Gojer receives Golden Laurel Wreath for contribution to theatre art

(Patria) - The Golden Laurel Wreath for contribution to theatre art, the highest award presented by the MESS Festival Directorate, goes to Gradimir Gojer, a theatre professional with decades of experience. The award will be presented to him at a ceremony on Thursday, October 5th at 7 PM in the Gabrijel Gallery of Kamerni teatar 55 in Sarajevo.

Gradimir Gojer was born in 1951 in Mostar. He spent his working life in Sarajevo, where he graduated with a degree in Comparative Literature with Theatre Studies from the Faculty of Philosophy, and Theatre and Radio Directing.

In his decades of theatre work, Gojer served as the director of Kamerni teatar 55, Pozorište mladih, and Narodno pozorište Sarajevo, where he also worked as a dramaturg, selector, and artistic director of the Yugoslav Children's Festival in Šibenik. He has published sixty-three books in various fields: poetry, theatre studies, journalism, literary criticism, libretto writing, political essays, science, and visual arts. He directed 129 theatre performances and adapted 30 literary works for the stage. His books have been translated into Macedonian, English, Norwegian, Polish, and Romanian.

His most significant theatre directing achievements are based on the works of Ibsen, Dostoevsky, Krleža, Sterija, Ionesco, Chekhov, Sušić, Ibrišimović, Topčić, Kajan, Gavran, Kiš... in theatres in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica, Banja Luka, Mostar, Split, Rijeka, Belgrade, Prijedor, Bitola...

For his extensive body of work, he has received around thirty awards for directing and journalism, with a particular highlight being the City of Sarajevo's Sixth of April Award for achievements in performing arts and specifically for directing the play "Bašeskija, san o Sarajevu".

Gradimir Gojer is one of the founders of Mostarski teatar mladih and Sarajevo War Theatre – SARTR, as well as the founder and organizer of the Theatre Prayers for Peace event from 1992-1995.

He was one of the leading protagonists and organizers of the spiritual resistance movement during the siege of Sarajevo and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.