ASSITEJ Cyprus decided this year to dedicate its celebrations for World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People to the past; the present and the future of theatre for young audiences, both on a local as well as on an international level. The different activities took place during the whole month of March, culminating with a big event on the 20th of March.
The pioneers:
The big World Day event, on the 20th of March, was a tribute to the pioneers of TYA in the country and was co-organised by ASSITEJ Cyprus and the Cyprus State Theatre (THOC). The event was dedicated to the first decade of the THOC Children’s Stage (1976–1986), which was a huge step towards the professionalization of theatre for children in Cyprus. Many of the pioneers themselves were present at the event and shared with the public their memories from that period. Songs from that decade’s productions were performed live. The event was attended, among other officials, by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus.
The present:
For the third year in a row, ASSITEJ Cyprus asked the ASSITEJ National Centres and Networks around the world to send their video wishes on the occasion of the World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People. The project aimed at building bridges between ASSITEJ Cyprus and the ASSITEJ community around the world, as well as introducing the Cyprus professionals and public to the international nature of the organization. The videos were published on the ASSITEJ social media platforms during the whole month of March.
You can watch a compilation of all the videos by clicking on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w_NPuys4ac
The future:
This year, ASSITEJ Cyprus decided to entrust the writing and reading of its message for the World Day to three children: the Greek-Cypriot Diamanto Constantinou, the Turkish-Cypriot Eray Seylani and Alexis Ali-Ullah, a child who arrived in Cyprus as a refugee. Despite the fact that Cyprus is a divided country, ASSITEJ Cyprus attempted to highlight its strong belief that culture remains the best way to deal with intolerance and to build bridges between the country’s different ethnic communities.
You can watch the three children’s messages by clicking on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47K0jXEmrG8
