Home 2020

 O N L I N E
C O N F E R E N C E

HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival presents the “How can we lock-out theater during lock-down time?” two days online conference, which will take place in the period of December 11-12 (11:00 CEST) in the framework of its 18-th edition. We are expecting  moderators and speakers, such as high-end theatre critics, directors, festival programmers and so on, who will share with active and passive participants, their minds, concerns and experience in a whole, about the contemporary theatre approaches and trends in the present world situation.

The slogan of HIGH FEST 2020 is: To Be! That’s not a question!

M O D E R A T O R S

Kathrin Deventer – Secretary General of European Festival Association (Belgium) Marina Davydova – Theater critic, director, playwright, editor-in-chief of “Theatre” magazine, Art Director of the festival “NET” (Russia)

K E Y
S P E A K E R S

Anders Beyer – Director of Bergen festival (Norway)
Willie White – Director of Dublin Theatre Festival (Ireland)
Pippo del Bono – Director of Compagnia Pippo Delbono (Italy)
Jo Stromgren – Art Director of JO STRØMGREN KOMPANI (JSK) (Norway)
Levan Khetaguri – Theatre critic, UNESCO ITI board member (Georgia)
Pedro de Freitas – Director of FarOFFa festival (Brazil)
Haris Pasovic – Director of East-West Festival Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Register in advance for this webinar:

BROADCASTING

We will stream online the performances of theaters that we could not bring to Yerevan over these years / 5 performances of high-end directors; top critics, directors, festival programmers and so on, who could not come to HIGH FEST in the past:

We will broadcast

“Onegin”  directed by Timofei Kulyabin / Russia

“#25 Corona Sessions” and “#10 Corona Sessions” directed by Jo Stromgren  / Norway

“The Wild Darkness” directed by Pippo DelBono / Italy

“Returning to reims” directed by Thomas Ostermeier / Germany

“Allee of the Cosmonauts” directed by Sasha Waltz / Germany

High Fest 18th
Reviews

High Fest 18th

“To Be! That’s not a question.” is the slogan of the 18th edition of “HIGH FEST” International Performing Arts Festival. This year it will be presented in a new format, with an innovative message  and with many surprises.

Based on the situation, all the performances of the festival will be online.

The most appreciated at the same time unexpected challenge of “HIGH FEST” is the hosting of different districts of Yerevan, with the headline “HIGH FEST is coming to your home”.

Performances-projections are planned, which will be screened on the walls of residential buildings through videos … Such events are expected not only for the Yerevan audience, but also for the audience of regions (Vanadzor, Gyumri and Dilijan), and it is wonderful.

Of course, during the festival the online platform of the festival will be active.

Due to the enthusiastic and hard work of the staff, the high-end conference will be held named “Modern theater facing new challenges”, which will create a bridge between the directors, programmers and theatre critics of world-famous festivals in different countries.

This is also a good opportunity to share professional experience, to be better prepared for new theatre challenges.

I am sure that the Armenian audience will appreciate the work of the festival.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to wish good health, optimism and good luck to “HIGH FEST”

 

Arayik Khzmalyan

Vice Minister of the Ministry of

Education, Science, Culture  and Sports of RA

Arayik Khzmalyan

Arayik Khzmalyan

September 2020

COVID is the pandemic that changed the world, everyone knows about it.   But what is it in the world of culture? Is it a Boogeyman lurking in pitch darkness, paralyzing our creativity, causing chaos and feeding on our fear. How can we resist this? There is an important definition in management: “During a crisis, adjust not the goal, but the actions.” Our goals are unchanged. HIGH FEST presents the best performances, modernizes the performing arts, and as a result, develops culture. To constant questions-statements: “There won’t be a festival in the year?!” , our festival art director – Yevgenya Podpomogova answered with this year HIGH FEST slogan: “To Be! That’s not a question!”

We can turn the cons of the pandemic into pros. October 1-8 a lot will happen: we will stream online the performances of theaters that we could not bring to Yerevan over these years / 5 performances of high-end directors; top critics, directors, festival programmers and so on, who could not come to HIGH FEST in the past, will take part in high-level online 2 days conference; in Yerevan, during the festival, the theatre will come to suburbs, to sleeping areas and literally to people’s homes. In the evenings, we will project performances onto the walls of buildings and people, from their balconies and windows, as from a theater box, will see the performances. And it is not only in Yerevan, but in Gyumri, Vanadzor and Dilijan. And there will also be online master classes, lectures and much more..

This is the 18th edition of our festival in 2020. What it will be in 2021, we do not know, but what HIGH FEST will BE is not a question!

Sincerely Yours!

Artur Ghukasyan
Festival President

Arthur Ghukasyan

Arthur Ghukasyan

September 2020