New international Grand Prix for Mini teater’s Snow White and the success of Slovenian Puppetry

NEW GRAND PRIX

At the International festival of professional children’s theaters in Banja Luka

FOR MINI TEATER’S SNOW WHITE

At the guest appearance at International festival of professional children’s theaters in Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina several times awarded Mini teater’s Snow white received a new GRAND PRIX. The grand prize for best performance in whole was given to Mini teater’s reinterpretation of cult fairy tale by Grimm Brothers by professional jury consisting of Jovаn Ćirilov, theаtrologist and artistic director of festival BITEF, Belgrade, Serbia as president and members Edvard Majaron, director and professor from Ljubljana, Slovenia and dr. Luka Kecman, theatrologist at the Academy of art at the University in Banja Luka.  

In less than a month on November 2nd 2012 the humorous Snow white will set off to Russia to the International festival of puppet theater in Moscow, where Mini teater will on the 4th November 2012 also present itself with the first virtual puppet performance in the World – Thumbelina.

After extraordinary successes and numerous awards Mini teater’s Snow white on Monday, October 8th 2012 guest appeared at the International festival of professional children’s theaters in Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where numerous European and world theaters guest appeared from October 7th to October 12th 2012. So far puppet artists from Poland (2007), Bulgaria (2008), Germany (2009), Russia (2010 and Serbia (2011) have participated at the International festival of professional theaters in Banja Luka. In 2012 to the international audience and competitive jury Slovenian puppeteers presented themselves.

JOINED INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS OF SLOVENIAN PUPPETRY

Robert Waltl, the president of UNIMA Slovenia prepared together with leaders of Slovenian theaters with the invitation and request of the organizers of the international festival of children’s theater in Banja Luka a special presentation of Slovenian puppetry.

Therefor in terms of the festival Mini teater, Puppet Theater Ljubljana, Puppet theater Maribor and Glej guest appeared. Within the presentation two puppet exhibitions have been set up – one from the pioneer of Slovenian puppetry dr. Milan Klemenčič and exhibition of puppets of great art and puppet creator Agata Freyer Majaron.

Besides Mini teater’s Snow white three more Slovenian performances were performed. Dr. Faust by Puppet Theater Ljubljana, When Šlemil went to Warsaw by Puppet theater Maribor and How Jaromir searched for luck by Glej theater. In terms of the international festival in Banja Luka 2 exhibitions have also been prepared – an exhibition of renowned Slovenian puppet creator Agata Freyer work by curator prof. Edvard Majaron with the help of all the theaters. And an exhibition of Milan Klemenčič from Puppet Theater Ljubljana in terms of which Matjaž Loboda also presented Klemenčič’s monograph. Entire event and the presentation of outstanding Slovenian puppet artist and creators was carried out under the mentorship of the most important puppet organization in Slovenia, the association of Slovenian puppet artists and friends of puppets UNIMA Slovenia (International Union of the Marionette) led by its president Robert Waltl, director and artistic leader of Mini teater.

From October 6th to October 11th 2012 the professional jury revised 15 theatrical performances in category of puppet creations including 2 adult performances and 13 ones for children. The festival has in its 11th year of existence justified its purpose and proven that in the future it will only strive to perfection. The effort of hosting relevant theaters is mostly the credit of the selector and theatrical director Predrаg Bjelošević, his calls for participation of two puppet creations for adults The lady of Spades and Doctor Faust only gave even greater meaning to the festival.  

The international commission gave out the Grand Prix, award for best direction, award for best set design, award for best music and 5 equal acting awards. The five equal acting awards were given to: Iuna Ornik for the creation in the performance Lalanit, Puppet theater Ljubljana, Slovenia, Miha Bezeljak for the role of Šlemil in the performance When Šlemil went to Warsaw, Puppet theater Maribor, Slovenia, Brane Vižintin for the role of Jaromir in the performance How Jaromir searched for luck, Theater Glej Ljubljana, Slovenia, Marketa Sikorova for the creation in the performance Tri Prelje, naïve theater from Liberec, Czech Republic and Collective creation in the performance Telephone, drama-puppet theater Ivan Radoev, Bulgaria. An award for best set design was given to Svjetlan Junaković for creation of set for the performance When Šlemil went to Warsaw, Puppet theater Maribor, Slovenia. The award for best direction was given to Bonja Lungov and Konstantin Karakostov for the creation of Telephone, drama-puppet theater Ivan Radoev, Bulgaria. Special award was given to the performance The Lady of Spades directed by Oleg Žugžda and performed by Puppet Theater Grodno, Belarus. Special award by the director of the festival Predrag Bjelošević was given to the performance Doctor Faust by Puppet Theater Ljubljana.     

At the festival only professional theaters from Europe and the World were participating that create in the field of puppetry, drama, street theater and experimental performances for children and youth. In terms of the international festival each year a Meeting of children’s writers was organized that importantly contributes to presenting children’s literature in connection to theaters for children. For more than 5 years a special place is dedicated to presenting puppetry of one of the nations. In 2012 this honor was given to Slovenia.

The organizer of the International festival in Banja Luka, Children’s theater of the Republic of Serbia was established in 1955 as a professional theater. Since then it has received numerous awards in Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina and ex-Yugoslavia. The international festival of children’s theater therefor represents an opportunity to express gratitude and hospitality to colleagues and friend artists from all Europe and is at the same time perceived as the most appropriate way to ensure the presentation of their work to the youngest audience.

SNOW WHITE’S AWARDS AND PRIZES:

Reinterpretation of Snow White in May 2012 also received a Grand Prix of the 19th International festival of Children’s theater in Subotica Serbia for best performance in whole. The Snow White was in Festival’s 19 year old history first Slovenian performance to receive this award. The director of the performance Marek Bečka at the International Festival in Subotica also received an award for best direction. For incredible animation of puppets Jose and Elena Volpi were responsible in Subotica, Serbia and in Maribor, Slovenia. In Banja Luka and Moscow Jose and Vesna Vončina have performed.

- Award to Marek Bečka for best director at the Biennale of puppet creators 2011 for Snow White

- Award to Elena Volpi for best actress at the Biennale of puppet creators 2011for Snow White

- Award to Aljaž Jovanović for best actor at the Biennale of puppet creators 2011 for Snow White

- Grand Prix of the festival for best performance in whole at the 19th International festival of children’s theater in Subotica, Serbia – May 2012

- Award for best direction of the 19th International festival of children’s theater in Subotica, Serbia – May 2012 to director Marek Bečka  

- “Cat in the bag” award by children’s jury at the 23rd International puppet festival Summer puppet pier 2012 (Maribor, Slovenia) – September 2012

- Grand Prix for best performance in whole by the International festival of professional children’s theaters in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – October 2012  

 

GUEST APPEARANCES

- Festival for children Bouchty a Loutky in Prague (Czech Republic); September 2010

- International puppet festival Unima Belgium in Beveren (Belgium);October 2010

- 19th international festival of children’s Theater Subotica (Serbia); May 2012

- Interdisciplinary festival TREFF in Tallinn (Estonia); May 2012

- 23rd International puppet festival Summer puppet peer 2012 (Maribor, Slovenia); September 2012

- 11th International festival Puppets (Ljubljana, Slovenia); September 2012

- 11th International festival of professional children’s theaters Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina); October 2012

- International festival of Puppet theater Moscow (Russia); November 2012

 

More about excellent, several times awarded Snow white is available here!

 


Performance Snow White was created in terms of the European project »Puppet Nomad Academy 1« that is co-financed by the European commission program Culture (2007-2013).

      

 

The program and realization of Mini teater is being co-financed by the Ministry for education, science, culture and sport of the Republic of Slovenia and Municipality of Ljubljana, Department of Culture.