ESKİŞEHİR'S COLORFUL FESTIVAL COMES TO AN END

The 17th International Eskişehir Children, Youth and Puppet Theatre Festival, organized by the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality City Theatres, was held free of charge between 16 and 20 May. Once again, the festival transformed Eskişehir into a vibrant space where art, theatre, and the enthusiasm of children came together.

The festival opened with a parade procession between Köprübaşı and the Haller Youth Center Festival Area. Featuring giant puppets, marching bands, and theatre companies from different countries, the parade turned the streets of Eskişehir into an open-air stage. Attending the opening ceremony, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce highlighted Eskişehir's strong cultural and artistic identity and emphasized the colorful atmosphere the festival brought to the city. On the first day of the festival, trainees of the Youth Stage performed A Midsummer Night's Dream-ish, directed by Berkay Akın and adapted from the work of William Shakespeare, at the Opera Stage.

Throughout the five-day festival, international theatre companies presented a rich variety of performances. These included Frutillas Con Crema and Mini from France; Rufino Theater with Theatre Within Me and Nina Theater with Put Your Heart Into It from Italy; Peter Kus Company with The Kitchen of Sounds from Slovenia; Puck Puppet Theater with Dracula: The Monster We Created from Romania; Mittiprickteatern with Do You Dare? from Sweden; Art Start with Existence from Bulgaria; and Steven Luca with Mr. White from the Netherlands.

The festival also featured productions by the Eskişehir City Theatres, including The Magic Flute, Leaves Blown by the Wind, I Can Fly Too, and Pompenya. In addition, the youth production Romeo + Juliet = Love by the Antalya City Theatres received great acclaim from audiences. Beyond theatrical performances, festival-goers enjoyed a wide range of activities, including workshops on puppet-making and puppetry, "The Language of Puppetry," and "Playing in an Empty Space." Puppet and painting exhibitions were also presented, while a children's songs concert performed by artists of the State Opera and Ballet brought joy to young audiences and families alike.

During the festival, a total of 30 different events took place over five days, attracting thousands of Eskişehir residents to parks, public squares, and theatre venues across the city. On the final day of the festival, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce joined children in the festival area to watch a puppet performance, sharing in the excitement and joy of the closing celebrations.