FUGA Festival

During the six days of the festival, the Koper Theater hosts six theater performances by six art academies, and the evenings usually end with music - during the festival, various musical groups of various genres perform on Ukmar Square.

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FUGA is the first and only international festival in Slovenia that focuses on theatrical performances and musical events from artistic academies and schools across Europe (in the following editions, potentially beyond). It is primarily dedicated to students and young creators working in the fields of theatre, music, and audio-visual arts. The festival provides them with a platform to showcase their work and connect with peers from other artistic academies.

The festival was launched in 2020, but it only found its original form and purpose in the last two editions (2022, 2023) due to limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the initial two years. It takes place during the summer months, usually in July, in Koper and other coastal cities. The festival is organised and funded by the Student Organization of the University of Primorska, the Cultural-Educational Association PiNA, the Municipality of Koper, and the Koper Theatre, which provides the venue and technical support for the program.

Until now, the festival program has been co-created by theatrical productions from the following institutions: AGRFT Ljubljana (SLO), Academy of Dramatic Art Zagreb (HR), Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade (SRB), Central Saint Martins London (UK), Art Academy of the University of Banja Luka (BIH), MAPS University of Utrecht (NL), and Dramatic Studio Umag (HR). Over four years, 15 performances, 4 discussions with the creators, 3 evenings of student films, a workshop by professor and theater director Ivana Vujić from Belgrade titled "B. Brecht: Practice and Work with Actors," a lecture by artists from the Space for Art NOT (SLO) in Monfort in Portorož, an improvisation titled "First Kiss" under the mentorship of professor Željko Mitrović, involving students from all visiting academies, two awards for the best performance as selected by the audience (2022, 2023), and 20 concerts at various outdoor locations in Koper have been realised.

The festival attracts approximately 2000 visitors each year, indicating that it is not only intended for a student audience. FUGA opens its doors to everyone interested in theatrical, musical, and audio-visual arts.