9. Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival was held in Nicosia

The 9th Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival, organised by the Home for Cooperation, was held in Nicosia. According to the statement issued by the Home for Cooperation, “the most collaborative and international edition" of Buffer Fringe took place on October 7th, 8th and 9th. The festival, held in three venues across the capital and in the buffer zone itself, featured performances and events performed by 55 artists and curators from Cyprus, Lebanon, Australia, Spain, Germany, France, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Canada. The festival has attracted large crowds. "More collaborative and international than ever, it featured a diverse tapestry of vibrant artists and curators, who responded to this year’s Pockets (beyond) theme. Through performances, installations, screenings, and events, artists and audiences were immersed in ‘pockets’ of art and exploration, proposed puncturing dominant notions, resisted the logic of the main frame, and offered space for thinking about difference and identity, past and present, inclusion and exclusion" the statement stated. An extraordinary international meeting also took place in parallel to Buffer Fringe, between 7 and 13 October. About 45 young festival makers and cultural experts, artists, cultural activists, and cross-sector experts from 24 countries attended a workshop/conference organised by the Atelier Nicosia for Young Festival Managers to discuss the current issues surrounding festivals and the role of art and culture in communities and contested spaces. Local and international organisations and media drew the interest of local and international organisations and media – including Euronews – podcasts, newspapers, radio and television programs. The Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival is a programme of the Home for Cooperation project, implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research and funded by the Active Citizens Fund 2020–2024. Source: TAK