BIT_Blind in theatre

12th International Festival of Theatres of the Blind and Visually Impaired 

The long-awaited new edition of BIT, after a four-year hiatus took place in October 2023 for the twelfth time. The organizer of this festival is the oldest theatre of the blind and visually impaired in the world – New Life, which since 1999 hosts troupes of theatres of the blind from all over the world. This inclusive festival in the best possible way enables blind and visually impaired people to affirm and participate in public cultural life, sensitize the public to the needs and specifics of people with disabilities and promote Croatian culture through performances by local authors. As theater longterm partners, we have been participating in the design of this festival since its seventh edition in 2011. This year’s edition is the answer to the theme for the fifth time, but each time the festival inspires in a new way. The man behind the curtain, the actor devoid of the senses of sight or the one who sees more clearly through the theater, is a visual that encourages dialogue about what we expect from the “blind theatre” and how a blind person perceives himself as an actor.  Time and again, the  response to this questions is a testament to the professionalism of blind actors and the profound capabilities of a theater that not only can but passionately desires to deliver exceptional performances.