Culture

For professional growth and inspiration

In December, the 5th anniversary Vakhtangov Festival of Theatre Managers was held in Moscow, featuring Director of the Cultural Centre "Mir" Eleonora Yamaleeva and Deputy Director Elena Troyan.

The participants represented virtually every region of the country, including, as always, Dubna.

The 5th VFTM spanned five days, 71 regions of Russia, 513 organizations, 154 speakers, 835 theatre managers and 300,000 online views. A flagship conference, a major forum and an educational project, it became the quintessence of accumulated knowledge and practices, bringing together the most valuable achievements of the community over this time. The Festival, supported by the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, became one of the key events marking the 150th anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia.

At the forum, current issues in Russian theatre were discussed, contemporary production practices were explored, new professional relations were established. Ways how to improve the life of the theatre, to manage state and private theatres, to create the most comfortable creative environment possible, to preserve the history and heritage of theatre companies, to effectively promote performances and the theatre, to speak the same language with audiences and more other issues were discussed.

The anniversary VFTM was held under the motto "The art of managing art". Director of the Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre Kirill Krok has been the Festival's permanent director. Each day of the Festival was dedicated to a specific aspect. The participants discussed crucial issues of management, the psychology of working in the theatre and communicating with the audience, the problems and challenges facing artistic production, the art of being a leader, marketing strategies, promotional aspects and innovations that are implemented in the theatre. A special section was dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in theatre work.

The environment created by the Festival is invaluable. The participants of the All-Russian Theatre Festival are united by shared interests, goals and objectives. For the staff of the Cultural Centre the Festival is always a valuable opportunity to meet colleagues and to establish contacts. As we know, an important goal of any business event is to unite people with people: clients, partners, friends. Events like these give birth to experiences that were once someone's dream. The Cultural Centre "Mir" is also on the path to realizing creative ideas, as the All-Russian Theatre Festival regularly enriches our venue with tours of unique companies, complementing the knowledge gained in the field of theater management. Preserving traditions and being innovative - that is our creative mission! It's difficult to overestimate the unifying role of the All-Russian Theatre Festival. It sparks new projects that foster stronger collaboration.

This time, a beautiful official ceremony was held to sign agreements of intent between theaters, including an agreement between the Cultural Centre "Mir" and "Theater Project 27". This independent theater from St. Petersburg makes plays for teenagers in collaboration with young authors. These performances offer young audiences the opportunity to find answers to a variety of questions: first love, adult misunderstanding, bullying, career choices, relationships with friends and more. The theater's first tour to Dubna is scheduled for 5 April, 2026. It will open with the performance "Physics concert" that unites the world of science, the existential questions of a teenager and songs in various genres.

The Festival creates an environment for increase and support, providing inspiration and motivation to pursue the profession and to become better. The goal of the participants is to make the most of these days with a community of a new generation of theater managers ready to transform the industry.

Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
Member of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation