Each festival has an artistic concept. It is not a sum of some abstract aesthetic, social, economic attitudes, but a model of a stable, systematically directed practical repertoire policy and orientation towards certain categories of spectators and listeners, which determine the status of this festival among others. The artistic concept is formed taking into account all the diverse spatial and temporal characteristics of the festival, traditions and already existing forms and directions of artistic life.
The artistic concept is implemented in the specific, genre and thematic focus of each festival. According to the specific orientation in the field of performing arts, there are musical, theatrical and multidisciplinary festivals. The first two groups include all the historical diversity of musical and theatrical genres and forms, although a narrower specialization is possible within the group.
Examples of mono-genre festivals include the annual series of quartet concerts in the German city of Erlangen and numerous opera festivals, among which are such world-famous ones as Bayreuth, Vienna and Athens.
There are a large number of mono-genre theater festivals. Thus, the International Association of Children’s Theaters annually in different countries holds its own festival of dramatic art. A similar festival is held once every four years by the International Association of Puppet Theaters. In April 1997, the international festival of solo performances “Monocle” was held in St. Petersburg with the participation of performers from Russia, the Baltic countries, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
Thematic focus is a flexible instrument of the repertoire policy of each festival. It can be preserved as a strategic orientation of its activities. Thus, a small number of well-known children’s festivals have retained their genre orientation over the years. The Shakespeare Theater Festival can also be referred to the thematic category, within the framework of which the leading drama theaters of the world present their interpretation of his works in the homeland of the great drama-Turk. Back in 1947, the Shakespeare Festival opened such an outstanding director as Peter Brook, who subsequently served as its artistic director for twelve years.
The artistic concept of the festival can be realized in the choice of the repertoire. The thematic focus of the festival makes it possible to complement each of the festivals with various exhibition events, seminars, conferences, creative laboratories, round tables, master classes, which contributes to the expansion and strengthening of cultural ties between countries, regions, cities. This process involves not only people of creative professions, but also national, local politicians and representatives of the general public.
