Over 400 participants will take part in more than 25 venues across the city during the Iasi International Theatre Festival for Young Audiences (FITPTI), running from 2-8 October, with Prologues on 20 and 27 September, under the theme "Power and Vulnerability".
Theatrologist Oltita Cintec, curator of FITPTI, said that for nine days, the people of Iasi will have the chance to attend indoor and outdoor theatre, filmed performances, performative readings, audio theatre, book launches, exhibitions, student theatre, and audience-artist encounters.
"FITPTI, which I curate, has come of age with its 18th edition. I framed the programme under the theme 'Power and Vulnerability' because we are living through a rather turbulent period in history, complicated times. It is important for the arts to engage aesthetically with current themes. This is a rich edition, running from 2-8 October. We also had two prologue events that filled the venues. The programme is abundant. The festival promotes the idea of inclusive theatre, targeting audiences who, for various reasons, cannot attend traditional venues," Cintec said.
This year, FITPTI features artists from Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the UK, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, including state and independent companies, established and emerging creators.
"FITPTI will remain a rebel, as I envisioned it from its first edition. Each edition brings a new focus, a dynamic deliberately set by the curatorial strategy; it is always different. I don't want us to become predictable; the festival's profile is built on curiosity, stimulating it, and renewal. FITPTI has become part of the local, regional, national, and international cultural landscape. The regional community has benefited from many exclusives from abroad, some appearing in Romania for the first time, only in Iasi. This is my way of indulging it," Cintec added.
According to a press release, FITPTI is organised by the Luceafarul Theatre Iasi, funded by the Iasi County Council, and supported by UNITER, along with diplomatic and cultural representatives from various foreign countries.
FITPTI is part of the European Festivals Association network, headquartered in Brussels, which awarded it the "remarkable festival" label.
On the first day of the festival (Thursday), following the two Prologue events, a series of activities are scheduled across the city.
At 19:00 in the main hall of the Luceafarul Theatre, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", a production by Nottara Theatre Bucharest, will be performed and is already sold out.
The programme includes teams from prestigious state theatres - Radu Stanca National Theatre Sibiu, Lucian Blaga National Theatre Cluj-Napoca, Nottara Theatre Bucharest, Arcub Bucharest, Fani Tardini Theatre Galati, Andrei Muresanu Theatre Sf. Gheorghe, Baia Mare Municipal Theatre, Gong Theatre Sibiu, Puck Theatre Cluj-Napoca, Ion Creanga Theatre Bucharest - and independent companies, such as Platforma de Teatru Politic Bucharest, Zbeng Cultural Cluj-Napoca, AnimArt Cluj-Napoca, BIS Theatre Sibiu, Var Cultural, Art No More, Maidan Centre Cluj-Napoca, Purple Wave Bucharest, Basca Theatre Timisoara, with performances directed by Radu Afrim, Vlad Cristache, Ada Milea, Andrei Majeri, Mihai Maniutiu, Alexandru Mazgareanu, Leta Popescu, David Schwartz, Doru Vatavului, among others.
According to the programme, a performance of "The Bremen Town Musicians" (BIS Theatre Sibiu), designed especially for grandparents, will be staged at the Copou Elderly Home, and Miko, the cold little fox, at the Oncology Department of the Iasi Children's Hospital.
Outdoor festival events are scheduled on the "Luceafarul" Theatre esplanade, Palas Public Garden, Copou, Union Square, and the Botanical Garden, in popular areas where the public will encounter theatre characters. Festival-themed pastries, made in limited edition in partnership with a chain of patisseries, will be part of the surprise.
The organisers added that Timisoara's Basca Theatre will present a sample of sustainable theatre with the production "(Dis)rooting", a co-production with Independent Theatre Hungary and Mikser Theatre Serbia.
"Lambe-lambe theatre is a recent form of animation, appearing for the first time thanks to Art Land Puppets Sofia. Tram of Thoughts is proposed by Luceafarul Theatre Iasi in its anniversary tram - celebrating 75 years of artistic activity. In terms of networking, Electra (Radu Stanca National Theatre Sibiu) arrives at FITPTI directly from the Osaka World Expo, Japan. In the alternative line, 'The Inner Hole' (Purple Wave) was performed this summer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe," the FITPTI organisers said.
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