through generating new theatre performances,  digital platforms and cultural collaborations.”

The organisers further added that half of the participants are women, “in line with our strategic focus to work with women/girls in the region.”

The participants at the residency include six Nepali theatre artists Akanchha Karki, Gunjan Dixit, Kavita Srinivasan, Loonibha Tuladhar, Nabina Aryal, and Ram Babu Regmi, along with Azade Shahmiri (Iran), Bhaktawar Kabir (Pakistan), Jake Randel Oorloff (Sri Lanka), Kapilaratha Uprendra (Sri Lanka), Mohammad Karim Asir (Afghanistan), Shamim Hasan (Bangladesh) and Venuri Hasanthi (Sri Lanka).

The residency will be moderated by dance and theatre instructor James Tyson and director Bimal Subedi.

During the residency, the participants will be led through a series of discussions and collaborative works and workshops. The residency will run through March 17.