The members of the festival management board said the green light for an adjusted program was given following a meeting between the culture minister and finance minister.
By BARRY DAVISEYAL SHER (left), the festival’s general director, with artistic director Itzik Jolly.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Israel Festival, the country’s primary cultural event, will take place this year after all.The festival, which should have been up and running right now, was originally canceled due to the Health Ministry’s coronavirus restrictions on social gatherings, and curtailment of international air travel. Happily, the organizers have announced that the annual event will now happen September 3-12.The members of the festival management board said the green light for an adjusted program to go ahead later in the year was given following a meeting between the culture minister and finance minister which laid out guidelines for resumption of cultural events all around the country.“We believe the festival plays a central role in strengthening the community of artists and the entire cultural sector, and in helping to repair economic and social divisions in society as a whole,” said a management representative.At this stage the actual program has yet to be finalized, and there will be some significant tweaking to be done, taking into account Health Ministry attendance regulations as they apply three months from now, and availability of foreign productions on the new dates.“The tailored artistic program, which was put together prior to the pandemic, through the shows and events touches on issues with which society is now grappling – community, encounter, touch, empathy, emergency situations and evacuation, individualism and technology, ageism, democracy, acceptance of others, etc.,” says festival general director Eyal Sher.“Artistic intervention in the public domain and community, artist encounters and professional conferences will address the place of culture and its role in the changing reality and other areas,” Sher continues. “We believe that, with the return to activity, expressing these themes through live art will be as important, inspiring, relevant and urgent as ever.”For more information: www.festival-israel-org
