Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theater
"Monkey Business", performed by Orto-Da Theatre Group. Photographer: Roy Cohen
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| Country and Region | Israel — North District |
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| Type of Festival | Drama |
| Location of Festival | Acco, North District, Israel |
| Festival Contact Information | Acco Festival for Alternative Theater |
| Festival Description | The core of the (Akko/Acco/Acre) Festival is a set of seven to twelve productions chosen by the Artistic Committee out of approximately 150 original and innovative proposals. The Committee and the Artistic Director accompany and guide the artistic process of the chosen proposals from the start and up to the final production. These productions are supported financially and will participate in the Festival’s competition. The main goal of the festival is to enable the performance of artistic composition seeking new, original and alternative language of expression. The Festival encourages productions which test new boarders and new scopes of theatrical concepts. Interdisciplinary works and works which present original approach to directing, use of space, relations between performers and audiences etc. The Festival favors works which exploit the special and unique sites of the old city of Acco. It also supports Arabic plays and Jewish Arab co-productions. These collaborations contribute to the artistic dialogue and cooperation between Arab and Jewish creators and audiences. In addition to the competing productions, the Festival hosts guest and street performances, workshops and international performances. The Festival is managed and produced by the Acco Municipality and supported by the Cultural Administration of the Ministry of Education and Culture, as well as other public and private bodies. The Festival is managed and led by a public steering committee, Managing Director, Artistic Director, Artistic Committee and Artistic Producer. The 2008 edition has been postponed. Please check the web site for updates. |
| Festival Dates | October 16 - 19, 2011 |
| Festival Links | http://www.accofestival.co.il/ |
Festival Story:
The Acco festival of Alternative Theatre, founded in 1980, is one of the leading Israeli cultural events. The Festival is an annual event which takes place over three to five days during the Pentecost holiday (fall season - September or October). The performances take place both in closed spaces like the excavated crusaders’ hall and the open air, at archeological sites or in the port area overlooking the Haifa bay. Characteristically the Festival overflows over into the street of the old city and takes on the form of a carnival.
The enchanted city of Acco (Acre) provides a very special environment for a festival. It is a walled port city continuously inhabited since the Phoenician period and has recently been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Its mosques, khans and baths and the remains of the Crusaders fortress dating from 1104 provide exceptionally stimulating venues for theatre performances. Acco is a mixed town where Arab and Jewish communities live side by side and the Festival too includes Hebrew and Arab productions.
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