10th Edition of Environment Theatre Festival 2025 Concluded In Pune

The 10th edition of the Environment Theatre Festival (ETF) 2025, organized by We the Artists (WTA) in association with Tree Public Foundation and powered by Sumbaran Foundation for Art & Culture Trust, concluded on a spectacular note. Held at the serene Chittaranjan Vatika Garden in Model Colony, Pune, the event showcased the powerful connection between performing arts and environmental consciousness.

The three-day festival witnessed enthusiastic participation from 22 schools across Pune, presenting 31 exceptional performances on environmental themes. After rigorous selection rounds, 13 teams qualified for the Grand Finale held on January 25, 2025, with free entry for all.

Abhishek Kawitkar,Founder,  “We the Artists (WTA )The Environment Theatre Festival has been a powerful platform to voice real, deep environmental issues, and when these topics are brought to life on stage, they become a celebration of creativity and environmental consciousness. The Environment Theatre Festival encapsulates this vision, blending art and environmental responsibility into a transformative experience for all.

The finalists amazed the audience and judges with their creativity and impactful storytelling. The winners in each category are:

            •          Category 1 (Grades 1–4):

            •          Winner: Navin Marathi Shala – “A Day in the Life of a Tree”

            •          First Runner-Up: Vikhe Patil Memorial School, Lohegaon – “Underground Heroes: Earthworms”

            •          Second Runner-Up: City Pride School, Nigdi – “Underground Heroes: Earthworms”

            •          Category 2 (Grades 5–8):

            •          Winner: City Pride School, Nigdi – “Survival in the Concrete Jungle: Animal Migration”

           First Runner-Up: SNBP International School, Rahatani – “Survival in the Concrete Jungle: Animal Migration”

           Second Runner-Up: SPM Public English Medium School – “Survival in the Concrete Jungle: Animal Migration”

           Dr. Rajendra Bhosale, Municipal Commissioner of Pune, applauded the initiative for uniting art and environmental awareness. He encouraged feedback for future collaborations to further environmental action.

           Sayaji Shinde, actor and environmentalist, emphasized introducing environmental topics like seeds and nature into school curricula and envisioned the festival scaling to a state level.           Soujanya Veguru, Head of CSR, Cummins India, praised the festival for nurturing talent and promoting meaningful dialogue through art. Saksham Kulkarni, actor, stressed individual efforts in tackling the climate crisis and urged everyone to act daily for the environment.

the organisers expressed their thanks to Ashutosh Nerlekar and Dr. Sharvari Karnik, for their expertise. The event also benefitted from the insights of biodiversity expert Srikant Gund, who shared valuable observations on sustainability.