Festival Council

For over six decades, the International Children’s Festival in Šibenik has opened its doors to an exceptional theatrical event that has become a hallmark of the city. Croatian and international artists take over Šibenik’s streets and squares, the stage in front of the old town hall, and the Croatian National Theatre building, surrendering themselves to the joy of creation and the play of imagination.

The Festival was first held in 1958, initiated by a group of enthusiasts who were passionately engaged in art for children. It quickly grew into a large and complex festival mechanism of both national and international significance. Recognising its outstanding quality, the Ministry of Culture has provided the Festival with exceptional support over the past three decades, and in 2013 it was granted the status of a national festival.

Founded on three inseparable components – the child, the festival programmes, and the urban fabric of the city – the International Children’s Festival in Šibenik serves as a showcase of the very best in creative work for children, as well as of children’s own creativity. Children are not merely an audience, but also active participants in shaping a diverse festival content through which they explore the worlds of drama, puppetry, music and stage performance, film, literature, circus, visual arts, and many other artistic forms. Hearing children’s whispered conversation as they follow performances by theatre troupes from all over the world – shows that take place in water and air, on Šibenik’s narrow streets and staircases – is of immeasurable joy, as is the opportunity to watch them laugh and dance in the town squares or listen attentively to literary readings (by well-known locals from Šibenik or those who are yet to become so).

In this anniversary edition, the Festival remains faithful to its core programme orientation: to present exceptional works from all artistic disciplines from Croatia and abroad, and to create a unique space for meeting and play. The presence of artists from fifteen countries across nearly all continents, along with numerous workshops, street and sports programmes, create a rich and dynamic schedule of events intended for children of all ages. Being aware of the importance of engaging and collaborating with surrounding towns and municipalities, around two hundred events will take place not only in Šibenik, but also in about fifteen other Dalmatian towns – making the Festival not only welcoming but also an open and friendly event.

We live in a time of major social challenges, where caring for and investing in children and young people may be one of the most valuable pledges for the future, with art and culture playing an essential part. In recognising these values, the Festival has become a hub for connecting experts and scholars around topics of artistic creativity and the importance of culture and art in the education, development, and well-being of children and youth from the earliest age – topics to which the Ministry of Culture and Media pays close attention.

I therefore extend my sincere congratulations to the Festival’s director, Jakov Bilić, as well as to the numerous collaborators who, together over the years, have built a Festival that listens to the needs of its time and evaluates its work in a critical fashion. Only in this way can the world’s oldest international children’s festival continue to exist as a valuable space for fostering and nurturing creativity, while stressing the value of intercultural dialogue, and promoting and preserving heritage.

                                                                                MINISTER

Nina Obuljen Koržinek, DSc