Afyonkarahisar Municipality, under the leadership of Mayor Burcu Köksal, carried the city into the magical atmosphere of art with the International Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Theater Festival, which was held for the first time this year. The festival, which lasted for five days between April 29 and May 3, 2025, hosted impressive performances by local and foreign theater groups, enjoyable talks, educational workshops and colorful street shows. The festival ended enthusiastically with a program full of great interest from art lovers.
Theatre Came to Life in the Shadow of Kocatepe
The International Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Theater Festival, organized by the Afyonkarahisar Municipality, brought a fresh breath to the city's cultural life. The events, which lasted for five days, brought together different branches of art in a wide range from theater plays to street performances, puppet shows to talks and workshops. The festival appealed to audiences of all ages, from seven to seventy, and made the unifying and transformative power of theater felt in Afyonkarahisar.
The Unifying Power of Enthusiasm and Art was Emphasized at the Opening
The festival began with an enthusiastic procession on April 29. The march, which was attended by theater artists, local administrators and many citizens, brought the colorful and energetic atmosphere of theater to the streets of the city. At the opening ceremony held in Zafer Square, General Art Director of the Municipal City Theater Hasan Hüseyin Elmas, President of the Aegean Theaters Union Metin Güler, famous theater actors Erhan Yazıcıoğlu and Tarık Papuççuoğlu, Mayor Burcu Köksal and Deputy Governor Ali Arıkan made speeches each, emphasizing the importance of the festival and the unifying power of art. During the opening events, which were colored with folk dance shows and pantomime performances, the puppet show “Kuklacı Mıstık” staged by the Polatlı Municipal Theater attracted great attention, especially from children. On the same evening, Nazım Hikmet’s immortal work “Kuvayi Milliye Destanı” staged by the Samsun Art Theater received great appreciation from the audience, powerfully bringing the epic resistance of Anatolia to the stage.
International Meeting and Interview with Master Names
The second day of the festival brought the artistic understanding of different cultures to Afyonkarahisar with the participation of international theater groups. “Bremen Musicians” staged by Uzbekistan Surhandarya Puppet Theater provided a joyful and entertaining morning for children. In the evening section, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality City Theater’s play “Süleyman ve Öbürsüler” received full marks from the audience, while the most interesting event of the day was the talk titled “Making Theater in These Lands” with the participation of theater veterans Tarık Papuççuoğlu, Ali Düşenkalkar and Erhan Yazıcıoğlu. Master artists shared sincere anecdotes and valuable experiences about the journey of theater in Türkiye from the past to the present, providing the audience with an unforgettable theater talk.
A Colorful Program for All Ages
On the third day of the festival, various and interesting events met with art lovers of Afyonkarahisar. The pantomime show “Mimdo’nun Aradığı” organized for children in the morning received great applause from the young audience with the successful performance of Zarfsız Kuşlar Kukla and Mim Evi. The play “Naif Bey ve Yaveri” staged by Naif Bey Kumpanyası provided enjoyable moments to the audience with its humorous narration and entertaining characters. In the evening, the comedy play “Hırsız Var” staged by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus İskele Municipality Theatre received great appreciation from the audience with its fast-paced plot and witty dialogues.
Theatre is not just about watching, it is about learning and experiencing.
On the fourth day of the festival, theater went beyond being just an art form to be watched and came to the forefront as an area to be learned and experienced. The workshop titled “Sensation in Acting” organized by Kosova Art Theater offered young theater artists the opportunity for practical theater education. This event also provided an opportunity for theater artists from different countries to share their knowledge and experience. At the end of the day, famous actor Yüksel Ünal added laughter-filled color to the dynamic atmosphere of the festival with his stand-up show called “Bir Muhabbet Hali”.
The Heroic Women of Liberation Were on Stage in the Final
The last day of the festival, Saturday, May 3, began with the impressive play “Animal Farm” staged by İzmir Karabağlar City Theater. The play, which met with children at the Municipal City Theater in the morning, deeply affected the young audience with its powerful narrative. In the afternoon, Sophocles’ immortal work “Antigone” staged by Samsun Karma Sahne brought the depth and universality of classical tragedy to the audience of Afyonkarahisar. The closing show of the festival took place with a meaningful play befitting the cultural heritage and historical identity of the city. The play “Women of Kurtuluşun” staged by Tiyatro Ofisi emotionally told the stories of heroic women who took active roles in the resistance and production, on the front lines, behind the front lines, during the years of the National Struggle in the shadow of Kocatepe, in the lands that bore the traces of the great victory, and gave the audience unforgettable moments. The play, which impressively brought to the stage the great labor, sacrifice and courage of women on the invisible front of the war, received long applause from the audience that filled the hall. The audience found it extremely meaningful and impressive that this thematic play was chosen to close the festival, especially in a city that hosted the Great Offensive Operation, which was the turning point of the War of Independence.
President Köksal: “We Believe in the Unifying Power of Art”
Mayor Burcu Köksal, who expressed her pleasure with the success of the festival, said, “We came together under the shadow of Kocatepe, with the universal language of theater. We believe in the unifying power of art and aim to bring theater to every corner of our city. This festival was a very important step in our city’s cultural and artistic journey. I would like to thank all our artists, theater groups and valuable citizens who contributed.” The International Afyonkarahisar Kocatepe Theater Festival, organized by the Afyonkarahisar Municipality for the first time this year, is planned to be organized every year and become a tradition. The Municipality emphasized that it will continue to enrich the social and cultural life of the city with cultural and artistic events.
