Our Story

Aagaaz Theatre Trust has its roots in 2009 with an arts education initiative under an international NGO. It continued as an independent theatre collective after that, working with children and young people in Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin. What started as informal workshops and performances grew from a simple question: What would it mean to create spaces of imagination, agency, and dignity in a neighbourhood marked by exclusion?

 

In 2015, this work was formally registered as Aagaaz Theatre Trust. In its early years, Aagaaz focused on community-based theatre, creating original performances with young people from the basti and touring schools, colleges, and public spaces. A key shift came during the COVID-19 lockdowns (2020–21), when repertory members began working intensively with children in their own community—responding to isolation, learning loss, and emotional distress. This marked Aagaaz’s transition from a theatre company to a community-rooted organization working at the intersection of arts, well-being, and social justice.

 

In 2022, this work found a permanent home in Khwāb Ghar, a community arts centre and free library in Nizamuddin Basti. Youth who had grown up in Aagaaz programmes became facilitators, library educators, and leaders. Today, Aagaaz works with over 200 members across age groups, supported by a growing team of community-based practitioners and partnerships in mental health, legal aid, and women’s rights. From making performances to a shared home of learning and care, Aagaaz has evolved into a collective infrastructure for resilience, belonging, and collective action.

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