Central Asia Days: Kazakhstan
5 — 26 JULY 2025
Festival Off Avignon
2025
Kazakhstan — at the heart of cultural attention!
Kazakhstan will be the Guest of Honor at the International Days of the Avignon OFF Festival in 2025 — the first jewel of Central Asia.
The honor of representing the country goes to Almaty — a city long recognized as the cultural capital of Kazakhstan and a creative hub of the region. For the first time on the Avignon OFF stage, audiences will see four theatrical productions from ARTiSHOK, JOLDA, the State Puppet Theater, and the “Alatau” Theater.
Experience a vibrant dialogue between East and West, be inspired by a fresh perspective on cultural heritage, and allow yourself to discover unexpected forms of theatrical art. The summer of 2025 promises to be an unforgettable journey into the world of Kazakh creativity under the southern skies of Avignon. Stay tuned — great discoveries are just beginning!
The Almaty On Avignon OFF project, implemented in partnership between the Almaty Akimat, the Avignon City Hall, and Iva Company, will introduce European audiences to a vivid spectrum of contemporary art from the heart of Kazakhstan, where tradition meets avant-garde.
Kazakhstan — at the heart of cultural attention!
Kazakhstan will be the Guest of Honor at the International Days of the Avignon OFF Festival in 2025 — the first jewel of Central Asia.
The honor of representing the country goes to Almaty — a city long recognized as the cultural capital of Kazakhstan and a creative hub of the region. For the first time on the Avignon OFF stage, audiences will see four theatrical productions from ARTiSHOK, JOLDA, the State Puppet Theater, and the “Alatau” Theater.
Experience a vibrant dialogue between East and West, be inspired by a fresh perspective on cultural heritage, and allow yourself to discover unexpected forms of theatrical art. The summer of 2025 promises to be an unforgettable journey into the world of Kazakh creativity under the southern skies of Avignon. Stay tuned — great discoveries are just beginning!
The Almaty On Avignon OFF project, implemented in partnership between the Almaty Akimat, the Avignon City Hall, and Iva Company, will introduce European audiences to a vivid spectrum of contemporary art from the heart of Kazakhstan, where tradition meets avant-garde.
MAIN PROGRAM
THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES
July 5 — 15 at 22:45
CABARET MAYAKOVSKY — Artishok Theater (Almaty)
Atypik Théâtre
70 Rue de la Bonneterie, 84000 Avignon
70 Rue de la Bonneterie, 84000 Avignon
July 6 — 16 at 21:00
(even days)
(even days)
TAMYR — Jolda Dance Theater (Almaty)
LaScierie
15 boulevard du Quai Saint Lazare, 84000 Avignon
15 boulevard du Quai Saint Lazare, 84000 Avignon
July 15 — 26 at 20:40
ROMEO AND JULIET — State Puppet Theater (Almaty)
Rouge Gorge
10 bis Pl. de l’Amirande, 84000 Avignon
10 bis Pl. de l’Amirande, 84000 Avignon
July 20 — 26 at 20:45
RHAPSODY OF THE STEPPES — Traditional Arts Theater (Almaty)
Rouge Gorge
10 bis Pl. de l’Amirande, 84000 Avignon
10 bis Pl. de l’Amirande, 84000 Avignon
OUR THEATERS
Traditional Arts Theater “Alatau”
The “Alatau” Theater is the first and only theater in Central Asia fully dedicated to traditional Kazakh art. Its stage has become home to zhyrau (bards), terme performers, aytisker (improvisational poets), kuishi (instrumentalists), and masters of national cinema and folklore.
It is a space where the oral culture of nomads comes alive in modern formats, combining ancient forms with theatrical dramaturgy. The theater repertoire includes ethno-performances, musical dramas, and documentary plays preserving the spirit of ancestors while addressing contemporary issues.
The “Alatau” Theater acts not only as a venue but as a mission — to preserve, develop, and reinterpret Kazakh traditions in dialogue with the future.
It is a space where the oral culture of nomads comes alive in modern formats, combining ancient forms with theatrical dramaturgy. The theater repertoire includes ethno-performances, musical dramas, and documentary plays preserving the spirit of ancestors while addressing contemporary issues.
The “Alatau” Theater acts not only as a venue but as a mission — to preserve, develop, and reinterpret Kazakh traditions in dialogue with the future.
Founded in Almaty in 2001, ARTiSHOK became the first independent theater in the country, breaking conventional theatrical norms. It is a living organism of the Kazakh contemporary scene, where every work is an experiment, a challenge, an exploration, and a revelation.
ARTiSHOK is known for its bold artistic language, topical themes, laboratory approach, and refusal to follow templates. Its repertoire includes original plays, adaptations of classics, performative projects, and multimedia productions created in close collaboration with artists, musicians, and curators.
The company actively tours, participates in international festivals and residencies, and conducts educational programs. ARTiSHOK is the voice of a generation with something to say.
ARTiSHOK is known for its bold artistic language, topical themes, laboratory approach, and refusal to follow templates. Its repertoire includes original plays, adaptations of classics, performative projects, and multimedia productions created in close collaboration with artists, musicians, and curators.
The company actively tours, participates in international festivals and residencies, and conducts educational programs. ARTiSHOK is the voice of a generation with something to say.
One of the oldest theaters in the country, the State Puppet Theater was founded in 1935 and has remained a unique space of childhood, fairy tales, and symbolism for nearly a century.
It is not just a puppet theater but an artistic laboratory combining classical puppetry with modern visual and theatrical technologies.
The theater’s arsenal includes tablet, rod, marionette, shadow, and glove puppets, which come alive in performances for both children and adults. Its repertoire ranges from folk tales to world dramaturgy, with actors often working simultaneously with live action and puppets. This is a theater where meanings come alive through form, imagination, and the master’s hand movement.
It is not just a puppet theater but an artistic laboratory combining classical puppetry with modern visual and theatrical technologies.
The theater’s arsenal includes tablet, rod, marionette, shadow, and glove puppets, which come alive in performances for both children and adults. Its repertoire ranges from folk tales to world dramaturgy, with actors often working simultaneously with live action and puppets. This is a theater where meanings come alive through form, imagination, and the master’s hand movement.
JOLDA Dance Theater is a fresh breath in Kazakh choreography, founded in Almaty in 2020. Established as an independent dance company, JOLDA combines contemporary dance, physical theater, and performative practices, exploring the body as a language to tell stories about human, social, and political realities.
Their performances are poetic and sharp statements where choreography becomes a tool for reflecting on reality. JOLDA collaborates actively with international artists, participates in festivals and creative residencies, and their productions are shown on both classical stages and unconventional urban spaces.
This is a theater on a path of exploration, unafraid to cross boundaries of genres and cultural codes.
Their performances are poetic and sharp statements where choreography becomes a tool for reflecting on reality. JOLDA collaborates actively with international artists, participates in festivals and creative residencies, and their productions are shown on both classical stages and unconventional urban spaces.
This is a theater on a path of exploration, unafraid to cross boundaries of genres and cultural codes.
НАШИ ТЕАТРЫ
ROUNDTABLES
July 9
14:30 and 16:30
14:30 and 16:30
An open dialogue between theater professionals and artists from Kazakhstan and France on collaboration, joint projects, and the future of cultural exchange.
Village du Off, École Bouquerie
This vibrant cultural manifesto will become not only Kazakhstan’s introduction to the French audience but also an important step toward strengthening international cultural ties.
Follow the news, attend the performances, and become part of this historic event!
Follow the news, attend the performances, and become part of this historic event!
SUPPORTED BY
PRESS / PARTNERSHIP
Evdokia Moskvina
PRESS / PARTNERSHIP
Evdokia Moskvina
