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| International Theatre Festival MESS | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Theatre Festival MESS |
| Native name | MESS |
| Location | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Founders | Asim Horozić; Derviš Sušić; Denis Kljaković |
| Genre | Theatre, Performing Arts, Avant-garde |
International Theatre Festival MESS The International Theatre Festival MESS is an annual performing arts festival held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded in 1960. It has hosted a broad spectrum of theatrical work ranging from classical drama to experimental performance, attracting artists and companies associated with Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Comédie-Française, Royal Shakespeare Company, and independent ensembles from across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Over decades MESS has intersected with major cultural institutions such as UNESCO, European Cultural Foundation, and festivals like Avignon Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Venice Biennale.
MESS was established in the context of postwar cultural renewal influenced by figures connected to Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia cultural policies and institutions like the Sarajevo National Theatre and the Bosnian Cultural Centre. Early editions featured artists with ties to Gavella Drama Theatre, Atelje 212, and the National Theatre in Belgrade, while programming reflected currents from Bertolt Brecht, Anton Chekhov, Federico García Lorca, and Samuel Beckett. During the 1992–1995 Siege of Sarajevo the festival adapted amid conflict, engaging with organizations such as International Committee of the Red Cross and cultural solidarity networks including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Postwar revival involved collaborations with British Council, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, and funding from entities like the European Union and Council of Europe.
MESS operates as a nonprofit organized with boards and artistic directors connected to institutions like Sarajevo City Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Culture, and international partners including British Council Bosnia and Herzegovina and Goethe-Institut Sarajevo. Directors and curators have included alumni of National Theatre Prague, Teatro alla Scala, and conservatories such as Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and National School of Drama (India). Administration liaises with municipalities of Istočno Sarajevo and multinational cultural bodies like European Festivals Association. Financial oversight interacts with foundations including Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Foundation, and bilateral cultural agencies like Alliance Française.
MESS programs feature collaborations with ensembles and creators from Poland National Theatre, Croatian National Theatre, Slovenian National Theatre, Hungarian State Opera, Teatr Nowy, and artists linked to directors such as Peter Brook, Jerzy Grotowski, Ariane Mnouchkine, Radu Penciulescu, and playwrights like Tadeusz Kantor, Heiner Müller, Dario Fo, and Tom Stoppard. The festival presents avant-garde projects influenced by choreographers and companies including Pina Bausch, Sasha Waltz, Compagnie Philippe Genty, and performance theorists from Stanford University, Goldsmiths, University of London, and University of Sarajevo. Retrospectives and workshops have involved institutions like Bard College, Juilliard School, and museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Sarajevo.
MESS has premiered productions by companies associated with Teatro La Fenice, Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Schaubühne, Gate Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival, and independent creators rooted in movements linked to Dada, Surrealism, and Expressionism. Noteworthy premieres have included reinterpretations of works by William Shakespeare, Molière, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sophocles, Euripides, and contemporary commissions associated with playwrights like Biljana Srbljanović, Tanja Miletić Oručević, and directors influenced by Konstantin Stanislavski and Vsevolod Meyerhold. Co-productions with Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Malmö Stadsteater, and Teatro Cervantes have been staged at MESS.
Primary venues include the Sarajevo National Theatre, the Bosnian Cultural Centre, the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and unconventional spaces across Baščaršija, historic quarters near Latin Bridge, and repurposed sites in districts like Grbavica and Marijin Dvor. Touring and satellite events have taken place in regional theaters in Mostar, Banja Luka, Tuzla, and international exchanges have occurred with venues such as St. Petersburg State Academic Theater, Teatro Colón, and Teatro Real.
The festival has conferred prizes and hosted award-winning artists who later received honors from institutions like the Laurence Olivier Awards, Europe Theatre Prize, Golden Lion (Venice), Balkan Theatre Awards, and accolades from film and theater festivals including Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and Venice Film Festival. Individual participants have been recognized with orders and medals from national bodies such as the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and cultural honors from ministries in Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and beyond.
MESS has been credited with fostering dialogue among cultural networks including UNESCO International Theatre Institute, European Cultural Foundation, and NGOs like Cultural Forum East-West, while critics from publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, Le Monde, Die Zeit, and Der Spiegel have debated its programming balance between international imports and regional priorities. Scholarly critique from academics affiliated with University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and University of Belgrade has examined its role in post-conflict cultural reconstruction and debates over cultural tourism promoted by bodies like World Tourism Organization.
Category:Theatre festivals in Bosnia and Herzegovina