Festival Dates

July 02 > July 10, 2013

Location

Kotor, Montenegro

Description

NGO Foundation Kotor Festival of Theatre for Children in cooperation with the International Festival KotorArt is the executive producer of Kotor Festival of Theatre for Children. Festival traditionally takes place from 02 to 10 July. It was established in 1993. in Kotor, city which is part of UNESCO’s heritage. Festival encourages the development of proffesional performing arts for children and young people, by performing the best puppetry, drama and multimedia performances from Europe and world. The festival opens and closes with a ceremonial exchange of the city keys entrusted by the city mayor with a children’s representative for the duration of ten days. Meanwhile, the fully pedestrianised city itself is adorned with public art created for and by children themselves. Founded in the midst of the Yugoslav war, the festival has represented an investment in hope and a better future, and is certainly coming of age beautifully. Its current director, Petar Pejaković, took the reins three years ago, placing a greater emphasis on a rejuvenation of the festival structure, and putting the children at the centre of it. The awards jury traditionally consisting of experts and elders has almost entirely been replaced by a jury of children, aged 8 to 13, who meet every day to discuss what they had seen, and their impressions are eventually summed up to give out prizes. Children are also heavily involved as volunteers in the running of the festival and in numerous accompanying workshops and activities taking place throughout the day.