First-Ever Batumi International Doll theater Festival concludes successfully

Georgia: With the support of Georgian Culture, Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Batumi Dolls and Teenage Viewers Professional State Theater, together with the Association of Professional Theaters of Georgia, founded Batumi International Doll Theater Festival, which was held for the first time this year. The festival opened on September 8 and closed on September 13 with an award ceremony.

The Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara Tornike Rizhvadze attended the event. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of the Autonomic Republic of Adzara Maia Khajishvili, Art Directors of State Theaters, Rector of Art Universities, Theater scientists and invited guests Nika Tsulukidze led the festival awarding event.

The winners were selected in seven nominations: 

1. The best performance – “Ugly Duckling“

2. The best director – Nino Maghlakelidze;

3. The best scenography – Vakho Koridze;

4. The best musical arrangement – Sandro Nikoladze;

5. The best actress – Irina Kubanski;

6. The best actor – Abel Soselia;

7. Georgian criticism prize – “80 000 kilometers underwater”. 

An international jury from Poland, Turkey and Kazakhstan evaluated contestants.

In the first year of the festival, ten plays from seven theaters were presented within eight competitive and two non-competition performances. In the future, the festival will be expanded and will include theatrical performances from both Georgia and other countries.

In addition to showing the performance, the festival offered the actors a series of masterclasses: stage speech exercises; puppet theatre – traditional Turkish shadow theatre – Karagezi; the current state of puppet theatre in Asia and Kazakhstan; creating plays for babies.

The artistic heads of the festival are Nikoloz Sabashvili and Irakli Kikvadze. Directors – Imeda Tavdgiridze and Konstantine Karkashadze.

Financial supporters of the festival: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia, Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Development Company “Next Group” and Bazi Bank.