In December, Theatre Epicentre held its annual (3rd) TYA PUPPET THEATRE SHOWCASE event, albeit in a  slightly different form, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 The third Theatre Epicenter Showcase has been organized online and it took place from 05.12.2020 (Saturday, 00:00) to 15.12.2020 (Tuesday, 23:59). During this period, all those interested were able to watch the chosen performances via our Youtube channel. The performances and all the information regarding them were available with English translations.

List of performances selected for 3rd TYA PUPPET THEATRE SHOWCASE:

 • Pavao Pavličić “Three in Trnje” directed by Nikola Zavišić, Branko Mihaljević Children’s Theatre and Osijek Summer of Culture.

 • Author’s project of Ksenija Zec and Saša Božić “Krpimirci” GKL Rijeka and KD Pinklec, Čakovec

 • Author’s project Ana Marija Veselčić “Domaši” GKL Split in co-production with the Academy of Arts in Split

 • Ivana Brlić Mažuranić “Stories from the past” director Paolo Tišljarić, Marin Držić Theatre, Dubrovnik and Trešnja Theatre, Zagreb

 • Eugene Ionesco “Stories 1 2 3 4” directed by Morana Dolenc, Virovitica Theatre

 • Fabrizio Montecchi – The Story of Life “director Fabrizio Montecchi, Puppet Theatre Zadar

 • Tanja Novak “The snail tale” director Romano Bogdan, Pinklec Theatre Company, Čakovec

 • Svetlana Patafta “It’s time to play” director Svetlana Patafta of the Full House Theatre, Zagreb

 • Author’s project of Antonija Šašo, Paola Slavica / Lidija Kraljić and Davor Kovač “The first story” Arts organization Točka na i, Zagreb

 • Author’s project of actors and author team “Dreamonauts” directed by Morana Dolenc, Puppet Organization That We Need Indeed Loft, Zagreb

Croatia Epicentre Showcase is conceived as an event showing the best performances of theatre for children and youth and puppetry, and had its first and extremely successful edition in April 2018, which resulted in many guest appearances of Croatian theatres at renowned international theatre festivals for children and youth.

 The expert committee, aiming to promote the highest theatrical achievements of theatre for children and youth and to establish strong international ties, selects the best active productions of professional theatre performances for children and youth of various aesthetics and genres to present them to organizers, producers and selectors of prestigious international theatre festivals. These institutions produce theatre plays for children and youth and world-renowned theatre artists in the field of children’s and youth theatre.

2. Croatian TYA and Puppet theatres Showcase

The second croatian TYA and Puppet theatre Showcase organized by the Theater Epicenter was held from 8th to 12^th of April 2018 in Vinkovci, Vukovar, Zagreb, Karlovac, Zadar and Split. In December of 2018, a participation email was issued to theaters for children and youth, puppet theaters and theater organizations. At the same time, a call for applications was sent to foreign experts, producers and managers of the festival and theaters through the mailing list, social networks of the Theater Epicenter, HC Assitej and HC UNIMA, as well as the newsletter and official pages of Assitej International. Thus conceived, the aim of the showcase was primarily to show and present the best Croatian plays for children and youth and puppetry plays to foreign guests and thus mediate in establishing international cooperation between Croatian artists and international festivals and theaters.

Expert committee composed of experts from the Croatian Theater for Children and Youth consisting of Miran Hajoš (director of the Virovitica Theater, president of the Theater Epicenter), Romano Bogdan (artistic director of KD Pinklec, president of HC Assitej), Jasminka Mesarić (president of HC UNIMA), Iris Pavić Tumpa ( director of the Zadar Puppet Theater) and Leo Vukelić (member of the Board of the Theater Epicenter) chose the following plays: The Ninth Sheep of the Branko Mihaljević Children’s Theater in Osijek, Best Friends of the City Theater Zorin dom in Karlovac, Wanda Lavender City Puppet Theater Rijeka, Alone in the City Theater puppets Split, Karlson from the roof and Unclear/Unclean and girlfriend Puppet Theater Zadar, 2:14 h Virovitica Theater and Art Academy in Osijek, Kaštanka Virovitica Theater and Zadar Puppet Theater, And who are you KD Pinklec from Čakovec, With reason of the artistic organization LOFT and KD Pinklec from Čakovec, My Family and a Hedgehog of the Smješko Theater from Zagreb Warrior square Academy for arts and culture in Osijek and art organization Institucija and Baja buf by art organizations VRUM and Kliker from Zagreb. The aim of the show was primarily to show the best Croatian theater performances for children and youth and puppetry performances to producers of theaters and theater festivals from around the world, which gathered about 20 professionals in Croatia for that occasion and garnered immense public response. The show was covered in the media and on social networks, and resulted in multiple international collaborations (the play Best Friends by the City Theater Zorin dom in Karlovac, showed at the Festival in Tel Aviv 2018, Morana Dolenc at the festival in Tel Aviv 2019, the play Kaštanka at the festival in Havana2020…) .