"Fifteen theatres were involved in the festival. Russia was represented by Arkhangelsk, Kotlas, Tambov, Voronezh, Mytishchi, Petrozavodsk and Vologda. Groups from Norway, Sweden and Finland were also present. Theatre critics and professionals held workshops and meet-the-artist events", Director of the Murmansk Puppet Theater Yevgeny Sukhanov told journalists.
Theatre managers hope that the forum which previously moved from one Barents Region city to another will remain in Murmansk.
The festival was held in four Murmansk venues, including a children's library, a theatre school as well as a philharmonic society hall due to the fact that the Norwegians required an organ for their performance.
Plays in foreign languages were not translated. "The audience was merely given the gist of a play. It makes no difference what language somebody speaks as puppetry is quite clear and understandable", Sukhanov explained.
According to the organisers, over 3,000 people watched various performances prepared for different age groups.
Kalix in Sweden was the venue of the First Puppet Theater Festival of the Barents Region in 1999. Its participants decided that it would not be a competitive event and that all countries of the Barents Region would be able to take part in it. The logo of the festival features a snowy owl that is native to Arctic regions.
