SLOVENSKY
Touches & Connections / Theatre festival
- Organised since 2005
- The biggest and the most representative festival of theatres which perform in Slovakia
- It presents especially current productions by professional theatres in Slovakia
- It takes place in the Slovak Chamber Theatre and in the streets of Martin
Presentational non-competitive festival Touches & Connections creates a platform for presenting the most interesting and inspiring productions which have been created in Slovakia during the latest year. For theatre-makers the festival offers an opportunity to gain an overview of as well as to confront current productions by professional theatres. Comparison and confrontation both help evaluate the state of and offer critique on the direction of theatre art in Slovakia, including the theatre of national minorities.
The festival programme focuses on presenting the most inspiring theatre performances which have been created in the period of one year (from April of the previous year to April of the current year). Members of the Dramaturgic Board of the festival in cooperation with external experts who monitor the production of particular theatres in Slovakia are responsible for the selection of festival productions. The Dramaturgic Board reserves the right to have the last word in the selection process in order to present the most noticeable trends or problems of contemporary Slovak theatre.
The festival offers a mirror image of the current theatre production in Slovakia. The quality of the festival programme therefore depends on the success of the season in particular theatres.
The festival encourages theoretical reflections and a renewal of dialogue between theatre-makers, critics and theatre-goers. It has the ambition to resonate in Slovakia’s theatres as an important basis for comparison. Throughout the festival theatre-makers can get regular and direct feedback from critics during the Critical Platform Discussion.
The festival brings the world of theatre closer to people of all ages. Besides the possibility of seeing Slovakia’s best performances theatre-goers have an opportunity to discuss with theatre-makers after each performance. The festival Touches & Connections enriches the cultural and intellectual life in Martin and its region.
