Gathering of theatre directors of the Turkic World on joint projects and a vision for the future held in Andijan
The ‘Gathering of Theatre Directors of the Turkic World’ organised within the framework of the Fourth International Theatre Festival of TURKSOY took place in the city of Andijan in Uzbekistan. At the gathering, which addressed the integration of theatres across the Turkic World, joint projects and cultural cooperation, participants proposed the creation of a joint digital platform and a summer school.
The gathering moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kemal Göz was attended by Mr. Nodirbek Sayfullayev, the First Deputy Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, Mr. Sultan Raev, the Secretary General of TURKSOY and Mr. Otabek Djurayev, the Head of the Theatre Department of the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan as well as theatre directors, artistic directors and members of the international jury from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Delivering the opening address, Mr. Nodirbek Sayfullayev, the First Deputy Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, emphasised that the city had taken on a historic mission in line with the vision of the President of Uzbekistan and following Andijan’s designation as the ‘Cultural Capital of the Turkic World’. Stating that they felt great honour and pride in hosting this fourth edition of the international festival, Deputy Minister Sayfullayev recalled that numerous spiritual, literary and creative artistic events had been successfully organised in the city throughout the year under the auspices of TURKSOY. Mr. Sayfullayev also noted that the festival is more than just a platform of theatre productions as it also serves as a multifaceted platform for solidarity to develop solutions to common challenges in the fields of culture and the arts as well as various projects. In the conclusion of his speech, Deputy Minister Sayfullayev expressed his gratitude to all participants on behalf of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Secretary General Raev emphasised ‘Integration, National Aesthetics and Opening Up to the World’
Following Deputy Minister Sayfullayev, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev took the floor and offered important self-criticisms regarding the current state of theatres in the Turkic World. Noting that, despite the member countries’ 30-year journey towards independence, theatres were still not sufficiently aware of one another, Secretary General Raev stated that: “For years, our theatres could not see one another or share experiences. We did not know what kind of artistic process was taking place in which theatre. That is why, TURKSOY created this festival as a platform for our theatres to get to know one another, integrate and share experiences.”
In his speech, Secretary General Raev also touched upon multilingual communication with a sincere approach, stating that the ability of participants to communicate freely in their own languages (Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Turkmen, etc.) is, in fact, one of the most natural practices of the ‘common Turkic language’.
Emphasising that theatre is the face and cultural mirror of a nation, Secretary General Raev said: “The theatres of the Turkic world must have their own distinctive character and aesthetics. Our aim is to introduce our own national and classical dramaturgy to Europe and the whole world” and drew attention to the social role of theatre, stressing that it is a fundamental duty to instil national values such as family, honesty and truthfulness in the younger generation through performing arts.
Proposal of a “Digital Platform” from Azerbaijan and a “Theatre Magazine” from Kazakhstan
Speaking later in the meeting, Mr. Yarmemmed Kurbanov, the Director of the State Pantomime Theatre of Azerbaijan, proposed the establishment of a shared electronic platform where all theatres of the Turkic World could share their productions, projects and contact details. Mr. Beybit Bahtigreyev, a member of the jury from Kazakhstan and theatre critic, proposed the publication of a “Theatre Journal and Almanach” under the auspices of TURKSOY to enable theatres to keep each other informed while also noting that festivals should go beyond merely being venues for performances and be transformed into training laboratories for technical staff and young directors.
Zarılık Talasbek Uulu: “Let’s Establish an International Turkic World Summer Theatre School”
Mr. Zarılık Talasbek Uulu, the Director of the Chingis Aitmatov Youth Theatre of Osh in Kyrgyzstan, proposed the establishment of an “International Turkic World Summer Theatre School” to bring together young and professional actors from member countries. According to the project, directors selected from each country will prepare joint productions with mixed teams composed of actrors and actresses from kindred nations. Director Talasbek Uulu also stated that they are ready to host one of the initial phases of this training camp in the city of Osh.
The meeting ended with a decision to compile reports on the projects presented for evaluation and to capitalise on the platform for cultural interaction offered by the festival.
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