From 11th to 13th May, Uzhhorod will once again host one of the country's most significant children's theatre events – the All-Ukrainian Children's Theatre Festival-Award "Zolota Kytytsia" (Golden Tassel).

This year, the festival will unite on stage Transcarpathian Drama Theatre around 250 participating children. According to the organisers, out of 30 applications submitted, 11 of the strongest theatre groups were selected – from Kharkiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Bucha, Hlevakha, Zhytomyr, Lutsk, and Uzhhorod.

"Golden Tassel" is a unique professional theatre award for children in Ukraine, which combines a competition programme, an educational platform, and the creation of an all-Ukrainian children's theatre community.

Over three days, participants will present 13 full-length performances, each lasting from 50 minutes – complete, high-calibre artistic works.

Among the special features of this year's festival is a large number of productions based on works that are part of the curriculum and are part of world classics: Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Lesya Ukrainka, Taras Shevchenko, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and others.

The performances will be judged by a professional jury chaired by Oleksiy Bohdanovych – People's Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, three-time laureate of the "Kyiv Pectoral" theatre award, and a lecturer at the I. Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television.

Alongside the jury, celebrity guests and speakers from among renowned artists and educators, as well as casting directors specialising in working with children and teenagers, will join the events.

Within the festival, panel discussions, masterclasses, interactive learning formats, and a theatrical quest at the Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Customs are planned. Uzhhorod Skansen etc.

An important component of the festival is that performances by children will also be viewed by children: approximately 200 schoolchildren from Uzhhorod will be invited to each show, who will have the opportunity to get to know theatre better through their peers and gain vivid impressions and inspiration for creativity.

The grand opening will take place on 11 May at 11:00.

The All-Ukrainian Children's Theatre Festival-Award "Golden Spray" is a joint project of the Zakarpattia Academic Regional Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre named after the Brothers Yu.-A. and E. Sherehii and the children's theatre school-studio "To BE(e)" with the support of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration and the Uzhhorod City Council.

The festival's patrons are well-known theatre and film actress, native of Uzhhorod, Rimma Zyubina, and the Onukh family from Poland.

More details about this year's festival can be found on the organisers' page: https://www.instagram.com/zolotakytycia/⁠.