Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 18 November (BelTA) – The Youth Theater Forum of the CIS countries, Baltic states and Georgia was conceived as a project to help art people from different countries develop links, President of the International Confederation of Theatrical Unions, General Director of the Chekhov International Theater Festival Valery Shadrin told reporters, BelTA has learned.

"The Youth Theater Forum of the CIS countries, Baltic states and Georgia aims to help maintain contacts between art people from different countries, between representatives of the theater school which existed in the Soviet Union. It is also important to keep in touch with the international theatrical movement. It is very important for us to organize contacts on a personal level: between directors, playwrights, stage designers, theatrical critics,” said Valery Shadrin.

According to him, after the collapse of the Soviet Union representatives of the theatrical community were aware of the destruction of creative links. Therefore the International Confederation of Theatrical Unions, which succeeded the USSR Union of Theatrical Figures, assumed the functions of a unifying body. However, it was only three years ago that the confederation managed to realize the idea of the forum. "In 2012, we tried to analyze what is happening in the theatrical environment. The first forum in Chisinau was a networking event. It helped art people meet each other. They began to talk, and now there is a trend towards joint productions. But we would like to make this cooperation systemic," said the President of the International Confederation of Theatrical Unions.

Interest in the project is very high on the post-Soviet space. The winner of the first forum was the company of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater. Then The Office production by director Yekaterina Averkova won the Grand Prix. Today Yekaterina Averkova is known in the international theater community, and her works always arouse great interest,” added Valery Shadrin.

He also stressed that the organization of such events is quite a difficult task, and thanked the Belarusian partners who accepted the proposal to host such a large-scale project.

The Second Youth Theater Forum of the CIS Baltic states and Georgia will feature productions from 13 countries in Minsk on 19-26 November 26. All in all, it will show productions from 14 countries.

The Second Youth Theater Forum of the CIS countries, Baltic states and Georgia is held in Minsk by the decision of the International Confederation of Theatrical Unions, the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation and the culture Ministry of Belarus. The organizers also include the Minsk City Hall and the Republican Theater of Belarusian Drama.