FIRST HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL OPENS IN DERVENTA

The city of Derventa is hosting the first-ever High School Theatre Festival from April 20 to 23, taking place on the stage of the local Centre for Culture Derventa.

The festival officially opened with the play “Doba poroka” (“Age of Vice”), performed by students of the Vocational and Technical School Derventa.

This four-day cultural event brings together young talents from across the region. In the high school competition category, six performances will be staged by participants from Derventa, Prnjavor, Doboj, Brod, and Banja Luka. In addition, the youth theatre category will feature five performances from groups based in Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Novi Grad, Zvornik, and Kotor Varoš.

Mayor Igor Žunić emphasized that the festival represents an important step in positioning Derventa among cities with a developed theatre scene and a growing festival tradition.

“Over the next four days, we will gather around 200 young people, along with their teachers and a large audience who will have the opportunity to enjoy theatre performances. This is something of special value for Derventa, and I am confident that this story, which begins today, will last and grow into a beautiful tradition,” Žunić said.

The Minister of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, Borivoje Golubović, highlighted the broader importance of the event, noting that it holds significance at the entity level due to the diversity of participants. He also congratulated the organizers—the Centre for Culture Derventa and the City administration—for their initiative.

Director of the Centre for Culture, Mirjana Plisnić, pointed out that the festival jury will face a challenging task in selecting the best performances.

“This is a great opportunity for young people to connect and exchange experiences, and I am sure participants will leave Derventa full of impressions,” she said.

During the four-day festival, a total of 11 competitive performances will be staged, along with a closing performance in honor of the winners. All shows will be held at the same times—11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m.—and admission is free for all visitors.