Background
Azad was born in Mymensingh, Dhaka, East Bengal (now Bangladesh) the town where her father worked), her hometown was Sylhet.
Azad was born in Mymensingh, Dhaka, East Bengal (now Bangladesh) the town where her father worked), her hometown was Sylhet.
She passed her Metric from Jamalpur Girls High School in 1967 and passed her Intermediate from Tangail Kumudini College in 1969. She enrolled in Dhaka University and gained an Honours degree in 1972 and a Master"s degree in 1973. In 1990, Azad came to England.
Azad"s work ranges from Bangladeshi to European folktales.
Her performance fuses the lines between education and entertainment and her workshops are rooted in Asian folk, oral traditions and heritage. She wrote two plays for Half Moon Theatre.
She has worked with composers Richard Blackford, Kerry Andrew, choreographer Rosemary Lee, visual artist Robin Whitemore and playwright Mary Cooper. She has performed at venues including the Museum of London, Cambridge Water Stone, Liberty Radio, Battersea Arts Centre, Lauderdale House, the Commonwealth Institute, British Library, British Council of Bangladesh, Takshila in Pakistan and New New York
Her residencies have included, Tower Hamlets Summer University, Sunderland City Library and Arts Centre, East Side Arts, Society, Magic Maine, Rich Mix, Kinetika, Bromley by Bow Centre, Half Moon Theatre, and Apples and Snakes.
Azad is a trustee of charity One World Action and Rich Mix in Bethnal Green, London. She is a school governor and chairperson of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (World Literature Centre) in London. She is part of the East storytelling group, which invites local residents to join in sharing some of the stories brought together by the Eastend"s rich, diverse history of immigration.
Azad lives in Wanstead, Redbridge, London.