Any artistic movement is inspired by problems and challenges that exist in a given reality. Art that rejects modernity fails to communicate with the viewer, listener, or observer. As a result, it is stripped of an essential component — to define, lead and shape public opinion."
Therefore, art always and everywhere is — and must be — political. In order for it to fulfill its function in the process, to contribute to the development of civil society, to the unconditional recognition of human rights and freedoms, to the protection of various types of minorities, and to the advancement of cultural life, it is essential for art to be independent.
"Under the slogan 'Art is political and independent,' for the past several years, the vast majority of artistic spaces in our country — and more importantly, their visitors and audiences, that is, Georgian society — have taken to the streets. They stand firmly, resolutely, and peacefully, defending the future of this country at the cost of risking their own lives, well-being, and the safety of their children."
Over the past years, public protest has spread across nearly every sphere of human activity — from miners to minority groups. Side by side, we have found ourselves in a struggle against brutal systemic violence and injustice. This struggle became especially harrowing during the autumn and winter of last year. We witnessed the chronicles of peaceful demonstrations being crushed in blood, as countless people — including students, war veterans, and others — were imprisoned without any justification. Even now, as we work and prepare Tbilisi International Theatre Festival, curating the Georgian program, we wish to present to our foreign colleagues, actor Andro Chichinadze, along with his fellow activists, is unjustly locked behind bars. Every word I write is dedicated to him — to them."
Since its founding, the Tbilisi International Theatre Festival has strived to be the voice of Georgian theatre in the global cultural landscape. Over time, this voice has grown ever more significant — earning its unique place in international artistic processes. Notably, at no point has it lost its commitment to freedom or its dignified role in preserving and advancing the country’s Western orientation.
And today, as I’ve already mentioned, independent theatre is facing extremely difficult days. Theatres endured a three-month strike. An artistic director engaged in protest — who was fighting for the freedom of an imprisoned actor — was dismissed from his position. One of the year’s best productions was removed from the repertoire due to persecution and political pressure over its stance.
Amid all this, the festival continues its mission and, under the slogan ‘Freedom Is Ours Today,’ turns another important page in its history — a year that, I believe, will stand out in many ways.
Theatre company “Haraki” is an independent artistic space. Since 2019, it has become one of the city’s key locations for the development of cultural life in various directions — from book presentations and musical evenings to readings and discussions of dramatic texts and more. According to its founders, “Haraki” is primarily focused on exploring contemporary artistic processes, encouraging and showcasing compelling experiments.
At the 2025 Tbilisi International Theatre Festival, the company presented the production Hamlet.
There are texts that never lose their relevance — and among them is William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It can now be confidently said that Hamlet has long transcended the boundaries of a purely, and absolutely, brilliant dramatic work. It has become a universal existential manifesto of human significance — one that, in every era and moment, manages to reflect the most pressing and painful themes with uncanny precision.
The Haraki production offers a fascinating interpretation of the play. Given the vast and diverse range of productions already created around Hamlet, discovering something new — something yet unsaid — can seem almost impossible. However, in this case, what stood out for me was the director’s (Sandro Kalandadze) bold, grotesque, and visually striking translation of the protest energy — carried straight from the streets — into the theatre.
Inside the theatre, set in the basement of an old wine factory, the audience can almost smell the rot of the Kingdom of Denmark. That kingdom rages just behind the iron gate of this basement, chasing the freedom-fighting princes of Denmark, who now populate our entire city. Just a few steps from the theatre, they have sworn upon the Heroes’ Memorial that they will never, under any circumstance, surrender their freedom, submit to injustice, or abandon their dignity.
In the final scene, amid stunning cyberpunk costumes and dazzling carnival flair, Hamlet escapes the theatre — running back into the street protests. He is followed by the audience’s genuine awe and emotional resonance, which, fueled by the magical power of theatre, never lets go of the hope in the inevitable triumph over all evil.
Theatre on Atoneli” is an independent professional theatre. Since 2005, it has been committed to supporting and providing space for young directors, actors, scenographers, and others. This is a theatre where the audience has witnessed the very first steps of many artists who later became highly successful. A testament to this is the theatre's double win in the 2023–2024 inaugural Independent Theatre Award Tavisufali (“Free”).
A strong supporter of experimental and innovative theatrical forms, “Theatre on Atoneli” is represented this year at the festival with a production by young director Gega Gagnidze.
Based on Franz Kafka’s The Trial, the director presents a performance that, quite literally, reflects our current reality — stripped down to the level of near-journalistic commentary. The content precisely mirrors today’s sense of injustice in our country: the helplessness, and the fate of individuals condemned by the system. Meanwhile, in terms of form, the director and scenographer transport the story into an utterly ambiguous future, populated by creations that exist between humans and robots — children of a distant, technogenic culture. It is the era of humanoids. And this, in fact, is the core message: if society continues to silently accept the injustice inflicted upon individuals — as does the onstage audience within the performance — then in the future, we will become beings devoid of spirit, stripped of empathy, and robbed of that essential human emotion that defines our very humanity.
“City Theatre” joined the network of independent theatre spaces and collectives in our city three years ago. In that time, it has succeeded in developing its own audience, attracting and inspiring many artists — and has become a motivator for many others, proving that it is possible to create something meaningful with bare hands and great enthusiasm. And what is theatre, if not idealism?
Alongside established and accomplished theatre professionals, “City Theatre” also produces works by young directors. Students gain first-hand experience with the rehearsal process and study theatre as a living mechanism.
As part of the festival program, “City Theatre” will host us with an intriguing and unconventional performance. “The Mechanism” is a musical-choreographic piece. Through body language and the use of various everyday household objects, the performers communicate with the audience — telling stories, evoking emotion, and drawing us into an experience that becomes both simple and delightful. The entire interaction evolves into a kind of ritual — almost tantric — in which viewers, weary from the weight of daily existence, find themselves participants.
Postmodern and post-postmodern theatre have long sought new and engaging ways to communicate with audiences. “The Mechanism” is precisely such an attempt — and in my view, a successful one.
Recent protest movements against the unjust and repressive political system have also revealed many striking aspects of contemporary civil society — most notably, the powerful voices of women. Standing alongside the mothers of prisoners — who for months have been fighting for their unjustly detained 20- and 21-year-old sons — are young women who are literally at the front lines of the demonstrations. They lead the crowds, generating energy and unity, proving that in the face of threats to the country’s future and the violation of fundamental human rights, there is no such thing as a “weak” or “strong” gender. When the state becomes a usurper of power and turns its force against its own citizens, resistance knows no gender.
The Independent Feminist Art Collective was born from within this protest movement. It consists of six women who work across different artistic mediums: performance, text, visual art, and video installation. Centered around the principles of radical solidarity and the politics of art, the collective frequently organizes public performances and queer art interventions — both in the capital and in the regions. The aim of all their actions is to expose and confront repressive political power.
The Feminist Art Collective is featured in the festival program with a particularly compelling work. “Who Will Heal Our Wounds” tells the story of queer women and explores, through their perspective, the cultural and political environment burdened by fascist attitudes. This multimedia performance forces the audience to reflect on the cruelty of oppression rooted in difference.
Here and now — in our immediate reality — we cannot ignore or fail to stand in solidarity with people who are persecuted for their identities; people who, due to societal pressure or criminal legislative policies, are even rejected by their own mothers. Mothers who know no peace, who encounter danger at every step.
If we claim to be a nation of deep history and culture, one that strives for progress, then we must not allow our fellow citizens to be hunted down by such violently distorted ideologies. We can never call ourselves a free and democratic society if humanism is lost — if we close our eyes to the blatant evil that turns a person’s private space into a weapon of persecution.
In 2013, as part of the international program of the Tbilisi International Theatre Festival, we saw a brilliant production directed by Pippo Delbono. What left a lasting impression on me was the inclusive cast — uniting both neurotypical and neurodivergent performers, people with and without disabilities. At the time, imagining such a performance within the Georgian context still felt like a distant dream.
Yet this year, within the lineup of Georgian productions, we find "FOLKS" — a work presented by INform, a platform for inclusive ideas.
INform is an inclusive choreographic company that brings together artists with typical and diverse abilities. Their performances are staged in various artistic venues and spaces. The collective actively collaborates with international dance and theatre companies and artists — including Sasha Waltz. The founder and artistic director of the project is Maka Chkhaidze.
This year, festival guests will have the opportunity to witness how meaningfully and beautifully individuals with different abilities can coexist on stage. The performance highlights just how important it is for all of us to feel and believe that — regardless of our abilities — we are essential to one another, and there is nothing more beautiful or moving than the feeling that, even in the face of growing fear and danger, we are not alone.
This choreographic piece wraps the audience, if only for a few minutes, in a paradise-like atmosphere — with kindness, beauty, and a delicate sense of solidarity. We see, hear, and understand that nothing is impossible where one human being stands beside another.
The 2025 Georgian program stands out for the number of independent theatres and companies it features — and this is no coincidence. Contemporary Georgian theatre is currently undergoing a transformative phase — a moment that calls for critical reassessment and the invention of new, compelling expressive forms. In this context, it is the independent theatre spaces that lead the way. Ultimately, this process will go beyond just the realm of independent companies and theatres — it will come to define the broader landscape of contemporary Georgian theatre as a whole.
Today, this very segment of Georgian theatre also represents the leading force behind political protest and plays a vital role in the development of civil society.
Every significant movement has its roots — though at times, those roots may be forgotten. But when we speak of independent theatre spaces, I’d like to recall the 1990s — a pivotal decade that saw the emergence of the first independent theatres in Tbilisi and later in other cities across Georgia. One particularly influential and multifaceted example was the Basement Theatre — a space that gave rise to bold, innovative voices and forms at a time when such expressions were entirely new.
The creative mind behind that space was director Levan Tsuladze, who, after many years working within the state theatre system, is once again creating independently.
This year, he presents a production within the festival program — “The Nose”, staged at Studio 42.
Based on the play by Nikolai Gogol — widely regarded as the father of Russian realism — Levan Tsuladze presents a political pamphlet that openly exposes the conformist nature of petty bureaucrats. These characters are stripped of human values, and even love becomes unimaginable without the craving for position, power, or personal gain. A system rooted in corruption and abuse of authority is upheld by individuals who, at first glance, are merely obsessed with minor titles and ranks. Their mercantilism becomes the very foundation for all the evils committed by far more powerful and influential political figures.
The director almost seems to elicit a sense of sympathy for these characters from the audience — both as biting sarcasm and as genuine, human compassion. Despite the complexity of the theme, the production maintains a light, visually rich tone throughout.
And we, the audience, are left with little choice but to admit: true hell is here on Earth — nowhere else. Even the devils themselves struggle to comprehend the sheer scale of treachery that humankind has achieved.
“...So long as, in this world, every night, evil lights its torches...”
Theatre’s one and only essential mission is to ensure that in the face of such evil, the audience is never left alone.
Gvanca Guliashvili