Why festival in Umag?

Spirit of the chamber theater in Umag was embodied through mr. Antonio Coslovich who has built a hotel called Al Leon d’oro – towards the golden lion in which he had a theatre with about 100 seats. Festival is taking action in the city theater in National open university “Ante Babić” which is located in the centre of Umag and because of its construction and location is allowing us to organize all of the following events that can be visited by a grand amount of visitors.

Over the years festival has become a symbol of quality, not only in Umag but generally in Istra, it attracts more people and persons from public life and it attracts the media. Of course that all is supported by more quality contents, which is always carefully selected and representative festival program, it raises the level of festival.

Vision of the festival

Rewarded

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Foreword by the Istrian County Prefect

Valter Flego

The International Festival of Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion” is one of those events to which the Istria County gives exceptional attention because of its importance in the contribution to the promotion and reputation of our region, especially because the festival contributes to the affirmation of young authors promoting new theater troupes. Additionally, its role is very important as part of a tourist offer, because during the summer, it becomes a must destination for lovers of the theater arts.

In over fifteen years, the Festival has become a symbol of quality, recognized not only in Umag, but also in the whole region of Istria; each time it attracts more and more people from the public and cultural world as well as the mass media. The Festival gives additional importance due to its policy of coexistence of three people present in this region – Croats, Slovenes and Italians – on the basis of which it was created, and which forms a specific theater multiculturalism. And as Istria itself, this event is the intersection of culture equality, the culture connected by its diversity.

Although the theater and culture in general, is nowadays faced with many obstacles and challenges, the “Golden Lion’s” motivation and will is not lacking, as evidenced by the following impressive numbers: it has hosted 150 theaters from 20 countries, 500 productions and has assigned 75 awards to prestigious theater artists. For this year’s edition, new events have been prepared, such as an extension of performing to Novigrad and Buje, as well as programs for the youngest theater lovers, the children.

There is no doubt that the “Golden Lion” will grow even more in the yearsahead, for the delight of all of us. The Istria County are very proud of this event, and we will, as usual, support you at all levels. With the belief that you will, as many times earlier, find the strength to keep a high level of organization, programming and execution of the performances, the organizers congratulate the eve of the 15th jubilee of the International Festival of Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion”. We wish good fun to the audience, and lot of luck to the theater troupes.

The County Prefect
MSc Valter Flego

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Croatia dr.sc.Andrea Zlatar Violić

Andrea Zlatar Violić

The International Festival of the Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion” is one of the most important theater events in the recent Croatian history, of particular importance to the Istrian County and the City of Umag. Arisen from the tradition that began with Coslovich Antonio, founder of the first theater in Umag in the nineteenth century, the spirit of the chamber theater expression in Umag lives through many generations of its residents and their guests.

Since its inception in 2000, the festival has been designed as a meeting place of top artistic achievements of the recent Croatian and foreign theatrical expression, carefully nurturing multiculturalism and multilingualism that are tightly woven into the reality of life of the inhabitants of Istria and Umag. Through a carefully thought-out concept, as well as a rigorous evaluation of a selective choice of programs, the Festival has contextualized over the years within the broaders of the artistic space of the Croatian theatrical reality, becoming its significant part. With its important share in the national, regional, and international theater scene, it continuously opens the way to an artistic and interpersonal dialogue. Systematic questioning and experimenting with theatrical poetics that accompany the chamber festival atmosphere and its always innovative actors’ access, confirm from year to year, but also develop, its own artistic signature.

The festival is from its very beginning, a meeting place for artists, lovers of theater, who can witness, during that one week, the best professional chamber theatre performances, present themselves to each other, exchange their experiences and participate in many inspiring debates, which always contribute to the development of new and diverse aesthetics of theater arts. The competitive nature of the festival gives an opportunity to highlight some of the best ones among the best at all, and to be rewarded for their dedicated work. Due to the exceptional quality of the Festival, it attracts more audience each year, which confirms its excellence and the status of an unavoidable change in the Croatian culture. Therefore, I wish a lot of artistic inspiration and successful moments to this year’s International Festival of Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion”.

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Croatia
dr.sc.Andrea Zlatar Violić

(Hrvatski) Nagrada grada Umaga za 2013. godinu

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italiano and Hrvatski.

Letter of support

Vili Bassanesse

Subject: 15th International Festival of the Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion“ 2014
Letter of support

The International Festival of the Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion” has become an outstanding point in the cultural map of Croatia. In July Umag becomes the intersection of the Croatian and wider area cultural elites, which love the city’s rich history and culture, the city where the Mediterranean and Mitteleurope meet and mutually interconnect. This unique atmosphere can be felt, seen and experienced in Umag, especially during the International Festival of the Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion”, which this year celebrates its fifteenth edition. A Festival, which carefully selects the topics and opens questions about the social values through a variety of theatrical poetics that arise from the Mediterranean middleeuropean cultural area. The project by Damir Zlatar Frey brings intriguing performances, and is specific for its multilingualism that best reflects the city, which has always been open to dialogue among cultures. Recognizing this value, the town of Umag has declared in its Statute, the International Festival of the Chamber Theatre “Golden Lion”: manifestation of municipal importance.

During the festival days, Umag becomes a cosmopolitan center and takes on a new dimension for the presence of eminent theater artists. The local people and their guests have the opportunity to enjoy the maestro theater performances in which language barriers disappear. In the past 14 years, Umag has hosted prestigious theaters and multi-award winning artists who introduced the audience to their major achievements.

The performances, listed in the official program, will compete for the Grand Prix, which is awarded by a jury of renowned cultural and theater workers.

The festival echoes through the town center which becomes an unique stage thanks to numerous street artists and performers.

The media coverageis very important. The Festival is accompanied by the most important Croatian and regional media. News about the Festival and accompanying events are reported by the central television and radio news programs, newspapers and electronic media. The “Golden Lion” captures the attention of the media for the famous names of the Croatian and foreign artists who visit Umag during these days.

All this can be experienced only in Umag, so I invite all friends of Umag and true lovers of theater to support the 15th Festival of the Chamber Theater.

Mayor
Vili Bassanese