​​(Communicated by the Israel Festival Spokesperson)

Now in its 58th year, the Israel Festival, an internationally-renowned, multi-disciplinary festival, will take place in Jerusalem from May 30 – June 15, 2019, showcasing a rich and varied artistic program from Israel and around the world in the fields of dance, music, theater, performance art, video art and installation. Among the innovative and contemporary festival programming are original Israeli productions created especially for the festival by independent artists and groups; highly acclaimed guest productions from France, Brazil, South Africa, Switzerland and Poland; site-specific performances in several Jerusalem locations; free outdoor performances and shows suitable for the family. Over 30,000 visitors, Israelis and tourists alike, enjoy the Israel Festival each year, the country’s flagship cultural event that is renowned for inspiring and thought-provoking material that cannot be seen at any other venue or festival. 

The festival's layered program is focused on an inter-cultural search for identity from both familiar and new perspectives. It aims to express many different cultural identities, while constantly testing the limits of artistic creation, exposing identity politics, questioning conventions of separation between "artist" and "viewer", between the "self" and the "other"- while spotlighting the fluidity that exists between these definitions and an inspiring, unique artistic space. 

The festival continues its’ tradition of integrating the old with the new. Alongside contemporary content, often characterized by multi-disciplinary forms, the festival will feature a number of performances inspired by classic masterpieces of the world, in a range of exciting and surprising adaptations by contemporary artists from Israel and abroad. As well as featuring guest performances from South Africa, Switzerland, France, Brazil and Poland, a portion of the program will be dedicated to the original productions of Israeli art institutions such as the Itim ensemble, the Revolution Orchestra, virtuoso groups such as the Multipiano and Tremolo percussion ensembles, Clipa Theater, Zik Theater, DAVAI Theater, the new Elad Theater and many others. In addition, this year's festival will feature a rich program of both Israeli and foreign performances offering fun for the whole family.

Alongside venue performances, the festival challenges artists from Israel and the world with site specific events in Jerusalem's unique sites. These include the Islamic Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, the Tower of David and all over the downtown area, as well as the Eden-Tamir Music Center in Ein Kerem. Some performances invite audiences to take an active part, thus becoming an inseparable part of the artistic happening. 

Over the past four years, Israel Festival Director Eyal Sher and Artistic Director Itzik Giuli have led the Israel Festival on a path of artistic innovation. The festival, under their management, has set a clear goal - to identify on the global culture and art scene new artistic movements, forms and languages, as well as innovative and original interpretations, while conserving the festival's historical value and its’ achievements for over 50 years. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of young audience members, as a result of both the artistic program and the affordable pricing policy.

This year, the Israel Festival is launching a Friends Giving Circle to help support its growth and ongoing activity. The Friends Giving Circle facilitates the gift of high-quality art and performance to a wide range of audiences by subsidizing tickets and funding free events in public spaces. In addition, the Friends Giving Circle of the Israel Festival will support the creation of original productions in Israel, international collaboration and a large number of special projects. Friends of the Giving Circle become partners in its artistic achievements, based on values of dialogue, tolerance and understanding, and aimed at strengthening Jerusalem's multi-cultural character as well as enriching the cultural landscape throughout the country. More details about the initiative can be found on the festival's website.

The Israel festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Jerusalem, Mifal HaPais lottery, the Jerusalem Foundation, as well as many public and private foundations. The festival is held in association with the Polish Institute, Institut Français, the Brazilian Embassy, the Organization for Preservation of Jewish-Yemenite Culture, Yad Ben Zvi, and more.