Students of the Department of Performing Arts Achieve Major Success at an International Theatre Festival
Students of the Department of Performing Arts of the Faculty of Fine Arts achieved significant international success by winning 7 awards in the categories of “Best Dramaturgy” and “Best Theatre Criticism” at the XI International Student Theatre Festival held in Bishkek.
The XI International Student Theatre Festival “New Names,” held in Bishkek on April 18, 2026, has concluded. The festival was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bubusara Beishenalayeva Kyrgyz State University of Culture and Arts, and the Union of Theatre Artists of Kyrgyzstan, and was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Bubusara Beishenalayeva.
The festival brought together theatre students from Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Students of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University stood out with their achievements.
Under the supervision of Janysh Kulmanbetov, the students competed in the “Best Dramaturgy” and “Best Theatre Criticism” categories and won a total of 7 awards. Meerim Kurbanbekova won first place with her play “Parik,” while Zulayha Akunova took first place with “Les gde poyut tsikady.” Elnura Shabyrbekova was awarded second place for “Pigmalyon.”
In the field of theatre criticism, Sezim Cumashova won first place with her study “A Shot at Belkin’s Stories,” while Begimay Sagalieva received second place with her critique “Passing by Osh.” Additionally, Myrzayim Termeeva received a special jury diploma for her work on “Ayna,” and Aylina Jenishbekova was awarded a special diploma for her compilation of plays.
These achievements clearly demonstrate that the Department of Performing Arts at Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University places strong emphasis not only on stage practice but also on students’ intellectual development, analytical thinking, and multidimensional creativity.
