The 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival will begin on October 20.

Sponsored by Koç Holding Energy Group companies Aygaz, Entek, Opet, and Tüpraş, the festival will feature 16 theater, performance, and dance performances from Türkiye and abroad. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, September 12.

The awards ceremony and introductory meeting of the festival, curated by Mehmet Birkiye, was held at a hotel in Beyoğlu.

Speaking at the meeting, İKSV Chairman Bülent Eczacıbaşı stated that İKSV has been organizing the festival since 1989, saying, "We are thrilled to once again present audiences with compelling productions from the Turkish theater scene, as well as productions that capture the pulse of contemporary theater from a wide geography stretching from France to Peru, from around the world, between October 20 and November 22."

Eczacıbaşı emphasized that this year's festival will bring polyphonic narrative styles, unique styles, and unusual perspectives to the stage, and continued:

At the festival, our audiences will find productions that push the boundaries of the body and bring together literature and theater. The festival, which opens up new avenues for new pursuits with its program, will continue to support young artists and introduce children to the theatrical universe. We will also continue to increase the visibility of women in the performing arts with the "This Is a Woman" section and facilitate student participation in the festival with the Eczacıbaşı Young Ticket. Increasing accessibility and inclusiveness for various disability groups at the festival is a goal we will achieve both onstage and behind the scenes. I believe our efforts within the scope of the "Accessible Arts Partnership," launched this year by DenizBank and İKSV, will be of great importance in this regard.

"My hero is the audience"

Mehmet Birkiye, Curator of the 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival, also pointed out that theatre never forgets anything or allows it to be forgotten, and made the following assessment:

"Theater is the gravedigger of the past. Like 'Hamlet,' it forces the audience to look into that pit. What it won't put in... Regrets, loves, laughter, meanings, nothingness, dreams, joys, lost worlds... The more you dig, the more you uncover... If that's not enough, it shakes every branch we cling to, tries to pull down its fruits, teases, mocks, and exposes all happiness, all love, all pain, and, of course, all heroes. Only the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and heroes who can withstand the whip of the theater can survive, and the audience is left with the danger of losing their heroes, their beliefs, and their souls in every play. Moreover, sometimes bursting into wild laughter, sometimes in tears, they bow their heads to the altar in the name of their soul's salvation and take responsibility for their actions in every play. Is it possible to find such a tragic and entertaining hero? My hero is the audience. I thank them sincerely."

"Both the works of the masters and new discoveries will accompany this journey."

Handan Uzal Dündar, Programming Manager of the Istanbul Theatre Festival, provided information about the festival program, saying, "This year, the festival sets out with the desire to remember that criticism and critical thinking are indispensable companions of theatre and dance. In the age we live in, everything is dismissed with hasty reactions. In the face of this urgency, the 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival wants to make room for another possibility. Instead of immediately responding to questions, it invites everyone to think, feel, and linger with them."

Dündar emphasized that this year's festival will also remind audiences of the excitement of discovering the new, saying, "Throughout the festival, groups from our country and around the world will transform the stages and the city's historical and cultural sites into playgrounds with new forms of expression, creative collaborations, and powerful discourses, offering audiences unique experiences. Both the works of masters and new discoveries will accompany this journey."

The festival's "Honorary Award" was presented to Seçkin Selvi

The "Honorary Award" at the 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival was presented to translator, theatre critic, writer, stage and costume designer, journalist, and educator Seçkin Selvi.

Upon receiving the award, Selvi expressed her gratitude, saying, "The award has two important meanings. First, it recognizes a theater critic within the context of a theater festival, thus emphasizing the inherent nature of criticism in theater. Because criticism examines the positive and negative aspects of works of art, providing justification, it is a supporter, companion, ally, and, above all, an instigator of theater as well as all other art forms. The second, important meaning of the award for me is the honoring of criticism and the critic in a time when criticism, which should be present in every aspect of social life, has acquired a political identity that has become a target for the sword of Damocles. I am honored and proud. Thank you very much."

Tüpraş General Manager İbrahim Yelmenoğlu also gave a speech at the program on behalf of Koç Holding Energy Group Companies.

The festival's opening play is "Cathedral"

This year, the festival will welcome theatergoers with a program of six international and ten local plays. The festival program, which runs until November 22, will feature a selection of new local productions that will bring a fresh perspective to contemporary theater.

This year, the festival will also feature three new local plays supported by the İKSV Young Artist Fund.

The festival will open with "Cathedral," a performance by choreographer Marcos Morau featuring the long-established Dutch dance company Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, and the music of Arvo Part. The French-Catalan group Baro d'evel will present "Who Are We?", a performance that blends dance, circus, and theater.

This year's program will also feature literary adaptations. France's Paul Auster's beloved "New York Trilogy" will be performed, Ankara State Theatre's "Faust," and Moda Sahnesi's "A Woman's Quarrels" and "Transformations." Hikmet Hükümenoğlu's first theatrical script, "Fora," is also featured in the festival program.

"Hamlet will be performed by eight actors with Down syndrome

"Hamlet," produced with the contributions of İKSV Accessible Arts Partner DenizBank, staged by Teatro La Plaza and starring eight actors with Down syndrome, will be presented to the audience as one of the first steps of İKSV's inclusivity and accessibility efforts.

This section aims to support the production of individuals with disabilities in the field of culture and arts and to increase their visibility in the sector. Various activities will be carried out within the scope of this section, aiming to enable individuals with physical or neurodevelopmental differences to participate more effectively in İKSV events, whether as spectators, as part of a team, or on stage.

The festival's theme, "There's a Woman in This," which aims to make women's production visible in the performing arts in collaboration with Odeabank, includes "The Window Below," directed by İlyas Özçakır, and Belgium's production of "Bovary" by the Flemish Royal Theatre.

The "New Quests" section, launched last year and aiming to support young artists and groups who approach text and staging from different perspectives, continues this year with the plays "I Fell Asleep in Front of the Television Pondering the Origin of Private Property / I Woke Up to My Father's Voice," "Hell Flower," and "Marrying Jonas."

Different corners of Istanbul will become festival stages this year as well.

Among the festival's special projects are "Istanbul Mon Amour: Pera's Dark Room," staged by the Kumbaracı50 team under the supervision of Yiğit Sertdemir; "Açık Mülk," directed by Barış Arman at İMÇ; and "What Happened in Istanbul on the Road to Love: Circassian Rıdvan's Closet," inspired by the narratives of Reşad Ekrem Koçu.

At the festival, Ceren Oran's "Play Within a Play" will offer children an experience that shows them how far their imagination can go through on-stage improvisation.

All detailed information and the program regarding the 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival can be found at "tiyatro.iksv.org".

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