The theatre tradition in ibeni started 130 years ago, on January 29, 18 70, when the theatre building

was inaugurated. It ma es the theatre, after the o ne in the town of Hvar on the island of the same name, the oldest theatre in Cro atia. That's where the Croatian language was spo en and defended from those who wanted not only to conquer but to subjugate ibeni and Dalmatia. Nevertheless, the most distinctive trait of the cultural scene in ibeni , and its trademar of a ind, is the International Children's Festival internationally r ecognised Croatian cultural event, unique in the world for four decades. The first festival was held in 1958, the result of the initiative and efforts of several children arts enthusiasts, but it quic ly turned into a big, complex, i nternationally important festival and stage mechanism, founded on three elements children, the festival and the city. It is certainly a multidisciplinary multim edial cultural event, which not only displays but invites participation actively . It is a review of the best wor s for children as well as of the best wor s by children. The basic cultural and pedagogical justification of the festival is that it prom otes aesthetical education of children and young adults, and develops all artist ic forms of children's creativity. The festival not only initiates, but also sti mulates many ideas in art forms for children and by children: dramatic and music arts, puppetry, film, literature and visual arts. The festival has been accomplishing this through three aspects: through an annua l review of carefully selected Croatian and foreign performing companies (wor s for children) through wor shops as a form of involving children in the act of creation (wor s by children and education) through organising symposiums on creativity and art, and on other topics important for the aesthetic education of children (the scien tific aspect) During the forty years, the best drama companies from Croatia and abroad succeded each other on the open-air stage in front of the old City Hall a nd in the theatre, presenting the best plays imagined by writers, shaped by dire ctors and played by actors with the magic of their singular s ills. The music is in us and around us. Particularly in the city of music and musician s, ibeni . The music, vocal or instrumental, artistic or fol , local or foreign, but always a unique celebration of rhythm, sound and harmony, has a permanent pl ace among the festival events. An old festival chronicler claimed that the puppets acquired the citizenship of i beni and turned the city into a big playground, full of imagination, magic, mer ry play. The city, that used to have a professional puppet theatre, has been vis ited by all Croatian puppet theatres, as well as many of those from abroad. They all left gifts under the pillows of all those who saw them; images of a memorab le childhood, regardless of the viewers' age. There is a special quality in the festival's visual arts programmes, not only th e ones created by masterly, though aw ward, children's little fingers, but also those created by the most distinguished names of visual arts in Croatia and the whole world: painters, graphic designers, photographers, architects and other ar tists who, in their wor s, succeeded in preserving the precious ties to the chil dhood. During the festival, ibeni is the place where poets and children meet, where the open-air cinema on the stairs of the old town shows films for children, where t here are wor shops for journalism, sculpture, comics, film and video, architectu re and building, poetry, painting, graphic design, information technologies, pup petry, music and dance. Various artistic forms bring together, in the streets an d squares of ibeni , representatives of the cultures of all continents, who have been contributing in creating a nobler, culturally enlightened person of today's global community. In the forty years of the festival's existence, there have been numerous discuss

ions held about various areas of education and the influence of arts on children : children and boo s, children and films, children and television, children and visual arts, children and puppets, directing for children, dramatic arts for chi ldren, acting in plays for children, stage settings for children's plays, as wel l as about many other topics. For those discussions, the ibeni Children's Festiv al has been bringing together the most eminent names from particular fields, who tal ed about aesthetic, artistic, educational and social aspects of the wor wi th children. The festival programme receives support not only in ibeni , but in the whole of C roatia, too, as well as throughout the world. The concept and humanitarian aims of the festival have the full support of the UNICEF and UNESCO, as well as the p ermanent sponsorship of the President of Croatia. The festival used to be a memb er of the International Festival Association - F.I.D.O.F. During its forty years, the festival has been able to face doubts, self-doubting , challenges, criticism and numerous questions and difficulties. Even during the War in Croatia, when the warring pushed children's games into bac ground, the f estival ept its continuity, offering joy, play, hope. Today, relying on its exp erience and respectable associates, relying on the understanding and support of the city, county, ministry, media and all those who participate in the organisat ion, the festival is loo ing for fresh, unexplored paths to the new millennium, wishing to initiate, stimulate and promote the relationship between arts and chi ldren. Loo ing forward to the end of the restoration of the theatre building, we hope t hat the stage of one of the oldest and most beautiful theatres in Croatia will c ome alive again in time for new festival plays.The city and its children are awa iting you. Both big and small children. The play, imagination and reality are aw aiting you. The festival is awaiting you.