The production The Ballad of the Trumpet and the Cloud, directed by Žiga Hren, has received the University Prešeren Award of the University of Ljubljana. This is the highest and most prestigious recognition that students can receive during their studies.
In its announcement for the Prešeren Awards, the committee wrote:
“The stage production The Ballad of the Trumpet and the Cloud, based on the novel of the same name by Ciril Kosmač, was created as the final production of master’s student of theatre directing Žiga Hren, and as a co-production between the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television of the University of Ljubljana and Mini Teater. The production was selected for the competition program of the 55th Slovenian Drama Week and for the competition program of the 60th Borštnik Meeting Festival, where the creators of the production received the Borštnik Award for a Special Achievement, as decided by the jury.«
The production stands out for its bold choice of staging ‘source material’, for a directorial concept that already in its conception takes into account the multilayered nature of the theme, for a directorial approach that is confident in execution and rich in associative connections, and for its acting performances, which give young actresses and actors the opportunity, on the one hand, to convincingly ‘illustrate’ Kosmač’s world, and on the other, to fully express themselves as young, sensitive human beings. Each of them takes full advantage of this opportunity.”
Half a year ago, the production also received the Jury Award for Special Achievements at this year’s Borštnik Meeting Festival. It was selected for the competition program of this year’s Slovenian Drama Week and nominated for the Award of the Association of Theatre Critics and Theatre Scholars of Slovenia for the best production of 2025. During this period, the production has been touring extensively throughout Slovenia and is currently part of the program at the Slovene Permanent Theatre in Trieste, where it is included in the current season’s subscription program.
