Fajr Theater International Competition Removed / Attempt to Record Oral History – Mehr News Agency | Iran and world’s news
According to the Mehr news agency, quoting the festival’s press office, Hossein Mosaferastaneh, the secretary of the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, was the guest of the “City of Culture” program performed by Hamid Reza on Thursday evening, January 20th.
At the beginning of the program, Mosafarastaneh, in response to a question from Mudaqiq, who asked if the Fajr International Theater Festival was too large, said: “Efforts have been made to make the festival more clean from years ago, but let’s not forget that the Fajr Theater Festival is the most important theater festival.” Is a country and can not ignore parts; Reducing the number of works in the current situation is a persecution of those works of art that have no place to be seen other than the Fajr Festival.
Details of the opening that goes to Yazd
Explaining that the opening of the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival will be held somewhere other than Tehran, contrary to the usual routine, he said: “I see this as a feature of this period.” In later years, efforts were made to hold a part of the Fajr Theater Festival in other centers of the country so that this event would not be limited to Tehran and Tehranians. I am very grateful to the esteemed governor of Yazd who, while accepting the opening ceremony in this province, had a very good cooperation with us to have a glorious opening ahead.
The secretary of the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival continued: “A number of works will be performed both in the street section and in the stage section after the opening in Yazd province.” Because the festival is held in Tehran, many audiences and many people involved are deprived of it because not everyone can come to Tehran, although Iranian theater television meets part of this need and by broadcasting the works in the festival to some extent the audience is satisfied. It is provided, but it is good that all the provinces participate in holding the festival.
The share of the provinces in the 40th festival is not less than the share of Tehran
In the final part of his speech, Mosafarastaneh presented statistics on the number of applicants to attend the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, and explained: Fewer applicants from other provinces compared to Tehran, 54% of the works accepted from Tehran and 46% from other provinces, and this output is the result of our minimal production and less input from the provincial stage theater, but for example in the street section, 130 groups Applicants were present, which included 15 groups from Tehran and 115 groups from other provinces, and as a result, 75% of the works in this section belonged to other provinces and 25% to Tehran.
Changes in the registration process for the first time in the 40th festival
In response to the question of what changes we saw in the registration process of the groups applying to participate in the festival this year, Mosafarastaneh said: The process of registering the groups and evaluating the works in this period was done for the first time through Iran Theater TV; A system on the Iran Theater website, the exploitation of which created a favorable opportunity. In previous years, artists struggled a lot and did not achieve the desired result. They had to send several copies of their work in the form of DVDs to the Secretariat and then the DVDs were distributed to the selection committee. Some works were formatted in such a way that they could not be played and there were many problems.
He continued: “Fortunately, in the fortieth period, we asked the artists applying to participate in the festival to upload their works on Iranian theater television, and the selection committee also watched the works through this system, and while getting rid of previous troubles, we were able to get more artists.” We asked them to be on the selection committee, and we benefited, among other things, from the ability, experience and knowledge of artists living in other provinces who had not previously been able to attend the selection committee due to the distance.
The non-competitive sector hosts professionals who do not need to compete
Explaining what works will be staged in the non-competitive section of the stage of the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, and about the reason for the existence of this section, he said: “The non-competitive section will be held with the presence of valuable works and experienced people.” Being non-competitive not only does not mean being marginal and marginal in any way, but the works in this section have more prominent features in terms of subject matter, performance style and quality, and are in fact professions that need to be addressed. They do not compete and if they are in the competitive section, they will take the opportunity to be seen by others.
The works have either been performed before or have not been allowed to be performed by Corona
In response to the question of the researcher who asked how many of the works present in the festival are new productions and how many of them have passed the public performance during the year, he said: The productions that have been performed have been exposed to the audience and have passed their exam and are now seen in the festival. But in the meantime, both last year and this year, there were works that, although produced and even scheduled to be performed, did not get a chance to be performed publicly due to the frequent closures of theaters due to the corona outbreak, and we did not want to deprive them of their presence. Festival, after the announcement of the call, we announced in an announcement that these works can also apply to participate in the festival.
The secretary of the Fajr Theater Festival stated: “New productions that Corona has not allowed to be performed in public are present in the festival, otherwise these works have been produced for the purpose of public performance and not just to attend the festival.”
Elimination of international competition / Presence of neighboring countries alongside Europeans
He also explained about the international section of the 40th Fajr Theater Festival: The final list of works in this section will be finalized soon. In this section, we first saw the demand for 40 works from different countries, but then with the expansion of the Omicron line, some applicants, especially in European countries, apologized for the lack of necessary conditions for travel.In the 40th festival, we focused more on the countries of the region, including Tajikistan, as special guests, while we will also see the presence of works from European countries.
Mosafarastaneh continued: “According to the festival’s policy-making council, we have not given the necessary importance to the theaters of the region with which we have political, economic, etc. relations for years, and in the meantime, cultural relations have remained undecided. This does not mean that we have overlooked the fortieth European country and the famous theater, but we have focused more on the countries of the region, including Tajikistan, as special guests, while we will also see the presence of works from European countries whose letters will be reviewed. The final will be announced.
He also explained that the title “competition” has been removed from this section and referred to it as the Theater of Nations section.
Works in memory of General Martyr Haj Qassem Soleimani
Mosafer Astaneh also explained that although a separate section called Sardar Shahid, General Haj Qassem Soleimani will not be held at the Fajr Theater Festival like last year, there are worthy works with this theme in the festival.
He said: “We both encountered this issue when selecting works, and at the end of the” Sardar Asmani “festival, I used my authority as the festival secretary to invite some worthy works on this subject to witness their performances.” We will be at the Fajr Theater Festival.
Attending the 40th Fajr Theater Festival only by presenting a vaccination card
Passenger Astaneh also explained to the media and the audience how to attend the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival: Both the media and other audiences can attend the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival only by presenting a vaccination card.Due to the existing inflation, the re-addition of the international section to the festival compared to last year, holding workshops, the festival action to record oral history, etc. The budget of the 40th festival is 9 billion tomans.
Emphasizing that the festival organizers are in any case subject to the orders of the National Anti-Corona Headquarters, he continued: “Due to the limited capacity of theaters, we ask our loved ones who may not be able to attend due to limited capacity to follow this event on TV.” It is an Iranian theater.
Referring to the use of Roudaki Foundation capacity including Vahdat Hall and Hafez Hall and Shahr and Iranshahr theater complexes and Sangalaj and Molavi halls in the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival from Roudaki area, Shahr Theater Complex and Artists’ House as performance venues for street plays win.
Workshop “From Idea to Execution” in the 40th Festival
Explaining the workshops that will be held at the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, Mosafer Astana said: “The workshop from idea to performance” will be held by one of the famous French directors. Of course, the capacity of this workshop is limited and attending it requires registration, and its final product will be staged in the last days of the festival.
Attempt to record the oral history of the last 39 Fajr Theater Festival
The secretary of the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, in response to the question of what point he would point out if he was asked to explain the achievements of the last 39 seasons of this event for the provincial theaters, said: Part of the brilliant theater talents of the provinces, their encouragement to higher education and their passion and love for theater, is the achievement of festivals and not only the Fajr Theater Festival. Therefore, in the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, we have started the production of the oral history section of the festival, which includes conversations with stakeholders, including the teachers of previous periods. An oral history that we hope will be published in writing.
Promise of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance to finance the Fajr Theater Festival
At the end of the program, in response to the question of the researcher who pointed to the budget of 5 billion and 200 million Tomans of the 30th Fajr Theater Festival and asked about the budget of the 40th Fajr International Theater Festival, he said: Compared to last year, holding workshops, festival action to record oral history, etc. The budget of the 40th festival is 9 billion tomans.
Mosafer Astana also explained that this figure has been approved by the Deputy Minister of Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance has promised full support to ensure that.
The 40th Fajr International Theater Festival will be held from February 5 to 6 under the auspices of Hossein Mosafer Astaneh.
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