Assistant director of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre Aliona Mariasova won the finalist diploma of the ArtMasters National Open Championship of Creative Competencies.

ArtMasters is a large-scale competition for specialists in the field of backstage and digital art; it was held from March to September 2023. Aliona took part in the “stage manager” competency, which is the activity of managing all artistic and production services while holding events in a music or dramatic theatre and show industry. The Championship included selective and qualifying (correspondence presentation of a portfolio and completion of a practical task) stages and a final stage, during which it was necessary to personally demonstrate their skills at Moscow venues.

According to Aliona Mariasova, she didn’t have to do anything fancy: she simply and as effectively as possible presented the system of activities she performed as her job at the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.

“This is a great competition that provides ample opportunities for gifted young professionals to display their skills, gain experience, make the necessary contacts, as well as to win a grant for projects and get an internship. The excellent competition, very useful for backstage employees,” Aliona Mariasova shared her impressions, “I’m glad that this competition provides an opportunity to receive recognition of that titanic labour of behind-the-scenes services that are usually overshadowed by performance of artists. Now such professions as graphic designer, stage manager, makeup artist, costume designer, and many others will be better known to the public. The competition is young, but I hope it will become an annual event for many, many years and will serve as a powerful impetus for the development of culture and technology in art.

The day before, a solemn ceremony was held in the Beethoven Hall of the Bolshoi Theatre to award 60 competition winners in 20 competencies. The winners received cash certificates; these funds can be spent on winners’ projects or educational purposes, or the purchase of professional equipment. The ArtMasters Championship is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and Moscow Government.