The Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre (also Acco Fringe Theatre Festival, Israel Fringe Theatre Festival) is a four-day
performing arts festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...
held annually in the city of
Acre,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
during the Intermediate Days of the
Sukkot holiday in early autumn.
History
Founded in 1980, the festival features a competition for original plays that premier during the festival, along with local and foreign theatre productions, street theatre and open-air performances. There are also concerts, arts and crafts workshops, and lectures.
The majority of the Festival's plays come from outside the mainstream of establishment Israeli theatre, some having avantgarde characteristics and subjects giving outlet to their creators' personal statements. Some combine media and genres such as pantomime, clowning, video, dance, and performance art rarely seen in the conventional theatre. Many are staged in historic venues within the
Old City of Acre
Acre ( ), known locally as Akko ( he, עַכּוֹ, ''ʻAkō'') or Akka ( ar, عكّا, ''ʻAkkā''), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel.
The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harb ...
, such as its Crusader-era citadel and knights' halls that have undergone conservation.
The Festival has been produced by the Municipality of Akko since the year 2000. It is supported by the Israel
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
*Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
*Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
*Minister for the Arts (Australia)
*Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)
* Ministry of ...
, the Old Acre Development Company and overseas
philanthropic foundations.
The Acre Festival has become a symbol of coexistence between the city's Jewish and Arab inhabitants. Each year's program features works by Arab playwrights and troupes along with performances by music ensembles. Performance projects led by theatre professionals provide training for local Arab and Jewish teens, including immigrant youth.
The Festival has been postponed and scaled down twice due to interethnic disturbances: during the
October 2000 events of the
Second Intifada, and in 2008 due to the
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...
riots, after which the Festival was held during the
Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...
holiday week.
In 2018, it was noted that the “multi-ethnic” Festival’s signs were posted in Hebrew only, avoiding Arabic, although Arabic is the native language of one third of the population of the city, and Arabic had been taken of the Festival’s logo.
Member of Knesset Aida Touma-Suleiman
Aida Touma-Suleiman ( ar, عايدة توما سليمان, he, עָאִידָה תּוּמָא סֻלִימָאן; born 16 July 1964) is an Israeli Arab journalist and politician. She has been a member of the Knesset for Hadash since 2015.
Bio ...
, who lives in Acre, filed a complaint. In a reaction, the municipality wrote: “Acre is a model of coexistence and nobody can lecture us on that.”
[Jack Khoury: No Arabic Signs at Acre’s Multi-ethnic Theater Festival. In: Haaretz, 27. September 2018.]
See also
*
Culture of Israel
References
External links
*
Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre 1980-1995 collection on the Digital collections of
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library is a central academic library of the University of Haifa, and one of the largest in Israel. It is also one of the most progressive Israeli libraries in terms of service, collection, physical space, and libr ...
, University of Haifa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre
1980 establishments in Israel
Acre, Israel
Festivals established in 1980
Fringe festivals
Sukkot
Israeli culture
Theatre festivals in Israel