About festival locations
LegendFest originated in a small historical town of Pićan where it became a tradition over the years. The town’s rich medieval history provides a dose of mysticism for the festival, making it an ideal cross-platform for history, culture and legends. With such growing reputation, LegendFest now attracts more visitors each year.
During the festival, the old part of town gets decorated with traditional Istrian fabrics and residents dress up in Istrian folk costumes. The visuals of the Glagolitic alphabet are scattered throughout the town accompanied by the unique sounds of Istrian melodies. The visitors can sample local wines whilst being amused by the passing giants, witches, krsniks, vampires, pirates, fairies, Venetians, emperors, bishops … Each available space, each empty house, meadow or square gets filled up with artistic events based on the theme of myths, legends and stories of Istria.
In Croatia, there are many places rich in tangible and intangible cultural heritage which needs to be brought to the attention of the public, protected and nurtured for future generations. This is one of the reasons for the spread of LegendFest in Zagreb and Šibenik-Knin counties where it is slowly becoming a tradition as well.
Ever since 2014 LegendFest is also being held in the old town of Lukavec near Velika Gorica. The old castle rich in history provides an ideal location for representing legends, myths and stories of the Zagreb County. The festival has ‘wrapped’ the old town Lukavec in fairy tale attire and ‘breathed’ a new life into it. The magical forest around the old castle, full of oak trees, frogs, butterflies and magical beings, has hosted numerous artists, musicians, children’s workshops and old stories over the past three years.
From 2016 LegendFest brings a new touch of magic at Roški slap in the Krka National Park. In the unspoiled nature of river Krka, at fabulous locations of Roški slap, Oziđane cave and ancient water mills, visitors can now experience the richness of tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Šibenik-Knin County. Stories filled with fairies, mythical dragons, quarrelsome newlyweds and distraught Fathers are all retold through a series of performances, workshops and concerts. We sincerely hope that LegendFest will become a tradition in this region as well.
About programmes and performers
As nowadays more and more we want to be active participants and not just passive observers at the festivals, LegendFest programme is ideal for those who wish to be active at such events. It is almost impossible to list all the workshops, performances, exhibitions and concerts where visitors could actively participate and interact. LegendFest programme is a real adventure for visitors as they never know what will happen during a performance, when the storyteller will drag them into the story and make them a main character, what will turn up at the next corner…
Over the years over 500 local artists and performers have performed at LegendFest, using various areas of creative expression: theatre, music, dance, film, visual arts, etc. Many guests and artists from around the world (Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Israel) have also participated in the festival programme as well as numerous primary school students. It’s very hard to acknowledge all the performers as there are so many, but we will mention at least some of them:
Musicians
Ethno groups – Kries, Šćike, Veja, Jane, Stjepan Večković and Croatian bagpipe orchestra, Franko Krajcar & Indivia, Ensemble Triola, Putokazi, L.I.P.E., Druydakustik, Riemann Zeta
Jelena Radan & Meritas, Lidija Bajuk
Artistic groups and associations
Nikola Faller and association Slama, Bratstvo Sv. Mihovila from Karlovac, Historical Society Kaštel Svetvinčenat, KUD Mičevec, Laboratory Fun from Zagreb, ethno association Kurilovec, Association of Revived History “Ordo sanct viti” from Rijeka, Association “Pusti priču” from Pula
Actors
Filip Ličanin, Martina and Nenad Mlinar, Theatre Tirena from Zagreb, RI Theatre, Istrian National Theatre, Theatre of shadows “Tripstih”, Scena Gorica, Theatre Zvrk from Rijeka
Dance and other performers
Center for culture Pokret zvuka from Zagreb, Traumatic Arts from Zagreb, Triko Circus Theatre from Zagreb, Razbibriga from Zagreb, Acrofunkers from Zagreb, dance theatre Sjene from Šibenik, Sundari, Margareta and Davor Peršić, Ivo Vičić, Vanesa Petrac, Dubravka Vidović
Lecturers
Korado Korlević, Drago Plečko, Miroslav Bertoša, Vitomir Belaj, Nuša Hauser, Elis Baćac, Egli Ilić, Zoran Čiča, Romana Lekić, Sandra Barešin, Marko Dragić, Iva Silla, Maja Mastnak Car
Artists guests from abroad
Italy -Teatro Drago Rosso and Teatro Opl’a from Verona
Israel – ethno ensemble Yamma
