The Electronic Archive of the Georgian Theater, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia, LEPL Creative Georgia and the British Council in Georgia, conducted a study on the “Commercial and International Potential of the Black Sea Cities of Georgia (Batumi, Poti) in Performing Arts (Theaters and Theater Festivals) on the Example of 2018-2020”.
The aim of the study was to examine the commercial and international potential, existing conditions, problems and challenges of theaters and theater festivals on the example of the cities of the Black Sea Basin, to get acquainted with foreign experiences, and to develop a package of recommendations for the development and popularization of the performing arts based on the analysis of the current situation.
International consultants from the UK, Tom Fleming and Tracey Gregory, were involved in the implementation of the project, and a package of recommendations was prepared in collaboration with them.
Participants in the study included theaters of the Black Sea cities, state institutions (Ministry of Culture of Adjara, Department of Tourism of Adjara, Poti and Batumi municipalities), theaters of Batumi and Poti, along with the organizers of festivals, art managers, economists, marketers, experts in the fields of culture and tourism, theater researchers, heads of government institutions and curators.
The location of the above-mentioned cities facilitates the work of the theater sector in any season. It is essential not only to implement international projects, but also to attract tourists and promote the development of cultural tourism in Georgia.
The research sheds light on the problems that Georgia’s creative industries face nowadays. The recommendations obtained through the study, international experience and expert opinions will assist not only Poti and Batumi, but Georgia’s performing arts sector as a whole.
Any interested person will be able to view the research, which will be published in the form of an e-book on the websites of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia (www.nplg.gov.ge) and the Electronic Archive of the Georgian Theater (www.theatrelife.ge).
