Ana Desetnica Festival: where theatre enters the Slovenian streets

Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana, which you will instantly fall in love with, in the summer becomes something definitely worth seeing and experiencing first hand. There is always something happening, and the sounds of artists singing and various instruments playing are heard on every step when walking through the narrow streets of this metropolis. Naturally, the largest number of events, festivals, concerts, movie screenings, and other activities take place during the warmest season of the year. One of my favorites is the annual festival known under the name Ana Desetnica Festival, which celebrates various kinds of national and international street theatre, as well as different performances, dance shows, installations, and other types of art. This is the time of the year when the magic of theatre enters the Slovenian streets and occupies the minds and souls of the people. 

A diverse show in the capital

Even though the festival takes place across the country, the biggest and probably the most visited event is in Ljubljana. Numerous decorations and scenes are set along the main street of the capital, Slovenska Cesta. During the time of the festival, this street is closed to all traffic. The thing that makes this festival the most significant cultural event in Slovenia is the fact that it happens in many other towns simultaneously, waking up the artistic sense in the entire country. The festival starts at the beginning of the summer, usually in July. Another unique trade of the event is that people from all sorts of social backgrounds, whether they are theatre lovers or not, get a chance to experience something new and observe the unique and beautiful performances of the talented artists. This is why, every year, the Ana Desetnica Festival attracts large crowds of curious people, who are eagerly monitoring the event.

The inspiration behind the festival 

The main organizer of the event is the oldest Slovenian independent theatre group called Gledališče Ane Monko or the Ana Monko Theatre. The theatre group was named after its founder, who, in 1982, supposedly came up with the idea of creating a contemporary theatre that combines circus and the literary performances. Besides taking place in Ljubljana, the Ana Desetnica Festival troop travels and performs in numerous other towns of Slovenia, nurturing their initial touring theatre tradition.

The Ana Desetnica Festival is an example of a unique idea bringing culture and creativity to the local streets and into the everyday lives of people. This international street theatre festival is an exceptional occasion when street performers, actors, clowns, circus performers, jugglers, musicians, dancers and many other domestic and foreign contemporary artists come together and spice up the routine of the Slovenian streets — all for the sake of their love for art, culture, and especially theatre.