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{{Article
| status       = PHOTO NEEDSUPDATE
| maintainer   = Katja Kosi
}}
{{Infobox
| name                = Borštnik Theatre Festival
| local name          = Festival Borštnikovo srečanje
| logo                = Logotip - RGB barvni.jpg
| street              = Slovenska 27
| town                = SI-2000 Maribor
| telephone           = 386 (0) 2 250 6148, 386 (0) 2 250 6100
| fax                 = 386 (0) 2 250 6228
| email               = borstnikovo@sng-mb.si
| website             = http://www.borstnikovo.si/
| organised by        = Slovene National Theatre Maribor
| frequency = annual
| dates and duration  = October, 10 days (shortened in 2020, due to Covid-19); in 2021 shifted to June
| duration weeks      = 40,41,42 (2012) 42,43 (2013) 42,43 (2014)
| festival dates      = 15.10.2015 - 25.10.2015, 14.10.2016 - 23.10.2016, 20.10.2017 - 29.10.2017, 19.10.2018 - 28.10.2018, 14.10.2019 - 27.10.2019, 12.10.2020 - 16.10.2020, 14.6.2021 - 27.6.2021, 30.5.2022 - 12.6.2022, 5.6.2023 - 18.6.2023, 3.6.2024 - 16.6.2024
| contacts = {{Contact
| name                = Aleš Novak
| role                = Artistic Director
| email               = ales.novak@borstnikovo.si
| telephone           = 
}}{{Contact
| name                = Mojca Kolar
| role                = Assistant Director
| email               = mojca.kolar@borstnikovo.si
| telephone           = 386 (2) 250 61 48
}}{{Contact
| name                = Daša Šprinčnik
| role                = Producer and Public Relations
| email               = dasa.sprincnik@borstnikovo.si
| telephone           = 386 (2) 250 61 48, 386 (2) 250 61 00
}}
|accounts=
http://twitter.com/festivalbs
http://www.facebook.com/FestivalBorstnikovoSrecanje
http://www.youtube.com/user/festivalbs
https://instagram.com/festival_borstnikovo_srecanje
}}



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Every autumn since [[established::1966]], various Slovene theatres have gathered in Maribor for the [[Maribor Theatre Festival]] (known in Slovene as Borštnikovo srečanje). This prestigious event, organized by and held at the Slovene National Theatre Maribor, is the largest annual review of Slovene theatre production. The festival awards the [[Borštnik Ring Award and Borštnik Awards|Borštnik Ring Award]], the highest accolade for theatre actors in Slovenia. Additionally, [[Borštnik Ring Award and Borštnik Awards|Borštnik Awards]] are bestowed for outstanding achievements in directing, acting, and other categories.

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==History==
The festival took place for the first time in 1966 under the name ''Slovene Drama Week'' and was renamed the Borštnik Meeting in 1972 (today its Slovene name is still Festival Borštnikovo srečanje, but it has come to be known as the Maribor Theatre Festival in English). Prior to 1990, the festival was also held in other Slovene towns; in the 1990s, there were several unsuccessful attempts to move the festival from Maribor to Ljubljana. Until 1992, all professional Slovene theatres presented at least one production at the festival's competition program, with independent productions appearing only in the off-programme. Subsequently, the selection became more rigorous, including only the most representative theatre productions. The 1990s saw protests from numerous independent theatre producers and makers, arguing that with the festival's existing conceptually-closed orientation, it did not represent actual theatre production nor acknowledge the variety of aesthetics, poetics, approaches, and procedures.

On its 45th anniversary, the festival was reorganised and internationalised. In addition to selected Slovene performances by repertory theatres from Maribor, Ljubljana, Nova Gorica, Celje, Kranj, Ptuj, Koper, and Trieste, as well as by a few independent theatre producers, the festival's program featured international performances. A special showcase selection addressed international professionals who also participated in debates and symposia.

Since 1994, the selector of the festival has had a two-year mandate. The jury usually comprises four to five persons (critics, directors, writers, theorists, artists, etc.). The [[Borštnik Ring Award and Borštnik Awards|Borštnik Ring Award]] recipient is selected by a different jury.

The festival is named after [[Ignacij Borštnik]] (1858–1919), a director, actor, playwright, translator, and the founder of the Slovene artistic theatre. He was the first Slovene theatre director in the modern sense of the word and a master craftsman of the most demanding roles, especially from turn-of-the-century modernist realism.

{{Image|Prometej Drama SNG Maribor Peter Giodani.jpg}}

==Programme==

Each year, around 10 new performances are presented in the selected competition program of the Maribor Theatre Festival. These stagings compete for the following [[Borštnik Ring Award and Borštnik Awards|Borštnik Awards]]: best performance (Borštnik Grand Prix), best director, best actor, best young actor, and other achievements such as set design, costume design, lighting design, musical score, and other artistic categories, along with a special jury award. The award of the [[Association of Theatre Critics and Researchers of Slovenia]] for the best performance in the previous season is also presented.

The accompanying non-competitive program consists of interesting performances from the previous season, often created by a younger generation of authors whose innovative approaches to creating performances challenge the established concepts and boundaries of theatre. Additionally, performances by international artists and theatre houses are included.

The Maribor Theatre Festival also presents the annual production of the [[Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT)]], and it has recently started running an international student program.

{{Image|Zene v testu Borstnik 2023.jpg}}

{{Image|0I6A2847.jpg}}

{{YouTube|CEuXiAmsDIk}}

==International symposia and conferences==

Each year, the festival cooperates closely with the [[Association of Theatre Critics and Researchers of Slovenia]] in organizing conferences, symposia, round tables, workshops, seminars, and talks dedicated to relevant topics such as festival production, criticism, dramaturgy, archiving, and intercultural exchange. The festival has also hosted several international symposia and conferences, prepared with international partners such as the International Theatre Institute (ITI) and the international network of theatre critics AICT/IATC.

== E-xhibitions ==

Digital collections (photo galleries) presenting outstanding authors (e.g., actors who won the Borštnik Ring Award) were compiled by the [[Slovenian Theatre Institute]] in collaboration with the institute Novi zato., Prodok teater TV, Slovene theatre houses and regional archives. Further digital galleries present some of the recent Grand Prix performances, referential documentary photos, video and audio excerpts which are accessible to the wider public on the [[Sigledal.org - Slovene theatre portal]].

== See also ==
* [[Borštnik Ring Award and Borštnik Awards]]
* [[Slovene National Theatre Maribor]]

==External links==
* [http://www.borstnikovo.si/ Maribor Theatre Festival website] 
* [http://www.sng-mb.si/ Slovene National Theatre Maribor website]
* [https://www.borstnikovo.si/en/e-xhibition-archive/ Maribor Theatre Festival's E-xhibition archive]
* [http://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacij_Bor%C5%A1tnik Ignacij Borštnik on Wikipedija] (in Slovenian)


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[[Category:Festivals]]
[[Category:Festivals in October]]
[[Category:Theatre festivals]]

[[Category:Theatre]]
[[Category:Updated 2020]]
[[Category:Theatre & Dance]]