Performance Duos by Czech artistic group Temporary Collective at the Mladi levi Festival in 2023. Author: Nada Žgank
The Mladi levi Festival (in English: Young Lions Festival) is an annual international festival of contemporary performing arts, organised by the Bunker Institute. It presents original approaches to theatre and dance, focusing on talented and emerging stage performers, along with presenting already established progressive authors. It takes place every August and was initiated in 1998 under the auspices of the international network Junge Hunde.
The festival has a distinctive atmosphere marked by creativity, vibrancy and a social nature. It is an interdisciplinary place of exchange and cooperation, extending beyond the habitual local or international concepts.
To create circumstances where artists and audiences can meet, exchange experiences and develop future collaborations, the festival invites artists to stay in Ljubljana for the entire length of the festival. This gives them a chance to see each other's work, have the time and opportunity to meet other artists and audience members and plan future collaborations.
Over the years, the festival has hosted a variety of authors, such as Martine Pisani, Jérôme Bel, Ivo Dimchev, Eduard Gabia, Vera Mantero, Vitor Rua & Nuno Rebelo, Camille Boitel, the collective Les SlovaKs, The Collective 1927, Stefan Kaegi, Rimini Protokoll, Ivica Buljan, Francesca Grilli, Walid Raad, Tim Etchells, Ant Hampton, Chiara Bersani, Lucy McCormick, Jaha Coo, Beton Ltd., and numerous others, as well as organised a number of roundtables, workshops and discussions.
Performance Unending Love, or Love Dies, On Repeat Like It’s Endless, performed by Aaa Biczysko and Beverly D. Renekouzou at Mladi levi Festival in 2023. Author: Nada Žgank
Critical writing
Throughout the years, the festival regularly seeks formats for publishing critical writing on the festival performances and related topics. Thus, we've seen the publication Arena, featuring contributions mainly by young writers in collaboration with Maska Magazine; in 2010, it was made available online on the Sigledal.org - Slovene theatre portal. In 2017, the website portal for criticism called Kriterij began, which was upgraded into Aplavz.art in 2022.
Often, the festival opens important themes through performances and discussions. This happens in the format of Discussion Café, which takes place in a public space under the trees, or through special events such as conferences, forums or artistic activities.
Nijinsky Siam choreography, artistic direction and set design by Pichet Klunchun (Thailand),Mladi levi Festival, 2010
Performance The late drummer/ studies of happenings on stage and rhythm that doesnât match but in a way it does by contact Gonzo (Japan), Mladi levi Festival, 2011
Performance Smatch 2 âPush up daisies (ou) manger les pissenlits par la racine?â by Dominique Roodthooft (Belgium), Mladi levi Festival, 2011
Performance Before Your Very Eyes by Gob Squad & CAMPO (Great Britain, Germany), Mladi levi Festival, 2011
Mare Bulc's participatory mono performance The First Altruistic Performance at Mladi levi Festival in 2018. Author: Nada Žgank
Performance Unending Love, or Love Dies, On Repeat Like It’s Endless, performed by Aaa Biczysko and Beverly D. Renekouzou at Mladi levi Festival in 2023. Author: Nada Žgank