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Joint production of Ugala Theater and Valmiera Drama Theater – “Cosmopolitan”

70 years of crossborder creativity will be celebrated with dignity! The production, a collaboration between the Ugala Theatre and the Valmiera Drama Theatre, will delight both Estonian and Latvian culture lovers and bring old friends closer together.

Story

The friendship between the Ugala Theatre and the Valmiera Drama Theatre (VDT) dates back to 1953, when Valmiera first visited Ugala. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the friendship, the two theatre cities are joining their creative forces to warm relations and promote cultural development on both sides.

This story is about the love between a Latvian girl and an Estonian boy, about technology and a very controversial topic today – AI robots and their very fast development. This is also a story about how important it is to know where your roots are.

Experience

We value and cherish these 70 years of friendship, and in honour of this, we bring a fresh play to the stage, about the love between young people in Estonia and Latvia, inspiring families on both sides to communicate with each other!

The production will premiere in 2024, and theatre enthusiasts from both countries will be treated to a total of 20 performances. Actors from both the Valmiera Drama Theatre and the Ugala Theatre, as well as artists from both countries, will be involved.

The production will be complemented by educational and entertaining pilot projects on key themes that go hand in hand with theatre. In podcasts and discussion groups, we’ll talk about mental health and taking care of it, in culture and with the help of culture, environmental sustainability in and with theatre, youth engagement in culture and intergenerational understanding and transmission of culture. An important aim of theatre cooperation is also the integration of different cultural spaces and people: introducing Latvian people, theatre and culture to Estonians and vice versa!

Impact

We connect the cultural spaces of the two countries, broadening the horizons of artists and expanding their mutual development opportunities. The cooperation project offers a valuable opportunity for both theatres to engage in the European cultural dialogue and to raise awareness of the role of theatres as carriers of culture. The pilot projects will also increase the level of cultural and theatre education in Estonia.

  • Director: Andres Noormets (EE)
  • Playwriter: Ott Kilusk (EE)
  • Stage designer: Valters Kristbergs (LV)
  • Costume designers: Maarja Viiding (EE) ja Ilze Vitolinja (LV)
  • Head of Ugala Theatre: Garmen Tabor
  • Head of Valmiera Drama Theatre: Evita Sniedze
  • Project Manager: Elena Koit
  • Actors of Ugala Theatre: Terje Pennie, Aarne Soro, Martin Mill, Alden Kirss and Oleg Titov
  • Actors of Valmiera Drama Theatre: Ieva Puke, Klinta Reinholde, Januss Johansons, Krišjanis Salminš, Eduards Johansons