World Festival of Children's Theatre: Antalya 1992

Abstract

With limited resources and manpower, the newly formed National Centre of the International Amateur Theatre Association of Turkey, must be congratulated for its enormous success in hosting the World Festival of Children's Theatre in April, 1992 in the scenic city, Antalya. Accommodating 500 energetic children and their teachers from 25 countries in an 8-day festival using four very different performing venues proved no easy job. With the SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER THREE 31 support of the Ministry of Culture and the Foundation of National Theatre and Opera, the organizing committee was able to house all the delegates in comfortable hotels and to transport them to theatres of selected places of interest as well as mobilize a great number of local families to provide the children with the special experience of outings or home stays. With no previous management experience of a large scale international event and only a small number of volunteers, the organizing committee was not without difficulties in solving the many unexpected problems posed by nature and man. The thunder storm, for example, forced the opening ceremony venue to be changed from an elegant ancient theatre to a humble school hall. The shortage of funds also imposed considerable constraints in logistics. The small size of the municipal hall also at times frustrated both the performers and the audience.