Zonal round of corporate Fakel Festival opens in Belgorod
RELEASE
News from projects and regions
The Kosmos Sports Palace hosted today the opening ceremony of the selective round (southern zone) of the 6th corporate Fakel Festival among amateur creative teams and performers from Gazprom's subsidiary companies and organizations.
Alexander Bespalov, Head of Gazprom’s Information and Communications Department, Head of the Fakel Festival Organizing Committee addressed the participants and guests of the Festival with a welcoming speech. He conveyed the greetings and words of gratitude by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee to the participants and wished all the contestants creative achievements.
Vyacheslav Mikhalenko, Director General of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow in his speech stressed that Fakel in Belgorod was the company’s debut as the organizer of this major event, “Every effort will be made for the Festival to be held on the top level.”
Alexandra Permyakova, Chairwoman of the Festival jury, People's Artist of Russia, Artistic Director of the Pyatnitsky State Academic Russian Folk Choir congratulated the Festival participants and guests in her welcoming address, “The Festival geography changes but the uniting power of the great art remains constant,” she noted.
Taking part in the press conference dedicated to the Festival opening were Alexander Bespalov, Head of Gazprom’s Information and Communications Department, Valery Sergachev, First Deputy Governor of the Belgorod Region, Vyacheslav Mikhalenko, Director General of Gazprom Transgaz Moscow.
Valery Sergachev, Vyacheslav Mikhalenko, Alexander Bespalov and Roman Sakhartov
From October 13 to 15 the contestants will compete in four main areas: instrumental performance, choreography, vocal and magic. On October 16 the Festival results will be announced.
On October 17, the day of the Fakel closing, the Cathedral Square in Belgorod will host a gala concert featuring celebrities for the city’s visitors and residents.
Background
The idea to launch a corporate festival was put forward by Gazprom's employees and supported by its management. In 2003 the Gazprom Management Committee endorsed the Resolution on Arranging the Fakel Festival among Amateur Creative Teams and Performers from Gazprom's Subsidiary Companies and Organizations.
The three-round Festival is conducted on a biennial basis. In the first round the best performers from Gazprom's subsidiaries are selected for the zonal festivals. The zonal festivals (southern and northern zones) represent the second round. The zonal festival winners take part in the final third round.
The zonal rounds of the 5th corporate Festival took place in Astrakhan (November 2012) and Tomsk (February 2013). Over 1,300 children and adults from 36 Gazprom's subsidiaries took part in the 5th corporate Fakel Festival in Vitebsk. They competed in the following nominations: folklore, vocal (folk, pop, classic and jazz), choreography (folk, pop, ballroom, classic), pop and instrumental groups, pop & circus and magic, etc. The Young Painter contest was held as well as part of the Festival.