Anant National University’s Artist-in-Residence, Ravice Rashid, has been honoured with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in the Folk Theatre category for Jammu and Kashmir. Conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the award recognises emerging artists for their contributions to India’s diverse performing arts traditions. The University congratulated him on this achievement and his sustained efforts to preserve Kashmir’s cultural heritage while making its artistic traditions relevant to newer generations. Ravice’s recognition underscores the continuing relevance of India’s traditional performing arts and their ability to engage meaningfully with contemporary social concerns.
Ravice received the award from Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, at a ceremony held recently in New Delhi attended by artists, educators, researchers and officials from the Ministry of Culture.
A theatre artist and cultural activist from Wathora, Jammu and Kashmir, Ravice has dedicated years to preserving and modernising Bhand Pather, Kashmir’s centuries-old folk theatre tradition. Through more than 100 street plays, he has used this traditional art form to engage audiences on contemporary social issues, including environmental awareness, the Right to Information movement and sexual abuse. His performances also draw attention to the ecological challenges facing Kashmir, particularly the degradation of its wetlands and water bodies.
His contributions have earned him several recognitions, including the Ministry of Culture Award and the Jammu and Kashmir Saqafati Markaz’s Young Personality Award.
As artist-in-residence, he has contributed to Anant’s engagement with Jammu and Kashmir through cultural exchange, climate action and heritage conservation initiatives. His involvement in artist and student exchanges also creates opportunities for Anant students to engage with India’s diverse artistic traditions and understand their larger social, cultural and environmental contexts.
Anant also engages artists from Jammu & Kashmir through workshops, campus events and student interactions, enabling students to learn from living cultural traditions and explore their relevance to contemporary social and environmental challenges.
