Statute of the Prieniky Festival

General provisions

• The main organiser of the PRIENIKY festival is the Bratislava Puppet Theatre (hereinafter referred to as “BBD”).
• The Festival Director is Katarína Aulitisová, Artistic Director of BBD.
• The festival is held biennially (every two years).
• The festival inaugurates with Edition Zero on the occasion of the opening of the new Bratislava Puppet Theatre premises.
• The festival takes place in Bratislava, primarily at the BBD venue, typically spanning late September and early October.

Mission of the festival

• To organise an international competitive showcase of artistic works, emphasising intersections with puppet and object theatre and the search for a contemporary theatrical language.
• To create a platform for a wide spectrum of performing arts works.
• To stimulate reflection on the latest trends and artistic achievements in puppetry and related theatre arts through lectures and discussions.
• To recognise and celebrate the most remarkable creative achievements and artistic performances.
• To enrich the cultural landscape in Slovakia with works by prominent international artists.
• To offer a vibrant space for exchanging inspiration and creative impulses, and for fostering future collaborations.
• To contribute to cultural exchange and dialogue across European countries.
• To present a curated selection of the finest Slovak creations to an international audience, thereby promoting the export of Slovak art abroad.

Festival organisation

• No later than one year prior to the festival, the Festival Director will establish a Preparatory Committee responsible for:
  • Appointing members of the Artistic Board (Dramaturgická rada)
  • Appointing members of the Expert Jury
  • Managing the financial resources allocated for the festival’s organisation
  • Overseeing festival promotion and marketing
  • Creating optimal conditions for the smooth execution of the festival, including participant accommodation and securing suitable venues for presenting artistic works

Festival programme

• The festival programme is curated by the Artistic Board, comprising BBD Artistic Director Katarína Aulitisová, BBD dramaturge Peter Tilajčík and invited experts representing various art forms (puppet theatre, dance, music and visual arts).
• For selecting international participants, the festival aims to collaborate with international institutions such as UNIMA, IETM and FCA.
• The programme is divided into a Main Programme and a Side Programme, with the Main Programme constituting the competitive section.

Conditions for participation

• A clear intersection of the artistic work with puppet or object theatre.
• High artistic quality.
• The work must not have been previously presented at the PRIENIKY festival.
• Selection and approval for inclusion in the programme by the Artistic Board.

Application and submission

• Applicants interested in participating in the festival shall submit a video recording of their work along with essential details (creative team, date and place of premiere, short synopsis) to the festival organising team.
• Additionally, members of the Artistic Board will attend domestic and international festivals to personally select productions that align with the festival’s criteria and vision.

International competition

• Awards are presented during the festival to productions and individual artists for outstanding creative achievement and works demonstrating strong potential in both Slovak and international artistic contexts. These awards celebrate cross-disciplinary overlaps, with a special emphasis on intersections with puppet and object theatre.
• Awards are determined by a jury of renowned experts from various performing arts disciplines (puppet theatre, dance, music, multimedia, etc.) who have no professional affiliation with any of the competing festival productions.
  • The festival operates under an unconventional “anonymous jury” model, where the identities of the jurors remain known exclusively to the Preparatory Committee.
  • Each juror allocates 3, 2 and 1 points in each category to individual productions at their own discretion.
  • At the conclusion of the festival the points are tallied, and awards are conferred upon the highest-scoring productions in each category.
  • In the event of a tie, the jury may choose to share the award among multiple productions or withhold it entirely.
• The objective of these awards is not to foster a hyper-competitive atmosphere, but to honour the creative contributions of works within their respective fields. The debate surrounding competition versus non-competition in art remains complex and unresolved. Rather than viewing awards as a rigid measurement of artistic worth, we intend them to highlight a diversity of creative approaches and serve as a catalyst for high-quality, original artistic expression.

Final provisions

• The Statute of the PRIENIKY festival is drafted by the Preparatory Board.
• This Statute enters into force and takes effect on the date of its signature by the Festival Director.

15 January 2024
Katarína Aulitisová