International Bursa Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Play Festival Begins

Organized by Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation (BKSTV) on behalf of the Metropolitan Municipality, the 19th International Bursa Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Play Festival starts on Wednesday, December 15th.

The festival, whose goal is to introduce the traditional Turkish shadow art Karagöz, to create an international cultural and artistic exchange and communication environment, and to develop friendship between countries through these arts, will also include seminars, exhibitions and similar events as well as play screenings. Organized by Bursa Culture, Arts and Tourism Foundation with the support of UNIMA (International Union of Puppet and Shadow Play) National Center and Karagöz and Puppet Plays Research and Application Center (KARAKUM), the festival will be held between 15-19 December 2021. At the festival, 18 teams from Russia, Spain, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova and Turkey will perform 34 shows.

Contribution to the intangible heritage

The introductory meeting of the festival, which is eagerly awaited by puppetry and shadow play enthusiasts, was held at the Karagöz Museum with the participation of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş and BKSTV President Özer Matlı. President Aktaş reminded that the shows will be presented to the public at the Tayyare Cultural Center, Barış Manço Cultural Center, Panorama 1326 Conquest Museum, Mete Cengiz Cultural Center and Karagöz Museum. Expressing that Karagöz Artist Metin Özlen as well as Ünver Oral and Şinasi Çelikkol will share their knowledge and experiences at the festival, President Aktaş said, “Besides the show, conversation and panel, we have planned workshops that will contribute to the transfer of the Karagöz shadow play to future generations. The Turkish shadow theater 'Karagöz' is recognized by UNESCO as Turkey's intangible cultural heritage. We organize our festival, which will contribute to making the place of Karagöz and Hacivat, one of the essential symbols of our country, on the world stage, more prominent with their inclusion in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List, with the hope of both entertaining and inspiring our children and youth. For this reason, we welcome all art friends to our halls. I would like to thank Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation and our sponsor Uludağ College, who contributed to the realization of the festival.”

From local to universal…

BKSTV President Özer Matlı also noted that Bursa, which has transformed its local values ​​into universal, will announce the Karagöz-Hacivat legend to the whole world with this festival. Matlı emphasized that as Bursa Culture, Arts and Tourism Foundation, they are happy to bring together the 19th Puppet and Shadow Play Festival, after the International Bursa Festival, the Traditional Folk Dances Festival and the Children's and Youth Theaters Festival, to the people of Bursa. Matlı said, "I would like to thank Alinur Aktaş, our Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who contributed to the realization of the festival and always supported our foundation."