Past and Present

SLOVENE NATIONAL THEATRE NOVA GORICA

Theatre creativity in Nova Gorica started in 1955 when the semi-professional Gorica (City) Theatre was established. The theatre became fully professional in 1969 and changed its name to Primorsko dramsko gledališče. Between 1972 and 1991 the theatre organized the festival Gorica Meeting of Small Stages (later Alpe Adria Theatre Meeting), which greatly influenced the development of the theatre and its affirmation in the national and international theatre circles. In 1994, a new theatre building with modern stage equipment was built and in 2004 the theatre was declared an institution of national importance and is now fully subsidised by the state. It also changed its name to Slovensko narodno gledališče Nova Gorica (Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica).
The theatre's importance and its programme and artistic orientation are vastly influenced by its geographical position – Nova Gorica lies on the junction of Slavic and Romance cultures.
The repertoire consists of modern texts and classics, and is at the same time marked by the local, Mediterranean tone and the openness to research and experiment. The Mediterranean note, characteristic for this part of Slovenia, can be perceived in both the choice of texts, especially comedies, and in the stagings – in their dynamics, hot-blooded character, dialect hues and very often in their atmospheric open-air performances. The openness of the ensemble (its permanent full-time members are often joined by guest actors) and the choice of directors make modern approach to theatre art and research possible.  
The high artistic level of production is proved by a number of awards received by the actors and other artists, participation at Slovene and international festivals and tours abroad – on stages of ex-Yugoslavia, Europe, Russia and Latin America. In 2001 the SNG Nova Gorica joined the European Theatre Convention (ETC), an international theatre association, which organises a biennial theatre festival. Thus in 2004, SNG Nova Gorica organised the theatre festival MEJ NI FEST (Theatre Without Borders) which was also the final event of the ETC project Theatres in Europe: Mirror of displaced populations. SNG Nova Gorica is also a founding member of the New European Theatre Action (NETA), an international network of theatres and festivals.