Felicia Wins the Best Play Award at the 33rd International Festival of Children's Theatres – Subotica

On Friday, September 25, the 33 rd edition of the International Festival of Children's Theatres - Subotica came to a close with a closing ceremony and awards presentation at the Subotica Children's Theatre.

The Festival Jury, comprising Erika Hughes (United Kingdom), Gunnar Horn (Norway) and Milica Radulović (Serbia), awarded the Festival Grand Prix and the Best Play Award to Felicia by the Italian theatre company Quintoequilibrio.

In its statement, the jury explained: “This year’s Grand Prix winner is awarded for its excellence in all parts of a unique performance about how we should not judge those who are different from us. This playis a highly artistic treatment of a serious problem in today’s world for children as well as grown-ups. The jury was moved by the profound intimacy created onstage between the performer and the exquisitely designed puppet, a performance that was at turns both serious and playful.”

The Best Director Award went to Aleksandra Pejcz for Ojoj: the Great Story of a Little Line, by the Polish theatre Pinokio from Łódź, for the “excellent staging of a classic idea from a well-known comic into a contemporary performance for today’s young audiences.” The jury concluded its statement with the following words: “The ensemble was highly commended as was the innovative use of the space and the cohesive world building through puppets, song and acting. The space was incredibly well used throughout the performance, and the direction of the ensemble was done with great perfection and charm.”

The Best Stage Design Award went to Sandra Nikač of the Children's Theatre of the Republic of Srpska for her work on The Forgotten Story. The jury particularly praised “the humourous and poignant performance of the set itself, as it transformed into the physical representation of a beloved childhood memory.”

The Best Musical Score Award was presented to Matej Milošev of the Croatian theatre Mala scena for The Star and the Darkness. The jury noted that he “successfully integrated both music and musicians into the dramaturgy, bringing light to the story through music.”

The Award for Best Aesthetic and Technical Puppet Design went to Diljana Asenova for Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, by the State Puppet Theatre Ruse from Bulgaria. “One of the most important categories of award in this competition is of course the puppetry award. This year’s recipients created an exquisite world of dynamic and lively puppets that brought us into the world of the Arabian nights, with puppetry that was equally dark and comedic”, the jury stated.

In the Best Actor category, the jury named 5 laureates: Gwern Phillips of the Arad Goc Theatre Company from Wales, Barbara Szalai of the Bóbita Puppet Theatre from Hungary, Saša Latinović of the Youth Theatre in Novi Sad, Marko Vujević of the Subotica Children's Theatre, and Stefania Ventura of the Italian theatre company Quintoequilibrio.

The Special Prize for the Original Expression and Fantasy was presented to two productions.

The first prize went to Fantastic Dreams of Mountains and Seas, performed by the Zhejiang Modern Drama Troupe from China. According to the jury, “this production was awarded for its innovative combination of tradition and modernity, for its exciting choreography and joyous expression of a children’s world of imagination beyond screens.”

The second prize was awarded to The Immigrant: A Puppet Tragicomedy in Eight Scenes with an Epilogue, by the Spanish theatre Teatro Firulete. “The second recipient of this award is commended for its powerful treatment through puppetry of a serious theme for children as well as adults around the world”, the jury stated.

The Young Jury of the 33rd International Festival of Children's Theatres, comprising Nikolina Špoljarić, Lana Takač, Jakov Ivanković Radaković, Maša Ivković and Nika Šuić, awarded the Best Production prize to Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, performed by the State Puppet Theatre Ruse from Bulgaria.

In its statement, the Young Jury explained: “The special effects, set design and costumes made us feel as though we had stepped into a tale straight out of One Thousand and One Nights. The demanding dance choreography was performed flawlessly, while the live singing added a special dimension to the entire production. The creatively designed and skillfully operated puppets seemed to come to life on stage, thanks to the exceptionally well-coordinated ensemble. The performance managed to hold our attention throughout its entire 90-minute duration. Although the story of Aladdin and his Magic Lamp is familiar to us all, the director and the ensemble succeeded in presenting it in an original and visually striking way, making it as exciting as if we were seeing it for the very first time.”

On Friday, the final production in the Festival's competition programme, Everything’s Changing, by the China Welfare Institute Children’s Art Theatre from Shanghai, was performed on the stage of the Subotica National Theatre. The production is an adaptation of the picture book of the same name, telling a story about nature, the world and people.

“Everything’s Changing is intended for the youngest audiences, children around one year of age, whom we introduce through theatre to nature, the seasons, animals and the changes that are constantly taking place around us. We also imagine it as their possible first encounter with theatre. In the production, we use simple everyday objects - sticks, ties and plastic pipes - that children can continue playing with at home together with their parents. In this way, we encourage their imagination and create direct interaction with the audience,” said Wen Shujie, deputy director of the visiting theatre company from China.

The main programme featured 13 productions for children from around the world, selected by the Festival's selector, Professor Marijana Prpa Fink, PhD.

The Little Prince Lifetime Achievement Awards, recognising outstanding contributions to the development of culture and performing arts for children, were presented to Svetlana Mihajlović in the domestic artists category and Todor Valov from Bulgaria in the international artists category. This year's recipient of the Oton Tomanić Award, which recognises outstanding contributions to theatre scholarship and critical reflection in the field of theatre for children and young people, was Gunnar Horn from Norway.

The Research Forum on Children and Youth Theatre, held in Subotica from 21 to 24 September, brought together 21 scholars and theatre researchers from 10 countries. It was produced by the Open University Subotica and the Theatre Museum of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, under the direction of Professor Marijana Prpa Fink, PhD.

The Festival's diverse accompanying programme also included numerous exhibitions, workshops, book presentations and film screenings.

The International Festival of Children’s Theatres - Subotica is traditionally supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities, and the City of Subotica. The Theatre Museum of Vojvodina acts as the festival’s production partner, while the Open University Subotica serves as its executive producer.