On the 26th of April, Turkmen artists met with representatives of the National Drama Theatre of Russia, St. Petersburg State University and the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts at the Main Academic Drama Theater named after S. Turkmenbashy the Great. Creative guests arrived in Ashgabat as part of the international residency of the National Theatre School project.
Bilbil Mammadov, Honoured Art Worker of Turkmenistan, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech:
- Many of our artists studied at the central universities of Russia, at the Shchepkin Theatre School, at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts GITIS and others. Today they are the basis of our theaters, they work not only in the capital, but also in the velayats, and they also make films. Among them are many people's and honoured artists of Turkmenistan. I am grateful to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for new opportunities for cooperation.
In continuation of the meeting, Honoured Artist of Turkmenistan Olga Volkova spoke:
- Cultural cooperation between Turkmenistan and Russia is necessary and in demand not only for theater workers and students, but also for our Turkmen audience. The Turkmen State Russian Drama Theatre named after Pushkin, with its almost century-old history, has always turned to Russian classics. Our actors were brought up at the Russian school of drama theatre. The Stanislavskiy system is the basis for us. However, today modern technologies are very tightly integrated into our lives, and the theatre cannot stand aside. Our Russian colleagues have more opportunities and more experience in this. We hope that you will share this experience with us. The future belongs to the youth, and what the modern and future theatre will be like depends on them.
Further, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, the educational program «Fundamentals of Management in the Modern National Theatre» was launched at the Turkmen State Institute of Culture. Lectures and trainings were held for the participants on the problems of the modern theatrical process, design and promotion of national projects, modern management and classical project management.
In parallel with the above events, an acting intensive was held within the walls of the Main Academic Drama Theatre of Turkmenistan.
Dmitriy Krestyankin, lecturer at the Acting Department of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, told the artists of Turkmen theatres about the art of acting and the work of Russian theatres, shared theatrical techniques and demonstrated some of them.
The three-day educational program will end on the 28th of April. At the end of the course, project participants will be awarded certificates of professional development.
