From 7 to 15 November the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), which will bring together nine theatre schools from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and for the first time from Tajikistan.

The Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, the Belarusian State Academy of Arts, the Kazakh National University of Arts, the Kazakh National Academy of Arts named after T.K. Zhurgenov, Complex” College of Arts – a specialized boarding school for gifted children in the arts named after Ermek Serkebaev, Kyrgyz State University of Culture and Arts named after B. Beishenalieva, The Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture, Tajik State Institute of Culture and Arts, Russian Institute of Theatre Arts.

Traditionally, masters and teachers of GITIS will hold lectures and master classes for festival participants on stage speech, stage movement and actor’s skills. At the end of the programme, students will discuss the productions they have seen with university teachers.

The festival poster includes Kafka’s “Metamorphoses” and “Hey, Somebody!” by William Saroyan (Republic of Armenia), “Tsikha tut na dosvitkah … “based on Boris Vasilyev’s story “The Dawns are Quiet Here” (Republic of Belarus), the musical “Mozart” based on the libretto by Dov Attia, Albert Cohen and Francois Choquet (Republic of Kazakhstan), Prosper Merimee’s “Carmen” (Republic of Kazakhstan), “Orphan’s Share by Mukhtar Auezov (Republic of Kazakhstan), The Ladies’ Tailor by Georges Feydeau (Republic of Kyrgyzstan), 451 degrees Fahrenheit by Ray Bradbury (Republic of Uzbekistan) and The Revolving Palace, or the Murder of 114 Achaemenid Princes (Tajikistan).

The festival is held with the support of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS member states and with the information support of TV BRICS. The aim of the event is to strengthen cultural cooperation and establish links between the CIS countries in the field of theatre education. The festival was first held at GITIS in 2018.

“Theatre schools of the Commonwealth countries are connected by long and strong creative ties, which we cherish. And our festival traditionally becomes a platform for the exchange of professional experience and dialogue about the prospects of theatre education,” said Grigory Zaslavsky, Rector of GITIS.

“In addition, there are still many GITIS alumni among the teachers of theatre schools in the CIS countries, so the festival is especially valuable for joyful meetings and friendly communication. By attending master classes and performance screenings, festival participants grow professionally and find like-minded people and new friends. Such friendship can last for many years, and the creative unions born at the festival can become the basis for the development of theatre in the post-Soviet space and beyond,” he added.

Photo: GITIS