THE GOVERNING RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR The International Theatre Festival "Spring In Melikhovo"
1. General Provisions
1.1. The present Governing Rules and Regulations define the procedure for preparing and running the International Theatre Festival "Melikhovskaya Vesna" (“Spring in Melikhovo” in English; hereafter referred to as: the Festival).
1.2. The festival is held once a year in the second half of May in the format of the festival of professional drama theatres of Russia, neighboring countries and beyond, which present performances devoted to the life and works of Anton P. Chekhov.
1.3. The venues of the Festival are defined in the Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo", Serpukhov City Music and Drama Theatre, Cultural and Creative center "Druzhba" (Chekhov city) and other sites of the southern suburbs of Moscow and the capital itself. They are approved by the Organizing Committee of the Festival.
1.4. The participants of the Festival can be on equal terms: dramatic (including Russian and national) theatres of any form of ownership and subordination with their performances staged in large and small forms.
1.5. The founders of the Festival are: the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region, the Union of Theatrical Figures of the Russian Federation and the Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo".
1.6. The organizers of the Festival are: the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region and the Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo".
2. Goals and Objectives of the Festival
2.1. The principal goal of the Festival is the development and promotion of public interest in theatrical art in the Russian Federation, as well as aided awareness of the audience about the writings of Anton Chekhov.
2.2. Objectives of the Festival:
- Preservation and development of Russia’s cultural heritage and traditions.
- Study and preservation of the literary and dramatic heritage bequeathed to the world by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.
- The positioning of the Moscow Region as a land of high theatrical and cultural significance for Russia and the world.
- Support and development of the creative potential of theatre companies, retaining traditions of the Russian theatre school and exploring new forms of modern stage language.
- Making contacts and strengthening creative alliance amongst representatives of theatrical professions, promotion for exchange of experience within guest theatre companies of the Festival.
- Strengthening of humanitarian contacts with other regions of Russia, countries of near and far abroad.
3. Organizing Committee, Directorate and Expert Advisory Board of the Festival
3.1. The overall organization of the Festival is defined in the following governing and executive entities:
- the Organizing Committee of the Festival (hereafter referred to as: the Organizing Committee);
- Expert Advisory Board; and
- Directorate of the Festival.
3.2. The Organizing Committee is formed from representatives of the State Literary and Memorial Museum Reserve of A.P Chekhov “Melikhovo”, Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region, theatrical scholars and figures (critics, artistic directors) who are acknowledged experts in the life and works of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov; and, Organizing Committee membership is approved by the Minister of Culture of the Moscow Region (as defined in Annex 1).
3.3. The Organizing Committee issues a record to approve:
- dates of the festival;
- membership of the Expert Advisory Board;
- program and poster of the Festival;
- a budget estimate of the Festival, submitted by the Directorate of the Festival, and a closing balance sheet;
- the nomination of leading theatre critics, teachers, directors, actors invited to take part in master-classes and to run creative theatre laboratories, master classes, and seminars;- Awards of the Festival.
3.4. The Directorate of the Festival is the Executive body of the Festival. Its members are nominated and approved by the head of the Museum-Reserve A. P. Chekhov " Melikhovo".
The Directorate of the Festival is responsible for:
- approving the dates of the Festival;
- developing the program of the Festival;
- working out a budget estimate of the Festival and submitting it to the Organizing Committee for approval;
- accepting applications of theatres ready to take part in the Festival;
- submitting proposals on nominees of the Expert Advisory Board of the Festival for consideration by the Organizing Committee;
- providing support for the Expert Advisory Board of the Festival
- drawing up a list of the guests of the Festival;
- providing accommodation, meals and transfer of participants, and guests of the Festival;
- dealing with other organizations to ensure the objectives of the Festival;
- appointing theatre venues for the Festival performances;
- assigning premises for the events included in the additional program of the Festival and for enabling workshops, conferences, and discussions;
- arranging the opening and closing ceremonies of the Festival, as well as other events, set up in the festival program;
- providing information coverage for the organization process and running of events of the Festival;
- attracting extra-budgetary funding for the Festival;
- engaging in other efforts related to the preparation and running of the Festival with due account of the Organizing Committee.
3.5. The Expert Advisory Board membership is made up through the Organizing Committee from:
- theatre critics, actors and theatre scholars.
The Expert Advisory Board:
- basing on professional evaluation, the Board approves the selection of performances of the Festival applicant theatrical companies through watching their videos or attending live staged performances, with due regard to the criteria provided for in paragraph 4.6 of this regulation;
- not later than four (4) months before the Festival, the Board submits to the Organizing Committee a list of performances recommended for the Festival poster; the list of leading theatre critics, teachers, directors, and actors invited to run master-classes, theatrical creative laboratories, and seminars;
- during the Festival, after each presentation, the Expert Advisory Council holds a discussion to review the performance with the director and cast of a theater taking part in the Festival.
4. Procedure and conditions of the Festival
4.1. Applications for participation in the Festival go through two stages: (1) judgement at the level of the Festival Directorate and (2) approval by the Expert Advisory Council.
4.2. Applications for participation in the Festival are made in accordance with the Annex to this regulation and are sent to the Directorate of the Festival not later than five (5) months before the Festival. The submitted application shall be provided with a technical rider of the performance, theatrical program, playbill, press notice review and a video recording of the performance on DVD or other media. The maximum number of participants from one theatre team should be 25 people, maximum.
In case an applicant fails to comply with the above requirements, the performance is not allowed for presentation at the Festival.
In special cases, more than 25 team members of one theatre may be allowed to take part in the presentation under additional approval issued by the Organizing Committee.
4.3. The above mentioned provided materials are donated to the Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo" to be stored in the video information base (video fund) of performances based on the works by Anton Chekhov.
4.4. The Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo" retains the right to non-commercial use of these videos and their clips for informational, research and educational purposes, as well as for illustrations in printed publications, radio and television programs, with due account for copyright.
4.5. The Expert Advisory Board is in a position to approve an applicant theatre to take part in the Festival provided its performance meets the following criteria:
- the high artistic level of the performance in general, that of the work of the Director, stage designer, and actors;
- novelty, freshness, and originality (individuality, artistic identity) of the performance;
- compliance with the goals and objectives of the Festival set forth in Section 2 of this regulation.
The decision of the Expert Advisory Board is adopted by a simple majority of votes on the admission of performances to the Festival, and it is documented by Protocol.
4.6. The Festival Directorate makes up the festival poster no later than 3.5 months prior to the opening date, sends letters of invitation to the theatre teams approved to be included in the festival poster, and negotiates the organizational, technical and financial conditions for participation in the Festival.
4.7. Applications for participation in the Festival are accepted beginning from September 1 each year.
5. Developing the Festival program
5.1. The Festival program principally includes performances based on the works by Anton Chekhov or about Him.
5.2. The program of the Festival makes provisions for "roundtable discussions" of the performances headed by the Expert Advisory Council members, leading theatre critics, together with directors and actors of theaters, participating in the Festival, and other invited persons, as well as for arranging master classes for directors and actors, including workshops and directing laboratories, for guest performances in other cities of the Moscow Region, and making arrangements for thematic meetings and marking of memorable dates.
6.Financing of the Festival
6.1. Financing of the Festival is provided at the expense of the regional budget, funds of the Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo", those received from other income-generating activities, other raised extra-budgetary funds and donations (public organizations, sponsors, etc.), including income received from the sale of tickets to the Festival events.
6.2. The funds received for the Festival are spent by the project executives on the basis of the estimated income and expenses of the Festival, approved by the Organizing Committee of the Festival.
6.3. As part of the estimates of the Festival, its expenses are incurred in the following areas:
- organization and functioning of the Expert Advisory Board;
- organization and functioning of the Festival Directorate;
- organization of accommodation, meals, and transportation of members of the theatre groups - participants of the Festival;
- Festival guests (accommodation, meals, transfer to the venue of the Festival and back, transportation costs of stage sceneries for performances of participants of the guest program);
- organization and functioning of theatrical specialists for conducting master classes;
- production of advertising, souvenir products, rent of premises of other venues for performances and events held within the framework of the Festival;
- other expenses required for the organization and running the Festival.
6.4. The participant team of the Festival shall bear the costs of business trip out-of-pocket expenses, travel expenses of the theatre team and cargo transportation to the venue of the Festival and back. In case of need the Museum-Reserve of A. P. Chekhov "Melikhovo" provides delivery of a theatre team and its cargo from railway stations and airports of Moscow to Melikhovo.
6.5. The Directorate of the Festival is in charge of entering into a contract with each participant of the Festival (both the Theatre and an individual - a member of the Expert Advisory Board, the head of the master class, technical staff for servicing facilities of the festival, etc.) Such an agreement stipulates the organizational, technical and financial conditions of participation in the Festival.
6.6. Payment of the fee for participation in the Festival to theatres or their representatives is not specified.
6.7. Payment of royalties is made in accordance with the conditions set forth by the theatres - participants of the Festival.
7. Contact information
7.1. Applications for participation in the Festival must be sent to:
Mailing address: 142326, Moscow Region, urban district Chekhov, village Melikhovo, Museum-Reserve of A.P. Chekhov "Melikhovo".
E-mail address: mel-vesna@mail.ru
For more information call Executive Director of the Festival:
+7 905-778-42-65 – Elena Alekseeva