Istanbul’s Traditional Theatre Festival is going to celebrate its 23rd-anniversary tomorrow. Many national and international plays are going to meet the audience in Istanbul within the scope of the Istanbul Theatre Festival. By this mean, theatre lovers in Istanbul will put the flags out during the festival.
23rd Istanbul Theatre Festival is going to start tomorrow. And so, it will last until the 1st of December. This tradition goes back to the year 1989 and till then, Istanbul Foundation For Culture and Arts is being the founder sponsor of the festival.
The 23rd Istanbul Theatre Festival is going to start on November 13, 2019.
The History of Istanbul Theatre Festival
An international event bringing together theatre companies and dance groups from Turkey and abroad with the audience. So, the Istanbul Theatre Festival was first held in 1989. Istanbul Theatre Festival returned to an annual cycle in 2017 after 15 years. However, it was an organisation biennially since 2002. Once every year, the festival hosts carefully selected companies and artists. Those companies and artists open up new horizons for both the audience and the art world. For doing so, it brings national and international, classical and contemporary renditions to the stage through its unique lens.
23. İstanbul Tiyatro Festivali 13 Kasım'da tiyatroseverlerle buluşuyor.
Festivalde yerinizi almak için biletler Biletix ve İKSV'de: https://t.co/766m6KFXxq#istanbultiyatrofestivali #hayattersyüz#enerjimiztiyatroya pic.twitter.com/OpxUNZhfWw
— İstanbul Tiyatro Festivali (@tiyatrofest) November 12, 2019
Genco Erkal wrote and performed the Tribute to Nâzım, and it was the festival’s first production. The play was on the stage in 2002 on the 100th anniversary of Nâzım Hikmet’s birthday. Following this first step, local companies have begun to participate in the festival with their new projects. This process stimulated the festival in every possible way and still continues to do so. Aiming to underline artistic intersections, similarities and disparities, the festival puts emphasis on co-productions. Moreover, it expands the scope of its activities in this field. One of the events carried out by the festival within this scope was Nefes, co-produced with Tanztheatre Wuppertal Pina Bausch in 2003 and still travelling the world. Another event that lies within this framework is the fourth edition of the International Theatre Olympics. It gathered numerous companies in Istanbul in 2006 as part of the festival.
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This Year’s Content of Istanbul Theatre Festival
The programme of the 23rd Istanbul Theatre Festival consists of national and international plays. Within the scope of the festival, 16 domestic plays will be on stage this year. In addition to that, 12 of them will make their premiere. On the other hand, international theatre groups from Portugal and France will be honour guests of the festival. Furthermore, more than 10 foreign plays will also be on the stage, too.
Istanbul Theatre Festival Is A Cornerstone
Istanbul Theatre Festival has vital importance for Istanbul and Turkey’s art life because of the festival’s support for local theatre plays. Also, thanks to this festival, many plays make their first debut and appear on stage. On the other hand, there will be symposiums, learning and self-improvement training within the scope of the festival.
The Venues of The 23rd Istanbul Theatre Festival
There will be so many different venues for the festival. Theatre stages in both Anatolian and European side of Istanbul will host plays. You can see some of the most famous stages below:
- Salt Galata: Azapkapı, Bankalar Cd. No:11, 34420 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
- Institut Français de Turquie: Beyoğlu, İstiklal Cad. No:4, 34435 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
- Moda Stage Theatre: Osmanağa, Halil Ethem Sokak, General Asım Gündüz Cd., 34714 Kadıköy/İstanbul
Festival tickets are on sale now! And so, tickets are available to buy in biletix.com. Ticket prices of the festival vary between 15 TRY (for students) and 100 TRY. The 23rd Istanbul Theatre Festival at a glance: