Ethnic Azerbaijani children of the small town of Gardabani, Georgia, are spreading messages of friendship and community through the ground breaking new junior theatre, Beez.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian
The Beez Azerbaijani Children's Theatre is a unique cultural institution in Gardabani, a small town in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia where 65 percent of the population are ethnic Azerbaijani[1]. The theatre was founded three years ago to provide a platform for children to express themselves through theatre and to promote Azerbaijani culture in Georgia.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian The theatre takes its name from the honeybee and the sound it makes, a fitting symbol of the hard work necessary to foster creativity, imagination, and social skills in children. Combining traditional and modern music, dance, and costumes with modern storytelling techniques, Beez is already creating a unique and engaging experience for audiences of all ages, and has won competitions held by the Georgian Ministry of Culture.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian Director Binali Islamoglu built the theatre from scratch. From 2006 he had worked as an actor at Tbilisi’s Azerbaijani State Drama Theatre, but in 2020 found himself unemployed thanks to the pandemic. Friends found him work in Gardabani instead.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian “In our spare time, we decided to make a film about the social problems in Gardabani,” he is quoted as saying. “We made a short film called Mer (Mayor) [and] this film was well received.” He recalls how the film helped gain momentum to solve some of the problems it had highlighted. However, he also realized how inspirational had been the film performance of
so he determined to give other children the opportunity to act.
Indeed, Islamoglu turned his house into a stage.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian “Parents really want their children to participate in our theatre,” Islamoglu says. “Where does this come from? After our last performance, they noticed that the children are active. Our goal is to instill theatre culture and art in children.”
Through its commitment to community engagement and Islamoglu’s dedication to preserving minority culture, Beez has inspired countless children and helped to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of diversity in Georgia. It also produces classic Georgian works that have been translated into Azerbaijani.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian The theatre recently launched a production of Qarınqulu Ayı Balası – The Gluttonous Baby Bear – based on a story written by Vugar Hagverdiyev. Following the Gardabani premier on February 18, Beez staged another performance at the Mirza Fatali Akhundov Museum of Azerbaijan Culture in Tbilisi of March 4 where it was highly appreciated by by representatives of the Azerbaijani Embassy.
Image: Onnik James Krikorian “There were three main messages in the play,” Islamoglu told The Caspian Post after the performance: “not to be afraid of doctors, not to be afraid of medicine, and [to be] kind to each other.”
Such has been its success that this production of Qarınqulu Ayı Balası, will be staged in several regions of Georgia and even across the border in Azerbaijan too.
[1] Azerbaijanis are Georgia’s largest ethnic minority numbering some 233,025 or 6.5 percent of the population according to the 2014 census.
