Old traditions with a new face

By Yelena Begunova

This season, organisers prepare lots of surprises for participants and spectators of the International Festival of Arts which will be held from July 10th till July 14th

At the 12th international children’s musical contest, Vitebsk-2014, our country will be represented by young Minsk residents Milana Redchenko and Zinaida Kupriyanovich. The jury of the children’s contest will be headed by the Honoured Artiste of Belarus, Irina Dorofeeva. The head of jury of the international contest of performers of variety song, Vitebsk-2014, is the Honoured Art Worker of Russia, Kim Breitburg. The composition of judges will also include a Norwegian singer with Belarusian origins, Alexander Rybak. This year, the format of the ‘adult’ talent contest will change; 21 contestants will take part in the semi-final, and only 15 will go through to the final. The awards for the best performances are more attractive in comparison with the previous years: The Grand Prix is estimated at around $20,000, whilst the top-three will receive 15, 10 and 5 thousand respectively.

Awards

About 30 states will participate in the 23rd Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk International Festival of Arts. After a long break, Phillip Kirkorov will please audiences with a solo concert. Jazz evenings will be also included in the festival program. The names of future laureates of the Union State Award in the field of literature and art are already known. High awards will be presented to the Belarusian sculptor, Ivan Misko, the Russian art historian Inessa Slyunkova and the People’s Artiste of the USSR, Vladimir Zeldin. The Alley of Laureates of special award of the President of Belarus, Through Art — to Peace and Mutual Understanding, will be augmented by one more star in honour of the well-known composer Raimonds Pauls.

Stage

One more item of note — spectators will see a lots of pleasant surprises connected with the decoration of the main performance venue. On this occasion, the organisers, along with other technicians with the relevant skills, will offer a range of special effects which were used during Eurovision and the Olympic Games in Sochi. In the summer amphitheatre there will even be dynamically lit water fountains.