Mladi levi Festival

Contact

Festival Mladi levi

Slomškova 11, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.bunker.si/slo/mladi-levi

info@bunker.si

Phone386 (0) 5 231 4492, 386 (0) 51 269 906

Organised byBunker Institute

Frequencyannual

Performance Chelfitsh directed by Toshiki Okada, Mladi levi Festival, 2010

The Mladi levi Festival (in English: Young Lions Festival) is one of the most prominent events organised by Bunker Institute, which initiated the festival in Slovenia in 1998 within the international network Junge Hunde. The international festival that takes place every end of the summer at the Old Power Station and the surrounding neighbourhood, aims to present makers whose work is characterised by original approaches to theatre and dance, focusing on talented and emerging stage performers, along with presenting already established progressive authors. The Festival has a distinctive atmosphere, marked with creativity and vibrant spirit, and social nature. It is an interdisciplinary place of exchange and co-operations, which extend beyond the habitual local or international concepts.

Festival profile

Mladi levi Festival has been presented in various old buildings of Ljubljana (in its early years at the Railway Museum of Slovenia, later in the Old Power Station, in Tovarna Rog, as well as in other venues) with the aim of presenting new contemporary productions in juxtaposition with historical heritage. At present, the festival mainly takes place at the Stara Elektrarna - Old Power Station and elsewhere. In order to create the circumstances where artists and audiences can meet, exchange experiences, and develop future collaborations, the festival invites artists to stay in Ljubljana for the entire length of the festival, giving them a chance to see each other's work, to have the time and opportunity to talk to other artists and audience members in an informal way, and to plan future collaborations.

The festival has thus far hosted authors such as Martine Pisani, Jérôme Bel, Ivo Dimchev, Eduard Gabia, Vera Mantero, Vitor Rua & Nuno Rebelo, Camille Boitel, the collective Les SlovaKs, the collective 1927, Rimini Protokoll, etc., as well as organised a number of round-tables and discussions.

Mladi levi 2009

The 2009 edition of Mladi levi Festival presented several firmly established authors as well as some emerging names. The 11th festival included 12 performances, among them the performances Empire (Art & Politics) by the French-Austrian collective Superamas; Mackbeth After Shakespeare by Ivica Buljan (produced by Mini Theatre); Ivana Müller's While We Were Holding It Together; a performance featuring a group of Serbian actors of the younger generation Možda smo mi Miki Maus, an adaptation of the play of the same title by the Serbian playwright Maja Pelević, directed by Matjaž Pograjc and his group Betontanc; the performance Sonja about a lonely middle-aged lady, dwelling on the edge of the Beckettian universe, directed by the Latvian director Alvis Hermanis, otherwise well-known for inventing fresh directing approaches and theatre formats; and a series of solo performances by Katarina Stegnar, Gregor Zorc, and Boris Kadin, based on performances by Via Negativa. The festival also presented three emerging makers, former participants of the Nomad Dance Academy (a project launched by the Balkan Express Network, one of the partners of Bunker Institute), namely, the American Elia Rubin Mrak Blumberg, the Macedonian Aleksander Georgiev, and the Latvian Ruta Nordmane. Further, the festival invited the ProstoRož - FlowerSpace Association to set up an installation in the Tabor area of Ljubljana and organised a concert of rebel songs by the female group Kombinat.

In the frame of the Mediterranean experiment SOSTENUTO, this festival edition also organised the project My Street, within which a street exchange focused on all sorts of exchange and sharing on the basis of solidarity in a direct and money-free spirit.

Festival journal

During some editions the festival journal Arena was published, covering the festival's performances. The contributions were mainly written by young writers in collaboration with the Maska Magazine. In 2010 it was available also on-line on the Sigledal.org - Slovene theatre portal.

See also

• Bunker Institute
• Stara Elektrarna - Old Power Station

External links

• Mladi levi Festival web page (in English)
• Bunker Institute website

Gallery

The opening of the Mladi levi Festival in Old Power Station. Author: Nada Žgank

Performance Human Territory by Slovenian artist Gregor Zorc, taking place at the Sports Society Tabor, Mladi levi Festival, 2023. Author: Nada Žgank

Performance Duos by Czech artistic group Temporary Collective at the Mladi levi Festival in 2023. Author: Nada Žgank

Performance Unending Love, or Love Dies, On Repeat Like It’s Endless, performed by Aaa Biczysko and Beverly D. Renekouzou at Mladi levi Festival in 2023. Author: Nada Žgank

Audience at the Mladi levi Festival, Old Power Station. Author: Nada Žgank

Theremidi Orchestra, group of enthusiasts from Ljudmila Art and Science Laboratory performing at Mladi levi Festival and 7th edition of U3 Triennial of Contemporary Slovene Arts, 2013

Mare Bulc's participatory mono performance The First Altruistic Performance at Mladi levi Festival in 2018. Author: Nada Žgank

Performance Sakhozi says NON to the Venus in Plasticization by Nelisawe Xaba (Republic of South Africa), Mladi levi Festival, 2011

Performance Chelfitsh directed by Toshiki Okada, Mladi levi Festival, 2010

Nijinsky Siam choreography, artistic direction and set design by Pichet Klunchun (Thailand),Mladi levi Festival, 2010

Performance The late drummer/ studies of happenings on stage and rhythm that doesnât match but in a way it does by contact Gonzo (Japan), Mladi levi Festival, 2011

Performance Smatch 2 âPush up daisies (ou) manger les pissenlits par la racine?â by Dominique Roodthooft (Belgium), Mladi levi Festival, 2011

Performance Before Your Very Eyes by Gob Squad & CAMPO (Great Britain, Germany), Mladi levi Festival, 2011

I am a demon by Pichet Klunchun, Mladi levi Festival 2010

Stara Elektrarna - Old Power Station, 2006