Theatre Youth of Macedonia

Approaching the theatre to the young people in the small towns

Within the UNICEF campaign “Theatre against AIDS”, the Theatre Youth of Macedonia is carrying out the project “I have a right to know”. About a hundred theatre plays were performed on this subject in 15 towns throughout Macedonia. The goal of the project is also development of the theatre in the areas where its present is scarce or none and bridging the serious gap of theatre offer that exists in our country. Youth Theatre Centres have been established in 15 towns (Skopje, Berovo, Pehcevo, Delcevo, Sveti Nikole, Kriva Palanka, Kumanovo, Tetovo, Gostivar, Bitola, Kicevo, Struga, Ohrid, Resen and Gevgelija, which, after this project has terminated will function as meeting points of the young lovers of theatre art. Participants in the project are high-school students, who, working in groups, were given the task to make a play on the subject of HIV/AIDS, write a script, direct the play, design the scenery and the costumes. They usually have their literature teachers as mentors, as well as 10 experts engaged by the Theatre Youth.

-“Young people in some parts of Macedonia do not have an easy access to the theatre. For example, in Delcevo, of 100 children, only 30 have been to the theatre and in the last 30 years in Berovo, there has not been a single theatre premiere. The premises at the Cultural Centres that we had been previously using are not heated and they lack decent working conditions. However, we came across a great interest among the children, there was no selection, everybody could take part in the plays. They were literally creating each part of the script, directed the play and designed the scenery.  Before they received the task, they had gone through an intensive one-day training course on everything they had to learn before they create the play. They also received literature, as well as a task to perform the play a few other times after the premiere”, said Nelko Nelkovski, author of the project.

 

S.N.