Scenic Harvest

Scenic Harvest is the oldest festival of non-professional theatre in Europe. Organised annually, Scenic Harvest is the top-level national festival of winners of amateur theatre competitions, including international participation. Its mission is to create opportunities for the presentation, of the best artistic achievements of individuals and amateur theatre and artistic recitation groups achieved during the previous season; for the acquisition of new theoretical knowledge, dramaturgic experience and practical skills; and for an opportunity for creators, critics and spectators to meet. The festival is the high point of the whole year’s creation of individuals and ensembles in all forms and genres of drama, alternative theatre, poetry theatre, children’s dramatic creativity, reciters and soloists with scenic miniatures.

The idea to hold a festival of amateur theatre was conceived in 1922 by Štefan Krčméry (then Secretary of Matica Slovenská), Pavol Socháň and Zdenko Novák (for the Head Office of Slovak Amateur Theatres in Martin). In Autumn 1923, during the 1st Congress of Amateur Theatre Makers in Martin, the All Slovakian Theatre Contest was held. On the initiative of Matica Slovenská, this later became the Martin Theatre Festival, which in 1970 merged with the Gašparkov štít (Clown’s Shield) Martin Puppet Theatre Festival, bringing Scenic Harvest into being. Originally, awards were given for the best achievements, but from the mid 1970s Scenic Harvest became a non-competitive festival. Nowadays the participants in Scenic Harvest are ensembles and individuals selected by the Programming Council from national competitions, the winning ensembles of national minority festivals and thematic festivals; Slovak ensembles resident abroad and foreign ensembles are selected in co-operation with the Slovak Centre of AITA/IATA. The Creative Act of the Year Award and the Jozef Kroner Award are presented at the event to an amateur theatre maker. Inherent to Scenic Harvest is the Professional Education Forum (evaluations of performances, theatre workshops, lectures, analytical seminars with creators, spectators and professional jury) and exhibitions, concerts and street performances in the festival tent. The National Centre of Culture announces and acts as expert guarantor of the national advancement competitions, acting upon authorisation of the Ministry of Culture, while the implementing organisers of Scenic Harvest are the National Centre for Culture and Martin Municipal Government, in co-operation with other entities.