SloGled web portal showcasing burgeoning Slovenian theatre scene in Austria
Ljubljana/Klagenfurt, 12 March - A comprehensive bilingual web portal dedicated to the blossoming scene of Slovenian, bi- and multilingual theatre in Austria's Carinthia region is up and running at slogled.at, courtesy of the Slovenian Cultural Association (SPZ).
Klagenfurt, Austria
Klagenfurt, the capital of Austria's Carinthia, the region where the majority of Slovenians in Austria live.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
What is one of the two main cultural organisations of the Slovenian community in Carinthia is presenting the SloGled portal in Ljubljana as part of the Carinthian Culture Days festival.
The website provides current information on theatre events and activities among Carinhtian Slovenians as well as an archive, texts, photos, videos, reviews etc.
Theatre has arguably been the most popular and successful cultural platform of the sizeable Slovenian community in Carinthia, with the SloGled portal featuring over 50 theatre and puppet theatre ensembles, six of them professional.
The phenomenon has been closely studied for years by Andrej Leben, a professor of Slovenian literature and cultural studies at the University of Graz, who also gave the initiative for the web portal.
Leben has highlighted the embrace of bilingualism and even multilingualism as a defining feature of the Slovenian theatre scene in Carinthia. This extends from the preparation of theatrical events to the staging of productions and communication with the audience.
"Another, less obvious characteristic is the high level of organisation. A third feature is the care taken with the development of young theatregoers, since most of the groups active in the bilingual environment are children's, youth, and puppet theatres," Leben wrote.
He has noted that Slovenian theatre companies in Carinthia produce around 20 or more premieres per season.
"The number of other productions, some of which are bilingual or multilingual, in which Slovenian theatre actors from Austrian Carinthia participate is similarly high. Almost 40 additional performances are recorded as part of guest appearances from Slovenia and elsewhere."
"In addition, there are reruns, mutual guest appearances by local groups, and guest appearances in Slovenia, with the Slovenian minority in Italy, and elsewhere, which has taken the total number of theatrical events in recent seasons to around 200 or more," Leben pointed out.