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Every two years since 1988, theatre companies and performers from around the world have descended on the capital of Colombia to take part in one of the world's largest theatre festivals - the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota, or the Ibero-American Theatre Festival of Bogota. Founded by Fanny Mikey and Ramiro Osorio to mark the 450th anniversary of the founding of Bogota, this festival, which celebrates the diversity and plurality of the performing arts, has become the country's top cultural draw. The Festival's statistics attest to its stature: over the course of eight editions, it has played host to 420 theatre companies from 50 countries, each time attracting over two million spectators, who flock to the city to bask in the magic of theatre over 17 days.
In the eyes of Festival director Fanny Mikey, creation is an essential part of life. It is therefore important to her that the Festival appeal to all kinds of people, that it give them the opportunity to discover the performing arts and acquire a taste for theatre. Convinced that anyone can come to appreciate the arts and that there will always be an audience for quality shows, she firmly believes that it is possible to build an audience for theatre. This is, in fact, a key source of motivation and inspiration for Mikey. One of her main goals is the democratization of art and the development of culture, both of which are essential to fostering harmony in a society where peace is in such short supply.
The development of a public and the professionalization of theatre are two inseparable goals, according to Mikey. It is this clear orientation, and particularly the global approach on which it is based, that have pushed her to strive for a broad audience and to build a genuine cultural infrastructure, with the aim of making the arts a profitable endeavour. In her eyes, only through a coherent and consistent course of action can theatre continue to bring people together and to communicate. The Ibero-American Theatre Festival of Bogota is living proof of this.
A Passion for the Theatre
Mikey refers to her vocation in terms of a passion that chose her. I here was never really any question of her doing...