"Big Theater Fresh"—a joint project by student actors from Derzhavin University and GITIS—was presented to audiences on the stage of the university’s teaching theater. The premiere marked the culmination of the 8th "Galdym – Territory of Art" youth forum.
"Our university has been collaborating with the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) for eight years now," says Pavel Moiseev, Rector of Derzhavin University. "We actively foster young talent, create favorable conditions for their career and artistic growth, strengthen cultural ties, and encourage creative self-expression among the student body. This partnership between the two institutions is constructive and significantly enriches the region's theatrical landscape, underscoring the importance of supporting youth initiatives in the arts."
The annual youth forum kicked off at Derzhavin Tambov State University on September 14. Its goal is to support young talent, create conditions for students' professional and creative growth, strengthen cultural ties, and develop creative initiatives.
Participants took part in educational and creative activities, including masterclasses on stage speech, acting techniques, and stage movement. Special emphasis was placed on small-group work. Over the course of nine days, six student teams prepared stage productions and performance pieces across various genres.
"This is my fourth year participating in the forum. It’s always a wonderful way to start the academic semester. We get to experiment and try something bold, knowing we’ll have support and guidance on how to make things even more interesting," says Alexey Chernov, a fourth-year acting student at Derzhavin University. "We had teams made up of a really diverse group of students." The group includes both first-year students in need of guidance and direction, and more experienced participants. This collaboration between enthusiastic and talented individuals has resulted in a unique and compelling excerpt from a new joint production.
The performance draws on the works of renowned playwrights—specifically, William Shakespeare’s *Hamlet* and Anton Chekhov’s *The Seagull*. The students worked with leading instructors from the Faculty of New Directions in Performing Arts at GITIS: Ivan Derendyaev and Irina Krugman. This initiative was made possible by the participation of the G.R. Derzhavin Tambov State University in the "Priority-2030" strategic academic leadership program.
"In the eight years the forum has been running, this is my sixth visit," says Irina Krugman, a senior lecturer at the GITIS Faculty of New Directions in Performing Arts. "It is always a pleasure to watch the students learn and share their experiences. For the past few years, my colleagues and I have been combining their independent projects into a full-scale production. This time, we are also incorporating a film element: one of the forum teams has filmed the story of Ophelia and Hamlet. This is a first for us. We plan to showcase our collaborative work at the 'Vivat-Teatr' festival."
