MESS (festival)

The MESS International Theatre Festival (MESS) is a theatre festival that takes place annually in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the oldest living theatre festival in the Balkans, programming international experimental performances and emerging artists. MESS was the premier experimental theatre festival in the Former Yugoslavia and was named one of Living Theatre's international showcases in 1974. It survived the Siege of Sarajevo, during which it hosted directors such as Susan Sontag and Peter Schumann. It organized the first edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival in 1993 and still acts as a collective board member today. Today it is the largest theatre festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the most renowned in Europe. In 2009 it expanded its activities to the city of Zenica, which now hosts parts of the regional program.

History

The festival was founded in 1960 under the name ''Festival malih i eksperimentalnih scena Jugoslavije'' (Festival of small and experimental stages of Yugoslavia). It was founded on the initiative of Yugoslavian theatre director, Jurislav Korenić. It was originally conceived as an annual gathering of the country's professional theatre companies with the goal of presenting the best experimental theatre pieces of the previous year. The specificity of the concept quickly garnered a wider audience and secured visits from international experimental theatre companies, such as Living Theater from New York City, that named the festival one of its four major annual show-piece platforms.

With the start of the Bosnian war in 1992 the festival's run was halted, only for it to be renamed and rebranded by a directorate of Bosnian artists and intellectuals, headed by theatre director Haris Pašović, with the desire to artistically resist the Siege of Sarajevo. Furthermore, the festival organized the first edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival in 1993 under the working title ''Poslije kraja svijeta'' (After the end of the world). During this period in time the festival produced numerous pieces by theatre directors such as Susan Sontag and Peter Schumann, who entered the besieged city to take part in the artistic resistance against the war. With the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords the festival was taken over by a team of young theatre professionals headed by newly named manager Dino Mustafić. The first post-war edition of the festival hosted directors such as Giorgio Strehler, Frank Castorf and Peter Schumann.

In 2008 the festival changed its original format by introducing a handful of new programs. The ''Mittel Europe MESS'' program is designed to showcase the most interesting theatre pieces from the Former Yugoslavia and the wider South-Eastern European region. The ''World MESS'' program hosts pieces from Africa, Asia and Latin America, while the ''Future MESS'' program cultivates the original concept of the festival by showcasing the most experimental and subversive productions from across the globe. Furthermore, a children's program has also been established under the name ''Children MESS''.

Theatre directors that have taken part in the festival include: Peter Brook, Giorgio Strehler, Robert Wilson, Peter Schumann, Eugenio Barba, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Eimuntas Nekrošius, Alvis Hermanis, Olivier Py, Mark Tompkins, Wlodzimierz Staniewski, Simon McBurney, Christoph Marthaler, Frank Castorf, Thomas Ostermeier, Andriy Zholdak, Rimas Tuminas, Emma Dante, Rodrigo Garcia, Heiner Goebbels, Romeo Castellucci, Wim Vandekeybus, Forced Entertainment, Laert Vasili.

Format and competition program

The MESS International Theatre Festival typically takes place in Sarajevo each autumn, with selected events and guest performances occasionally held in other cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The festival spans over a week and includes a wide range of programming that encompasses both domestic and international theatre productions, experimental works, youth-focused performances, and politically engaged stage pieces.

The core of the festival is its competition program, which includes a curated selection of contemporary theatrical productions from around the world. The performances are evaluated by an international jury consisting of theatre professionals, critics, and academics. Awards are given in several categories, including Best Performance, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress, and the Audience Award.

In addition to the main competition, the festival features off-programme categories, such as:
* World MESS, which presents experimental and avant-garde performances;
* Children MESS, aimed at young audiences;
* Forum MESS, which includes public debates, lectures, and panel discussions on cultural, social, and political topics in contemporary theatre.

The festival also includes masterclasses, workshops, and film screenings related to theatre and performance art, contributing to the education and professional development of regional artists and theatre students.

Memory Modul

The Memory Modul is a long-standing cultural and educational initiative launched by the MESS International Theatre Festival in 1995. Originally conceived during the final year of the Siege of Sarajevo, its primary goal is to preserve the memory of victims of armed conflicts around the world, through the lens of artistic expression and critical reflection.

Since its inception, the project has amassed an extensive archive of photographs, documents, testimonies, and video materials that commemorate civilian suffering and resistance in the face of violence and injustice. While the Bosnian War remains a significant thematic anchor, the Memory Modul has expanded its scope to include other global conflicts, offering a platform for critical dialogue on memory politics, transitional justice, and trauma representation.

The project regularly commissions and hosts a variety of creative works, including documentary films, theatre pieces, exhibitions, and public discussions. Among its most acclaimed productions is the documentary ''Greta'' by Haris Pašović, which chronicles the life of Greta Ferušić, a Holocaust survivor and the only person known to have survived both Auschwitz and the Siege of Sarajevo. Ferušić, a distinguished professor of architecture at the University of Sarajevo, became a symbol of resilience and human dignity, and her story remains central to the ethos of the Memory Modul.

The Memory Modul continues to collaborate with artists, scholars, survivors, and institutions to create inclusive narratives that challenge silence, revisionism, and cultural amnesia, affirming the role of the arts in post-conflict societies and global remembrance.The Memory Modul is a cultural project initiated by the festival in 1995 with the goal of preserving the memory of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

MESS Publishing

MESS Publishing is the publishing division of the MESS Festival, focused on theatre-related literature, documentation, and critical reflection. It serves as a platform for publishing works related to contemporary theatre practices, cultural memory, and performance during times of conflict. MESS Publishing contributes to the broader mission of the festival by supporting academic, historical, and testimonial publications.

One of the notable titles published under the imprint is ''Anti-War Theatre in Sarajevo'', authored by Hana Bajrović-Čardaković, a volume that examines the role of theatre during the Siege of Sarajevo and the wider Bosnian War. The publication presents a selection of essays, archival material, and analyses that explore how theatre practitioners responded to the conflict through performance, offering insight into the use of artistic expression as a form of civic engagement and cultural resistance.

Another key publication is ''Theatre in Besieged Sarajevo 1992–1995: Testimonies'', a collection of interviews compiled by Davor Diklić. The volume includes first-person accounts from theatre professionals who lived and worked in Sarajevo during the siege. The interviews document the challenges, motivations, and artistic choices of those involved in theatre production under wartime conditions, offering a unique perspective on the persistence of cultural activity in extreme circumstances.

MESS Publishing plays a role in preserving the historical and cultural legacy of theatre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly during periods of social and political upheaval, while also contributing to ongoing discourse within the regional and international performing arts community.

Festival venues

The principal venues of the Festival are:
* Kamerni teatar 55
* Sarajevo War Theatre
* Sarajevo National Theatre
* Bosnian National Theatre
* Sarajevo Youth Theatre

Gallery

File:MESS_festival1.jpg, Chotto Desh, Akhram Khan Company, United Kingdom. Sarajevo National Theatre, 8 October 2023.
File:MESS_festival2.jpg, Alice in Bed, Maladype Színház Theatre, Hungary. Sarajevo War Theatre, 9 October 2023.
File:MESS_festival5.jpg, Caligula, Ivan Franko Theatre, Ukraine. Sarajevo National Theatre, 30 October 2023.
File:MESS_festival6.jpg, FABRIKA za MESS exhibition, 1 October 2017.
File:Mess_festival_8.jpg, Full Moon, choreographed by Josef Nadj - Hungary, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast. Sarajevo National Theatre, 13 October 2024.
File:Mess_festival_9.jpg, JanjeKokošOrao, co-production between MESS, BITEF and ZeKaeM. Sarajevo War Theatre, 23 December 2014.
File:Mess_festival11.jpg, Katër i Radës, Uno spettacolo di Koreja, Italy. Dom Armije, 7 October 2016.
File:Mess_festival12.jpg, MESSpresso panel discussion, 9 October 2019.

External links

MESS official website

References

{{Authority control

Recurring events established in 1960
October
Tourist attractions in Sarajevo
Annual events in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Theatre festivals in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Festivals in Sarajevo
Festivals in Yugoslavia
Culture in Sarajevo