Georgian performers from occupied Tskhinvali succeed at Spanish youth festival

Some of Georgia’s youngest victims of internal displacement have achieved success at an international youth festival in Spain.

Two groups of children from Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region took part in the Sea Sun Festival in early May and came home with a top award for their folk dancing and singing. It was the first time Georgian displaced youth competed in the international event.

Yesterday the Iveria troupe and the Future Generation (Momavali Taoba) group – both folk ensembles from breakaway Tskhinvali – were invited to Georgia’s Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection and congratulated on their success.

It was the first time young Georgian performers from an occupied region took part in the international Sea Sun Festival alongside other Georgian participants. The event was held from May 3-8 in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava in the northeast coastal region of Spain.

Young Georgian folk performers at the Sea Sun Festival in Spain.

The Iveria and the Future Generation [Momavali Taoba] ensembles jointly received first place in the category of folk dance, folk-stylized dance, ethnic dance. The children performed traditional Georgian music and dances and shared some of Georgia’s unique culture with festival guests from all parts of the globe.

Other Georgian performers also gained top places at the international festival. Children’s ensemble Basti-Bubu, pop dancer Luka Kacharava, Georgian folk performer from Dublin, Ireland and classical music performer Nini Charkviani took first and second prizes in other categories at the event.

In total 23 children from Georgia participated in the international festival.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Georgian Dream political party, who organised the children’s tour in Spain, said it was "very symbolic that the founder of the festival was Georgian-born man David Japaridze, who was now a Spanish citizen but originally came from Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region.

The spokesperson said in the future, joint efforts of various Governmental and non-Governmental organisations planned to involve children from breakaway regions in other international festivals and youth camps.

The idea to get children from Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region to participate in the Spanish youth festival came from Women’s Support, a non-governmental organisation, and the youth’s trip was financed by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection.