Ankara’s int’l theater event kicks off

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The 16th International Ankara Theater Festival, organized by the Foundation for Social Research, Culture and Art (TAKSAV) started Nov. 18 at the Büyük Theater.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, TAKSAV Chairman Emin Koramaz said 63 theater groups would join this year’s festival that would feature 86 events including street and dance shows, discussions and talks on theater along with staged theater shows.

He said that an important festival project, aimed at bringing together 10,000 people from Ankara through theater within five years, had been realized, adding that in the first three years of our project, 9,000 people attended theater.

“As part of this year’s festival, we have distributed 8,000 free tickets. We will try to make this social responsibility project more common in future years,” Koramaz said.

At the opening ceremony, those, who have contributed to the festival, were presented plaques. Among them was State Theater General Director Lemi Bilgin, who received his award from Yenimahalla Mayor Fethi Yaşar.

The Festival Labor Award was presented to Şenol Tiryaki for his contributions to the theater by Çankaya Mayor Bülent Tanık. Also, actor and director Ahmet Levendoğlu was given the Festival Honorary Award by Bilgin.

The festival, which opened with Balandugu Kan Theater’s show “Matoto Conakry” from the Republic of Guinea, will continue until Nov. 28