Bačka Palanka, Serbia

24th – 27th August 2023

“On the cliff”

“The Festival of Ecological Theatre for Children and Youth” is open for applications for performances that will be part of our 29th Festival, which will take place from 24th to 27th August 2023 in Bačka Palanka under the slogan “On the cliff”.

We invite all professional theatres for children and youth to send their applications and participate in the 29^th Festival.

Why ON THE CLIFF? 

In the last year of its third decade, and with its position and experience, the Festival of Ecological Theatre for Children and Youth is exploring how the city, country, region and the world treat theatre for children and youth. All this with the aim to turn our attention to the lack of stand, strategy and care about programs for children and youth in our country. However, by gathering significant artists it also turns our attention to the courage of authors who create on the cliff of that margin. Although this area has been marginalized with the smallest financial outlays, lack of clear definition of theatre for children and youth in strategies and laws, centralization of even those smallest financial outlays and care, as well as the lack of specialized education in the area of performing arts for children and youth, the artists have been creating progressive, new, contemporary and brave theatre for children and youth. In spite of the general marginalization, the theatre for children and youth can be proud of the modern approaches it explores, both in form and content, and by including colleagues from other and closely related areas into their work and therefore making the process and product interdisciplinary and intersectoral. Following the children and youth and their needs, being in touch with the times they are growing up in and challenges they are facing, these artists do not underestimate their audience. Nevertheless, they still do not get enough media visibility, prestige, financial benefit and satisfaction they deserve. They are still being neglected, less significant or unnoticeable, which implies that children are not important enough for us to direct time, space and finances towards their spiritual and mental development, in spite of the narrative claiming the opposite. The artists working in the performing arts for children and youth, especially those creating outside the main centres of power, create in invisible spaces curtailed by limits, prohibitions, restrictions, refusals. They feel as though they have been pushed to the maximum, standing on a cliff symbolically representing their success and ambitions but also inability of taking the next step. Let’s talk about that, let’s give space to those who have it the least, yet deserve it the most. FEP is dedicating its 29^th edition to exploring forms, brave topics and brave people because, after 28 years of fighting for its existence, the Festival of Ecological Theatre for Children and Youth understands the best what it means to create on the margins. See you on the cliff – what lies beyond is either a vast expanse or nothing at all.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Plays are intended for children and youth;
• Plays are performed by professionals; 
• Every type of theatrical performance is eligible (puppet show, acting show, choreodramas, shadow theatre, object theatre, (non)verbal performances, musicals…)

Following will have priority:

• Performances on the topics of ecology, mental health of children and youth, rights of children and youth, treatment of others and different ones;
• Performances exploring forms such as interactive theatre, participative, hybrid, immersive, ambient, digital, etc.;
• Performances using modern technologies, object theatre, sustainable materials or performed outdoors; 
• Performances exploring the field of ecology of process and working towards green transformation in the theatre;
• Chamber performances and performances of smaller scales.

FINANCIAL TERMS OF HOSTING: 

Independent productions – the Festival pays them a fee for performing a play and provides them with hotel accommodation (full board) during the Festival and local transport. Travel expenses are provided by the producer (association, troupe, informal group, etc.). The Festival is open to suggestions and initiatives about jointly raising additional means for travel expenses.

Institutions – the Festival provides them with hotel accommodation (full board) during the Festival. If the Institutions from Serbia do not have funds intended for travelling to festivals withing the country, FEP is prepared to provide for the travel expenses/transport to Bačka Palanka and back. Daily wages and fees for performing plays are provided by the producer/institutions.

Since the institutions have the option to include participation in festivals into their annual budgets, we believe this to be one of the positive models how institutions can strengthen and support the independent and decentralised scene for children, as well as towns without theatres, such as Bačka Palanka.

Please make sure you specify all your expenses in the application form, according to the type of production of your play.

HOW TO APPLY: 

Complete the form

LINK

All entries must be submitted no later than 5^th February 2023!

Applications submitted after the stated deadline, as well as incomplete applications, will be considered invalid. You will be notified about the preliminary results of the selection via e-mail by 28^th February, while the Google forms will automatically inform you that your application has been submitted. All of the attached materials remain in the Festival’s archives, and are used exclusively for the selection and promotion of the Festival’s program (program book, posters, website, social networks, promo video). Should you have any trouble with the online application form or any additional questions, feel free to contact us:

office@fep.org.rs

SELECTION PROCESS: 

The selection process begins with an analysis of the received online applications. A selection of applications is forwarded to the Artistic Committee of the Festival for review, after what a list of performances participating in the competing program of the 29th Festival of Ecological Theatre for Children and Youth will be published.

The main criteria for the selection of performances are the artistic quality, corresponding to this-year’s selection priorities, as well as financial and technical possibilities of the Festival. Link to the technical specifications of stages in Bačka Palanka.

Applicants who pass the selection will be electronically informed about the preliminary results by 28^th February, while the final results will be announced on the Festival’s website (www.fep.org.rs) no later than 1st July 2023.

“THE GOOD TREE” AWARD

• Award for the best play in its entirety by decision of the professional jury
• Award for the play closest to children by decision of the children’s jury 
• Award for the best play according to the audience’s votes 
• Individual awards by decision of the professional jury (special award, acting awards, visual identity award, etc.)
• Award given by the Festival’s Council and Artistic Committee for exceptional contribution to artistry for children and youth