An Orientation seminar for the Finalists of the Open International Competition for development of an architectural concept for the Galiasgar Kamal Theatre
On November 27-28, Kazan hosted an Orientation seminar for the Finalists of the Open International Competition for development of an architectural concept for the Galiasgar Kamal Tatar State Academy Theatre. 22 finalists from Austria, Great Britain, Spain, Russia and Japan met with representatives of the Kamal Theater and other experts, studied the construction site of the new building and learned about the traditions and culture of Tatarstan.
Day 1
One of the main parts of the Orientation Seminar was a visit of the Finalists to the competition territory together with Natalia Fishman-Bekmambetova, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and Co-Chair of the Expert Council, Ilsiyar Tukhvatullina, Chief Architect of Kazan, Timur Kadyrov, Deputy Chief Architect, and Tatyana Prokofieva, Supervisor of the City Development Institute. The Finalists had the opportunity to get a closer look at the location, as well as the specifics of the area.
A Q&A meeting was held in the public offices of the Kazan Kremlin, attended by Irada Ayupova, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ilsiyar Tukhvatullina, Chief Architect of Kazan, Ilfir Yakupov, Director of the Kamala Theatre, Natalia Fishman-Bekmambetova, Farid Bikchantaev, Chief Stage Director of the Theatre, and Maria Ignatieva, Head of Scientific and Methodical Work and the R&D Department of Nekrasov Central Library and co-author of the Functional Specification for the new building of the Theatre.
Day 2
As part of the second day, the Finalists attended the “Identity and Modernity” guided tour, accompanied by Maria Leontieva, co-founder of the Tamga Institute for Urban Research and co-author of the Concept of Sustainable Development of the Kazan Historical Settlement. The diverse context, the architecture around the Kaban Lakes and the future transformations near the competition territory show the importance of the future Kamala Theater building for changing the image of the Vakhitovsky district. The Finalists also visited the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan, and they were impressed by the installation dedicated to the history of Tatar writing and “The Global World of Tatar Literature” exhibition.
A talk show “Kamala Theatre in 2056” was held, with the participation of Ilfir Yakupov, Director of the Kamala Theatre, Farid Bikchantaev, Chief Stage Director of the Kamala Theatre, and Sergey Skomorokhov, Chief Artist of the Kamala Theatre. The show was moderated by Alexander Ostrogorsky, theater of architecture at MARCH School of Architecture. The discussion addressed the cultural context of the Kamal Theater, its intellectual and creative history and what it offers to modern audiences, as well as the traditions of Turkic theatre, iconic plays, and contemporary visual culture.
The final event of the two-day Orientation Seminar was a visit to the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan and the screening of “Juha” fashion film, with commentary by author Tanya Chernoguzova.
