Interview: Goro Osojnik, Ana Desetnica

What defines Ana Desetnica this year?

As always the festival aims to be a happy event where art meets sociability and where various aspects of urban life intertwine. The programme is made accordingly. However, the key factor this year was space, as most of Ljubljana's programme is going to take place at the new promenade along the river. We wish to attract the citizens into the festival so we're organising a special event in Prule called The Feast of Cultures while in Maribor we're having Live Courtyards for the second time. On the one hand Ana's programme has changed though the years since it keeps up with the times and modern trends but on the other it hasn't: we're still bringing something different to everyday life.

Where do the artists come from?

Since Ana Desetnica is an international festival they come from all over the world, including the more exotic countries like Kyrgyzstan. More and more we realise that Slovenia has a very favourable position as we are on the border between the West and the East. We wish to become a meeting point between these worlds. This June we're hosting performers from thirteen countries, among them Mexico, Colombia and Ukraine.

Are foreign artists happy to perform in Ljubljana?

Absolutely yes since we at Ana Monro Theatre know that taking good care of the artists and their working conditions is crucial for good shows - and they get all this here. At the same time Ljubljana offers a distinctive challenge to the artists because it has extremely picturesque and special venues. The bridges over the Ljubljanica are very specific, demanding, and at the same time attractive for street art. The fact that everything is close in the "small capital" that is Ljubljana creates a positive festival atmosphere which is famed all over the world. This special ambience makes Ana Desetnica a truly unique festival.

Which shows are the biggest successes in Ljubljana?

The audience has formed its taste to perfection and today they expect a comprehensive programme from which they later on make their picks. At the same time part of the audience takes a random approach. The most popular are clown shows and circus but also more serious performances get a good response. However many times the audience reacts differently from what we expect, so there is no general rule as what works and what does not.

What kind of audience are the Slovenians?

The audience here is very good and active and people respond to what they see to a great extent. This also is the reason why the foreign artists really like to come to Slovenia as apparently the audience is not as positive everywhere.

Do foreigners come to your shows?

A bit less than one fifth of the visitors are from other countries and we are happy to say that there are more and more of those plan their visit to Slovenia to coincide with the dates of our festival.

Does Ljubljana offer enough options for the development of street theatre?
The public space in Ljubljana is excellent and diverse and its core has changed greatly in the past years - for the better. However, despite the generally great and efficient renovation there are things which could be solved differently and sometimes we miss the dialogue of the city with its users.