The 24th International Children’s Theatre Festival opened tonight at the Children’s Theatre of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. The event was inaugurated by Minister of Education and Culture Borivoje Golubović, who expressed special satisfaction that performances from 12 countries, including Russia, will be featured this year.
“Children are our greatest treasure, and in the coming period, we will give our utmost support to ensure their development in both cultural and broader terms,” Golubović told reporters.
Ljiljana Labović Marinković, director of the Children’s Theatre, said that public interest in this year’s festival has been remarkable, with 14 plays scheduled to be performed by October 11, when the event concludes.
“We are proving that theatre is strong and vital in Republika Srpska. When we travel abroad, we bring home awards — and now we are showing that we can be excellent hosts as well. This is how we build the future for the children of Republika Srpska,” said Labović Marinković.
The festival brings together major theatres from Tatarstan (Russia), Serbia, Hungary, Belgium, France, Bulgaria, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Croatia, and Romania, presenting a rich and diverse stage program dedicated to young audiences.
Festival selector Duško Mazalica highlighted the record interest in this year’s edition.
“For the first time, we received applications from 50 theatres across 24 countries, which significantly raises the festival’s overall quality,” he said.
More than 5,000 children are expected to attend, making the festival one of the most visited cultural events for children in the region.
The festival is competitive, with an international jury awarding prizes for Best Overall Performance (Grand Prix), Directing, Set Design, Music, Five Acting Awards, and the Special “Dragan Banjac” Award for the most humorous performance.
The festival’s general sponsors are the President of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, and the City of Banja Luka.
Source: RTRS
