LOSAUK

An Organization of people's action for socio-cultural and economic development

About LOSAUK

Plan

Activities

Networks

Objective

Resource

Registration
 

 

Theatre for Development workshop

 

 

 

 

What is LOSAUK ?

LOSAUK is a development based research institute, located at south-west coastal area of Bangladesh and the region is called Khulna, third city of Bangladesh. It is to note that LOSAUK belongs to southwest coastal part where “Sundarbans” the biggest mangrove forest is located. Sundarbans is popular to the foreign tourists as a jungle of Sundry trees. There are a vast number of islands of various shapes and size. Spotted deer and Royal Bengal Tiger have glorified Sundarbans of Khulna. There are various historical temples & mosques as well as traditional culture & customs have made this southwest coastal part attractive for all the tourists to know more all out of this region.

LOSAUK is a non-profit making organization and the organization was founded in 1987. Dr. Nazmul Ahsan is the Founder. The organization implements donor’s project and makes partnership for development work. It has experiences to work with both national & international donor agencies. The yearly turnover (budget) of the organization is 70,00,000/-(US$107672.30) approximate. LOSAUK has seven members’ executive board and four members advisory committee. The main focus of the organization is made on research, awareness, advocacy and networking.


Contact person :

Nazmul Ahsan (Ph.D)

Founder Chairperson

LOSAUK, Khulna, Bangladesh.

Address :

2, Farazipara Road, Khulna-9100, Bangladesh.

Phone & Fax: 880-41-725940

Mobile: 880-1711-458166

Email:

losauk@khulna.bangla.net

losauk@bttb.net.bd

losauk@losauk.org

Web Site: http://www.losauk.org


Location of LOSAUK :

LOSAUK is situated inside Khulna city. Khulna is the district as well as divisional town, south-west part of Bangladesh. It is 68 km far from Jessore airport and one hour & 25 minutes road journey from the airport to the office premises of LOSAUK.  Nearest sea port is Mongla and it is 42 KM far from Khulna City. LOSAUK is situated at 2, Farazipara Road, Khulna, Bangladesh. It is 120 KM far from Satkhira district.

Source of Funding :

Mainly donor’s support, sale of printed materials, sale of cultural program, subscription of members & advisors and the rent of the premises

LOSAUK target groups for the development:

·         Underprivileged women and adolescent girls.

·          Children

·          Unemployed youth

·          Rural artists and

·          Disabled and Hijra as well as socially neglected community

Working area:

Present greater Khulna and 11 districts of Khulna Division which is well connected and maximum 3 hours road journey from each district to reach LOSAUK.

Management and staff pattern:

Present Staff Men Women
Full time 16 04
Part time 05 00
Volunteers 30 50

Director appoints all part time and full time staffs with the approval of EC (Executive Committee). Program coordinator, cultural field workers along with information and research officer  implement programs of the project. Director controls the administration and the chairperson cum head of the executive body is the contact person of the organization as well as the honorary responsible person for supervising and monitoring of the projects and its work. He executes the program.

Membership 

  • Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF)

  • Coordinating Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh 

  • International Drama Theatre Education Association (IDEA)

  • International Shakespeare Society

  • International Theatre Institute of  Bangladesh

  • Institute of International Cooperation of German Adult Education Association

  • Auckland HELP Foundation

  • Cultures Cultures  Cultures and Development Development Desarrollo

  • Theatre Embassy, Netherlands

Success stories of LOSAUK: 

Past, Present and future.

 When the organization was set up it was 1987. A few likeminded people together planned to found LOSAUK with a view to developing folk culture and theatre as well as urban cultural performance for the entertainment of the people. From 1989-90, LOSAUK determined to shape the organization in a broader way and in 1990-91, LOSAUK was registered with NGO affairs bureau and in 1994 received the registration of Society Act. When the organization was founded, LOSAUK was registered with Social Welfare department and plan of operation that LOSAUK did was promotional at the beginning.

 Achievement of LOSAUK from 1990-1995

 Program of capacity building:

 LOSAUK directly supported 11 (eleven) organizations to develop their capacity to work independently. Organizations are Anirban, Darshana, Gram Theatre, Dhaka, Sachibunia Sanskritik Sangha, Palli Sriti Opera, Batiaghata, Bangoshri Opera, Rajmahal Opera, Nazrul Academy, Pratinidhi Sanskritik Sangstha, Kala Kendra, Daulatpur, Khulna, Theatre and Natya School, Dhaka. LOSAUK helped them with cash money, books, musical instruments and technical assistance.  

Training Program:

 During that period (1990-1995) LOSAUK had arranged more than 20 training workshops and 400 trainees received training from well known cultural & theatre personalities both from national and international. Among those experts, Chandra Verker, Dr. Christina Nygren, Kamaluddin Nilu, Golam Sarwar, Prabir Guha, Dr. Sanat Kumar Mitra, Dr. Ajit Kumar Ghosh, Anjan Das Gupta, Kamruzzaman Runu, John and Prof. Syed Monjrul Islam.

 Publications:

During this period, LOSAUK published six books, 20 posters, 20 brochures, two bilingual bulletins: Jatra and Lokokatha and these two bulletins are still publishing both quarterly and six monthly. 20 oil paintings and its exhibition on Human Rights Issues were also done. 

 Establishment of training venue:

 LOSAUK set up one own training venue called Khulna Laboratory Theatre Auditorium where small performances, workshops, seminars could be held.

Launching non-formal School program:

 LOSAUK continued 5 non-formal schools and provided full support including all logistic supports and honorarium to local teachers. Places are: Krishnanagar, Dargatala, Jabusha and Khulna City Corporation. In Khulna City Corporation, there were two non-formal schools run by LOSAUK.

 Folk Cultural Performance:

 LOSAUK arranged more than 40 (forty) open-air folk cultural performances for entertainment of the public.

 Imparting various revenue earning training:

 LOSAUK worked for underprivileged adolescent girls and imparted training, sewing and skill development training and 200 adolescent girls could derive the benefit and they are now engaged at various working places and earning their livelihood.

South Asian Cultural Festival:

LOSAUK arranged South Asian Cultural festival with the support of ACFOD, Thailand in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Three leading organizations from Bangladesh including LOSAUK and four organizations from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan attended the festival. It was a tie, developed with all these South Asian Countries and was an exchange of culture through participation and performance.

Two innovative works and publication:

LOSAUK brought out one bilingual audiocassette box contained ten TDK cassettes called History of Bengali Music in Sound and Dr. Karunamoy Goswami edited it. Auchin Pakhi (unknown bird) a documentary film on humanitarian idea of Fakir Lalon Shah was published and Mr. Tanvir Mukammel directed & edited the work. The Ford Foundation financed the program.

From 1996- to 2000 

Achievement was so far made in continuing previous years works and a few works were developed in research- on Low Cost Theatre, Theatre for Development, Cultural activities, rights based approach and networking.

Networking:

 LOSAUK developed 10 (ten) adolescent city slum girl network groups, 4 (four) woman net work groups, 2 (two) children network groups, 9 (nine) cultural network groups and 4 (four)  jatra network groups.  

Regional Jatra Conference: 

This is one of the successful network programs and the interest of jatra artistes and their rights were duly considered and the network was active.

Behavioral change and social marketing program:  

LOSAUK shifted from its promotional work to direct awareness and advocacy works and various issues were put forward through cultural & theatre tools to make people aware and transformed. There were 100 performances launched during this period at 15 villages, 4 unions of Batiaghata & Dumuria thana of Khulna district.

 International TFD (Theatre for Development) workshop):

Being supported by Dhaka British Council, Royal Norwegian Embassy and Japan Foundation Asia Center, experts from 4 continents where 13 international TFD experts and 50 national TFD experts and activists joined International Theatre for Development workshop held at Khulna Laboratory Theatre Auditorium of LOSAUK in Khulna, Bangladesh. 7 (seven) days workshop were successfully performed and many donors took initiative to recognize TFD process, a tool for development.

Construction of Institute of Cultural Research  (ICR) :  

At the end of 2000, LOSAUK advanced to construct ICR at Krishnanagar, near Khulna University and with this approach, it was an initiative of LOSAUK to begin its work as an agent of social mobilization, change and transformation. Construction is completed but it needs more decoration and has to be equipped for proper use. 

Achievement of LOSAUK from 2001 to 2005: 

TFD course offered:

LOSAUK experimentally offered 9 months certificate course on Theatre for Development and 100 activists came out successfully during 3 years time and many national and international experts were involved in conducting that course.  

Initiation of conducting HE link program:

In collaboration of Dhaka University, King Alfred’s College, Winchester, UK and Khulna University, LOSAUK developed TFD and TIE course jointly working with other partner institutions both for introducing those subjects both at Dhaka University and Khulna University. Theatre in Education was introduced as a course paper at English discipline of Khulna University and TFD was introduced as a course paper at Theatre & Music Department of Dhaka University.  

Short courses and ToT Programs:

LOSAUK offered three months short course on TFD as well as weeklong ToT programs were conducted during this time period. More than 8 programs were held & certificates were given. 

Formation of cultural core team:

LOSAUK formed a small cultural core team and 12 members team with developed skill continue program of LOSAUK at grass roots level for social mobilization. Issues i.e. social cultural, health related i.e. reproductive, nutrition & HIV/AIDS and environment are taken as theme of the issue for community development and mobilization.

 Yearly Lokomela (Folk cultural fair):

 LOSAUK has been performing its yearly folk cultural fair for community entertainment and community development by reducing the gap between urban and rural people as well as to popularize rural culture among the urban audience and present generation. It is held at the end of December every year.  

Human Rights Approach:

 At the end of 2003 LOSAUK has developed human rights approach by assessing both needs and rights of the common mass through advocacy and awareness. Priority has been made and any issue that goes against the interest of the mass communities, underprivileged people and socially neglected communities, LOSAUK by developing a cell takes initiative for mobilization and transformation and also links them with those organizations provide services to fulfill their needs.

Future plan of LOSAUK that begins from January 2006 for coming five years

 Partnership Program:

 LOSAUK wants to implement various systematic project programs through formation of national and international partnership.  

Project implementation under consortium:

 LOSAUK wishes to go under any like-minded national and international consortium or to build a consortium by their own initiative for implementing projects with a view to developing communities, people, community culture, heritage, belief and both social & economic initiatives.

Equip LOSAUK Institute of Cultural Research (ICR):

 LOSAUK wishes to decorate its complex institute for community development and grass root development works.

Human Rights approach and advocacy:

Minorities, disabled, underprivileged, social, cultural & community people are the prior target groups of LOSAUK and for the development of those people, right based approach in the way of addressing their needs under project program for establishment of their rights and to meet their needs have considered as project themes and works of LOSAUK. Combat woman and child trafficking, worst form of child labor, rural migrant issues, HIV/AIDS & STD and violence against woman, corruption and water & sanitation are the important issues that LOSAUK has decided to design in its project proposal to launch projects all over Bangladesh. 

Health related issues and alleviation of poverty:

LOSAUK has prioritized the health sectors and health issues as nutrition and HIV/AIDS to eradicate poverty. The work on health issues under project program have been initiated with due consideration.

Use of culture as a component for BCCM:

This is another approach that LOSAUK has developed for its future plan and it is the target of LOSAUK to reach the grass root level for social mobilization, mass transformation and developing community by eradicating poverty.

Priority of Environment:

 LOSAUK is located at South West Coastal part where water logging and bio diversity issues as well as wetland issues are the prior issues which LOSAUK has given much priority for its next project programs.


Loke Nattya O Sanskritik Unnayan Kendra