On 14 November 2026, the Smiltene Municipality Culture Centre will host the Smiltene Municipality amateur theatre festival. In three programme parts, audiences will have the chance to watch productions by nine groups from the municipality.
The performances, running from 10:00 to 21:35, will take place in the Culture Centre’s Theatre Hall, Small Hall and Large Hall. The festival programme invites visitors to discover the creative diversity of the municipality’s amateur theatres and support the work of the groups.
The Smiltene Municipality amateur theatre festival is an intermediate stage on the way to the amateur theatre festival “Performance of the Year 2026” organised by the Latvian National Centre for Culture. The groups’ performances will be evaluated by three jury members: Jānis Siliņš, head of the Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum, theatre scholar and director; Mārtiņš Egliens, actor of the Latvian National Theatre; and Elīza Šnore, master’s student at the Latvian Academy of Culture.
In the morning session, audiences will be able to watch four productions free of charge:
- •At 10:00 in the Theatre Hall, the amateur theatre “Kaķu nams” of the Gaujiena People’s House with Elga Rācene’s sketch “Dinner”.
- •At 10:25 in the Small Hall, the Rauna theatre group “Spīgana” will present Anna Brodele’s “Gentle Cornflower” under the direction of director Inese Pulkstene.
- •At 11:00 in the Theatre Hall, the Vireši amateur theatre “Dzirnaviņas” will perform Elga Rācene’s “A Whirlwind in the Parish”, directed by Klinta Bernarte.
- •At 11:45 in the Small Hall, the Palsmane amateur theatre “Randiņš” with Lelde Stumbre’s “Hitchhikers”. The production is directed by Ilze Roķe, with artists Guntis Puriņš and Artis Roķis.
The second part of the festival will begin at 13:15 in the Large Hall, where the amateur theatre of the Birzuļi People’s House will present Danskovīte’s “A Countryside Resort for Townspeople”. The production is directed by Dita Marianna Lapiņa.
At 14: 50 in the Theatre Hall, the Blome SIA group will perform Jūlijs Pētersons’ play “Glow of the Sunset” in a production by director Gita Skadiņa. Then at 16:25 in the Large Hall, the Grundzāle amateur theatre “Cik Jaudas!” will perform Baiba Jukņēviča’s “Townspeople”. The production is directed by Dzintra Medne, with artist Skaidrīte Rence.
The third part will open at 19:00 in the Theatre Hall with the Smiltene People’s Theatre, presenting Anšlavs Eglītis’ work “The Shameless Old Men” in a production by director Krišjānis Salmiņš. The festival will conclude at 20:35 in the Large Hall, where the Variņi amateur theatre “The World Belongs to the Crazy” will perform Ināra Šteinberga’s “THE INN”, directed by Māra Lāce.
The day ticket grants entry to all paid performances (the second and third parts) for one combined price!
