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Karagöz, Puppetry and Shadow Arts Meet in Bursa

The 20th International Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Plays Festival, organized by Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation (BKSTV) on behalf of the Metropolitan Municipality, will be held between 11-16 December.

The 20th International Bursa Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Play Festival, organized by the Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation on behalf of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, with the artistic support of UNIMA Turkey National Center, with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will be held between 11-16 December. 14 shadow and puppet artist teams from Turkey as well as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will participate in the festival, which is organized with the aim of introducing the traditional Turkish shadow art Karagöz and shadow and puppet arts of different cultures, and creating an international sharing and communication environment in cultural and artistic terms. The festival, which will meet the audience in 8 different venues, will include 38 screenings, 3 workshops, 1 conversation and exhibition events, and all events will be free.

The starting point of the shadow game

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş announced the festival calendar to the public at the press conference he held together with Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation President Sadi Etkeser. Reminding that Bursa is shown by experts as the starting point of the shadow play tradition, Mayor Aktaş said, “The Karagöz-Hacivat tradition, which is a shadow play, is one of the most important elements of our cultural history. It has a completely different value for our city culture. Because Karagöz and Hacivat, who are among the leading figures of the world shadow play tradition, originate from Bursa. Karagöz and Hacivat, which are the most important intangible cultural values ​​and even symbols of our city, maintain their originality with their mystical dimension. As Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, we are working with the awareness of our duty in this regard. Turkish shadow theater ‘Karagöz’ was accepted as Turkey’s intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2009 and was included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List, making our festival even more meaningful. We would like to thank our Ministry of Culture and Tourism and our main sponsor Downtown for their contributions, as well as Harput Holding, Keskinoğlu, Bursa Su and Tunç Siper Schools for their unwavering support. It will take place between 11-16 December 2023. “We welcome all art lovers to the 20th International Bursa Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Plays Festival, and I congratulate those who contributed and supported our festival,” he said.

It will instill self-confidence

Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation President Sadi Etkeser reminded that they introduced approximately 6500 children and young people to theater at the International Children and Youth Theater Festival they organized recently. Etkeser stated that they also started the International Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Play Festival, which children are eagerly waiting for, and said, “This festival is held every two years. Our festival not only prepares our new generation, who are tomorrow’s adults and art lovers, as adult individuals for society, but also contributes to instilling a sense of self-confidence, learning through observation and critical thinking. With this festival, we aim to raise the new generation as healthy, happy and initiative-taking individuals. Our festival will be held in Tayyare Cultural Center, Metropolitan Municipality Chamber Theatre, City Library, Karagöz Museum, Downtown, Barış Manço Cultural Center, Podium Sanat Mahal. We are excited to introduce thousands of children and young people to puppet and shadow plays at our festival. We would like to thank our Metropolitan Municipality and our Ministry of Culture and Tourism for their contributions to providing us with this opportunity. “In addition, we would like to thank our main sponsor Downtown, Harput Holding, Keskinoğlu, Bursa Su and Tunçsiper Schools.”

Source: Railly News

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