The 39th annual international festival of amateur and professional culinary masters of pleasantry and cheerfulness, European Festival of Humour and Satire Kremnica Gags, will take place on a traditional date, August in the lovely medieval town of Kremnica, turning it again to Slovakia's capital of humour and satire. Hundreds of Slovak and foreign authors and performers will visit the historical centre of Kremnica in order to show unrivaled proficiency in their craft.
European Festival of Humour and Satire Kremnica Gags is a unique international multigenre event with a long tradition of presenting cultivated humour, independent satire and lively fun. It is held annually for 3 days in the centre of the medieval mining and coin-producing town Kremnica. Hundreds of established authors, musicians, mimes, dancers, clowns, reciters and street artists from many European countries perform their best productions on stages indoors and out.
Festival will take place from August 23rd till 25th, 2019 on 12 scenes and podiums in the city centre of Kremnica. In the program, you will find dozens main productions and accompanying productions, half of which are free of charge for the visitors of Kremnica. The manifold and colourful programme offers cultured enjoyment to people of all ages. The event's one-of-a-kind atmosphere especially draws younger crowds and families with children, but also workers, managers, businessmen, and tourists. Renowned personalities and artists also come to festival-consumed Kremnica seeking relaxation and inspiration.
The underlying Czech and Slovak theme of the festival will provide quality humour and cultivated fun, the latter two being the programme priority of the last 15 editions of the festival. Humour, satire, and laughter have always been connected with thinking, self-awareness and being enriched by new, unique cultural experiences. The special menu of nominated works and performances in eight categories will be watched and the gourmet awards of the Golden Gander and Stricken Goose will be awarded by the international Academy of Humour. The academy will decorate the most delicious work with the title Grand Prix 2019.
The grand opening will serve as a starter of the festival menu and will take place on Friday, August 23rd at 1 p.m. in the area of the Town Castle, followed by the reveal of the nose of a comedy double act Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich in the Alley of Famous Noses. The wide supply of main courses was prepared by the festival dramaturgy from Czech productions, while Slovak ensebles will feed the festival-goers the freshest local specialties. True gourmets are not to miss the candidate for the Stano Radič Award for the Newcomer of the year. Museum of Coins and Medals prepared a "soup mixture" consisting of three interesting exhibitions in its gallery. Do not also miss numerous unexpected side dishes for the entire three-day course of the festival directly in the streets of Kremnica.
Since 1981, the international show of polite humour, independent satire and cheerful recession of the old tradition takes place in Kremnica every year usually at the end of August. Approximately three hundred successful theater actors, musicians, puppeteers, artists, art designers, mummers, clowns, reciters and also pavement artists from Slovakia and other European countries present their best performances on thirteen stages in the town centre. The Academy of Humor, which is the international jury, evaluates performance and humor. The jury awards particular genres with the prestigious prize - Gold Gander. Locals as well as tourists have fun here - managers, entrepreneurs, employees, whole families with kids. Renowned authorities also come to medieval mining and minting town of Kremnica for relaxation and inspiration. Several thousands of spectators from Slovakia and from abroad visit this happening of high spirits, which lasts for three days in the end of summer.
Festival of humour and satire is an established cultural event with a long tradition, particular character and of a stable organization and artistic backgrounds. It was founded in 1981 and ranks among the festivals which were created in a natural way – because of the willingness of artists with the same philosophy of living and because of like-minded interest of an audience. They have been demonstrating its soundness, justness, vitality and endurance for nearly three decades. Festival has overcome many obstacles during its development and it keeps its sustainable existence. For all the years, festival has brought together hundreds of amateur and professional creators and authors, various kinds of art, domestic and foreign personalities and celebrities and thousands of visitors from all over Slovakia on the basis of individual vision of life, while taking its difficulties with humor and satire.
Festival searches for and provides non-traditional, new and inspirational works and performances with intelligent elements of humor, artistic satire, original recession humour and valuable entertainment. It addresses especially young and new talents as well as significant and prestigious personalities with a view to a friendly confrontation of their artistic works and their performances. It gives a space to newcomers, experienced and professional artists to inspire each other and establish enhanced cooperation.
The event has a strong social impact in the life of the town and the whole Central European region. Its quality and attractiveness impresses around 10 thousand visitors from all over Slovakia every year. All the inhabitants of the town live with the festival, accommodation and food capacities are fully used, and the event stimulates their development and inbound tourism. All local artists and cultural institutions are also involved.
Source: MgA. Ján Fakla, riaditeľ festivalu
