The project "In Contact with the City" presented 25 theatrical productions in Tobolsk

27 november 2023

Tobolsk saw the project "In Contact with the City" draw to an end. The project had ended up winning the grant contest of SIBUR's social investment program The Formula for Good Deeds in 2023. "In Contact with the City" is, in fact, a whole theatrical season complete with a large number of diverse events of varying formats.

Olga Solodova, director of the Free Youth Theater and the project's mastermind:

“The idea behind this season was to foster dialogue with the city's urban space, and stimulate interaction with its various communities. By supporting the theme of Michael Znamensky's year, we tried to blend in with the general schedule of city-wide events and to complement it with formats that we find interesting. Despite the fact that the building where our theater is housed had a fire earlier this year and our schedules were thrown off as a result of that, we still managed to complete our project. We put on 25 theatrical performances, 3 seasonal street-facing exhibitions, something that is referred to as ticketless art, 3 street performances, 2 theatrical sessions, 1 theater festival, and 3 charitable benefits”.

The project became a defining moment for the theater. Thanks to its street formats, the theater managed to attract a greater number of spectators (over 2,000 people) and to take its events out into the urban space. The project's thrust towards urban communities made it possible for it to reach out to the broadest possible audience including regular townspeople, passers-by and theater goers, children, teenagers, people with disabilities, and retirees.

Alexey Vakulik, leading expert in government relations and socioeconomic projects at Zapsibneftekhim:

“The Free Youth Theater is an important partner for SIBUR where it comes to developing urban culture. The theater's interest in and openness to innovations and to experimenting inspire us all to work together on implementing new fascinating projects”.

The theater's activities are included in the city’s schedule of performances. In addition, the theater's troupe was invited to a street festival in Tyumen on two recent occasions.

The latest seasonal exhibition by Regina Nagumanova dedicated to childhood will be on display during the final month preceding the New Year's celebrations.

Regina Nagumanova, the theater’s artist:

“I am using the little toys representing the fox, the rabbit, the bear cub, and the kitten characters to introduce audiences to my own happy childhood memories of the New Year's celebrations. The wonderful feeling of anticipating magic, homemade matinee costumes, glittering Christmas tree decorations, brightly decorated wrappers of candy found among the presents. I hope the sight of these characters in our theater's windows will make the forthcoming winter days seem kinder and more magical”.