The Bergama Theatre Festival brings together art in four ancient theatres: The festival grows with the city

In the modern world, when the question "Where should a theater festival be held?" arises, the Bergama district of Izmir is inevitably one of the first to come to mind. At least, it should. Bergama is home to four ancient theaters (Asclepion, Gymnasium, and Odeon), one of which, with a capacity of 10,000, is the Acropolis, the steepest theater in the world.

The Bergama Theatre Festival opened its doors yesterday for the sixth time in the last eight years. Tiyatro Bal Porsuğu's play "Leyla and Mecnun Not" delighted the audience, who filled the Asklepion to capacity on its opening day. Yesterday, the festival's events multiplied and spread throughout the day. Walking tours were particularly popular, while panels also attracted attendees. Today, the festival continues with walks, panels, and, of course, theater plays. It will conclude with a performance of "Has Lived, Is Living, Will Be Lived" and the play "Khôra" at the Acropolis.

SUSTAINABILITY

At the opening ceremony held at Asklepion on Friday, plaques were presented to all supporters. There's a significant reason for this. The festival, which reaches audiences with the support of Bergama businesses and main sponsor Ateş Çelik, aims to grow alongside the city through capacity-building programs and cultural policy initiatives that will continue throughout this year's edition. As a first step, various panels are being held at this year's festival.

For example, a session titled "Our Cities and Local Cultural Policies" will be held at one of these venues today at 11:00 a.m. Volkan Aslan (Head of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's Department of Culture), Yahya Göztepe (Mayor of Bozcaada), and Serhan Ada will speak in the session. Immediately following this, a session titled "From Bergama to the Future: Shared Resources for Bergama's Cultural Scene" will discuss what can be done to develop shared resource models that will ensure the sustainability of Bergama's cultural life. Three days is a short time for a theater festival in a city like Bergama. This year's festival, which faced various challenges, is laying the groundwork for a longer festival in the coming years.