The York International Shakespeare Festival returns to York today with a host of book launches, seminars, lectures, and exhibitions.
Amongst the festivals taking hosted by York St John University, will be an uplifting production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Kyiv National Academic Molodyy Theatre from Ukraine.
But committing to this performance was no mean feat. Due to the current conflict, it is currently illegal for Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 to leave the nation. Given the cultural significance of this performance, the artistic director of the York International Shakespeare Festival decided to get in touch with the country’s Minister of Culture to grant special exit permits and visas for the trip.
Having successfully gained permission, the theatre group, made up of ten individuals has now left the country to visit York for three days. The exceptional journey requires over 24 hours of travelling including train travel, and then a flight from Krakow to Leeds.
Philip Parr, Artistic Director of the York International Shakespeare Festival said: “It’s quite an adventure for them and us. Thankfully we’ve now managed to overcome the issues and we’re excited to have them here in York. Being able to host them means not only a chance for audiences to experience their work but also to demonstrate the significant cultural connection that is created through international festivals.”
The York International Shakespeare Festival 2023 runs until Monday 1st of May 2023. For more details and to access the full festival programme please visit the festival website at http://yorkshakes.co.uk/.
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