HISTORY

Pantomime, as an original genre of theatre art in Georgia has a long history of development. In 1961 a pantomime group was established under the management of Amiran Shalikashvili at the State Theatre and Cinema University of Georgia.

In 1965 two significant events took place: first performance of “Now Then” was premiered on 13th May and Amiran Shalikashvili met a world celebrity French pantomime master Marcel Marceau. In the period of 1971-1975 years the troupe toured different republics of the former Soviet Union (115 cities altogether).

It performed in Turkey, Germany, Poland, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Syria. Under a Resolution of the Government of Georgia issued on 1st January 1976 the Pantomime Theatre at the State Philharmonic was transformed into a State Theatre of Pantomime of Georgia… It was the very first state theatre of pantomime in the entire Soviet Union.

Department of Pantomime Actors was established at the State University of Theatre and Cinema of Georgia in 1978 with an initiative of Amiran Shalikashvili. It was chaired by the initiator himself. The theater regularly takes part in public, private and charitable activities. In 2015 by Amiran Shaliakshvili Junior was founded International Mime Festival named by Amiran Shaikashvili.