Natya Chetana started networking among folk theatre groups of rural areas, amateur theatre groups of cities, NGO based street theatre groups and theatre by victims (Process Drama). 

A theatre festival got planned in 1996 for such groups to demonstrate debate, discuss and reflect with regard to people’s theatre. Then it became a regular felt-need and continued in next years. Now it has become a popular event as long as the venue got shifted from Bhubaneswar to Natya Gram (Theatre Village).

Usually it is being organised FOR A WEEK in winter-time (October to February) of each year.

The festival attracts audiences composing - Rural masses, Urban viewers, Amateur theatre artists, Theatre experts, International theatre practitioners of such nature, social workers, theatre students, media personnel including the participating performers, who stay for the whole festival period.

The idea of such a festival is not just to have only performances. The platform of the People’s Theatre Festival (Lok Natya Mela) gives a space for -

Performance in the evening by theatre groups, who are working with Indian theatre style with non-profit aim, along with performances by Natya Chetana.

Seminar in the day time on the performances of previous evenings,

Exhibition related to theatre or the theme of the theatre,

Theatre workshop in the morning by some eminent theatre personalities,

Theatre market of books, make-up materials, musical instruments, costumes with some demonstration of traditional market performances etc.

A Camp of participating groups, interested learners and theatre experts is hold to live together during the festival and to interact personally with each others.

Now-a-days, the foreign friends of Natya Chetana come with all interest to observe this festival and to exchange their experiences. They learn about the strength of Indian theatre and in turn offer workshops, papers, lectures, demonstrations and some times performances.