Confronting the Indigo Giant - reclaiming the tainted history of indigo cultivation for a more sustainable future.

During the British Raj, to meet the world's insatiable need for blue, vast swathes of the Bengali countryside were given over to the cultivation of the indigo plant. But indigo cultivation was only possible under appalling conditions created by British planters. The atrocities committed by the planters triggered an extraordinary revolution that changed Bengal forever, but does the memory of indigo cultivation still haunt Bangladesh?

And how can Bangladesh reclaim the tainted history of indigo cultivation for a more sustainable future?

On September 8th, 9th and 10th, Komola Collective will present their thrilling new drama INDIGO GIANT at Bangladesh Mohila Samity. Alongside that production, on September 10th, we invite you to a presentation on a remarkable project drawing together theatre, ethnography and soil science.

Professor Syed Jamil Ahmed (Dhaka University) will reflect on his epic fieldwork exploring the collective memory of indigo cultivation in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Professor M.M.R. Jahangir, (Bangladesh Agricultural University), will reveal preliminary findings which demonstrate the possibility of remarkable environmental and economic benefit in the revival of indigo cultivation in Bangladesh – a revival led by social enterprise Living Blue (who will be represented by Care Bangladesh’s Murtaza Jahangir). Finally, UK playwright Ben Musgrave will tell the story of his haunting and personal research journey into the troubling history of indigo.

The event will be conducted in Bangla and English.