By traditionally handing over the keys to the Old Town to the children, the 5thInternational Festival Kotor Art and the 21st Kotor Festival of Theater for Children was officially opened at the St. Tryphon Square.

The spectators were greeted by the Director General of the Cultural and Artistic Creativity Directorate in front of the Ministry of Culture, who said: “Kotor Art is a complex and heterogeneous manifestation which refines the most significant longtime cultural events. Through six segments of the Festival: Don Branko’s Music Days, Town Writing, Kotor APSS, Festival Klapa Music, Kotor ArTheater and, of course, Kotor Festival of Theater for Children, over the course of five years, we created a unique and important cultural event which strongly reflects itself in the broader cultural context. In a way, it also represents a parameter for aesthetic values in the sphere of the culture it promotes. It is a known fact that the town of Kotor itself greatly contributes to the importance of this Festival – the atmosphere of this Old Town that represents cultural legacy that was placed on the World Heritage list, a legacy that is best known for its “romantic and picturesque beauty planned for centuries, where East and West met in a unique symbiosis of style and spirit.”

During their performance, the participants of the Drama Studio Kotor invited the town mayor Marija Catovic to hand down the keys to the town to their representative Milica Kascelan, a sixth grade student from Savo Ilic school. Honored that she would be the one receiving the keys to the Old Town, Milica promised that they will be kept in safe hands.

Mayor Catovic noted: “The Festival of Theater for Children has become an integral part of the cultural activity of the town since its beginnings and a hallmark of its recognizable identity as one of the most significant theater events in the region and beyond. Over the course of its long history, Kotor has always fostered a long tradition of theater work, so all the efforts for affirmation of this type of art are deserving of our attention, especially when aimed at youngest ones. The Festival greatly contributes to the popularization of the theater art among young people, significantly affects the artistic development of children by giving them a chance to express their talent and creativity in the abundance of the programs offered.“ 

After the Opening Ceremony, the two Italian theaters – TPO from Prato and Teatro Metastasio Stabille della Toscana – presented their co-production, a show called Baba Yaga, first in line of the sixteen shows featured in the Main Program which will be competing for the Town Jury and Children Jury award. Until July 10, the audience will have an opportunity to see another ninety premiers within the Kotor Festival of Theater for Children.

PR OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL KOTOR ART