A 5-Day ‘Theatre’ Festival

Izmir University of Economics (IUE) hosted art lovers at a five-day Theatre Festival filled with excitement and joy. Enlivened by impressive performances from theatre groups representing six different universities in Izmir, Istanbul, and Adana, the festival offered unforgettable moments to its guests. Organized by IUE and open to the public free of charge, the festival saw students leave their mark on the stage with their talent and performances, earning great applause from thousands of theatre enthusiasts.

Held for the fourth time this year in collaboration with the IUE Dean of Students Art Coordination Office and the Theatre Club, the festival opened with IUE students staging ‘Twelfth Night’ (On İkinci Gece). On the second day, the Theatre Department of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory performed ‘On Bodily Pain’ (Bedensel Acı Üzerine) for the audience.

A CONTINUOUS CELEBRATION OF THEATRE

The festival continued with ‘Improvisational Theatre’ (Doğaçlama Tiyatro) by Ege University’s Creative Drama and Improvisation Theatre Group and ‘The Live Monkey Restaurant’ (Canlı Maymun Lokantası) by Çukurova University Theatre Group. In the final two days, Istanbul Technical University Theatre Group staged ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’ (Arturo Uİ’nin Önlenebilir Yükselişi) while Galatasaray University Theatre Group performed ‘Deliorman’.

ART TALKS DREW GREAT INTEREST

In addition to theatre performances, the festival also featured engaging art talks. Renowned actors Levent Üzümcü and Ercan Kesal, along with film director M. Caner Alper and producer Mehmet Binay, shared their experiences and memories with the audience. The workshop titled ‘The Play within the Physical’ (Fiziksel Olanın İçindeki Oyun), conducted by artist Orkun Kocabıyıkoğlu, also added zest to the festival.

STAY ANIMALS WERE NOT FORGOTTEN

As part of the festival, a meaningful campaign was organized for stray animals. Some attendees brought packaged pet food with them in line with prior announcements. These were collected by IUE officials and placed in special food donation boxes.

“IZMIR’S ARTISTIC MEMORY IS ENRICHING”

IUE Art Coordinator Sinemis Eser Akaoğlu stated that the festival, which once again saw strong participation this year, has become an important meeting point contributing to Izmir’s cultural and artistic life. Emphasizing that the University sees art as a value that is produced, shared, and grown collectively, Akaoğlu said, “At our festival, bringing together young theatre artists from different universities on the same stage created both artistic diversity and a highly valuable environment for interaction. Izmir is a city with a strong cultural heritage. The increase of such gatherings enriches the city’s artistic memory. From the perspective of young people, this festival is not just a platform where they perform on stage; it is also an experiential space where they express themselves, gain confidence, and deepen their artistic journeys. The friendships formed here and the shared stage experiences directly contribute to their future artistic production.”

“AN INCLUSIVE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT WAS CREATED”

Akaoğlu continued as follows: “As a University, we do not limit our closeness to art to education alone; we aim to create a more inclusive cultural environment by bringing our campus and stages together with society. Making art accessible to everyone through this festival, which we organize as free and open to the public, is very valuable for us. Art is one of the most powerful forces that transform a city, and we are very happy to be an active part of this transformation.”