The Citizen Here Festival

Every year, around International Human Rights Day on December 10th, the Niko Nitai Theater hosts a festival of original productions focused on human and civil rights called The Citizen Here Festival.

The tradition of the festival at the theater began from its founding. Initially, it was simply called The Original Theater Festival.

In 2011, Dorit Nitai-Neeman (now the artistic director of the theater) became its artistic director and changed the name to The Citizen Here Festival, with the goal of highlighting original Israeli works that focus on one of the theater’s core missions—addressing social issues from the margins of society and bringing them to the forefront.

The name is a play on Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane, but the festival is not limited to civil rights alone; it also addresses broader human rights.

Each year, an open call is made to the public to submit original plays related to human and civil rights. An artistic committee selects a few of these plays, which the theater then produces for the festival, and some continue to be performed throughout the following year. The festival typically runs for 3-4 days and features original productions, selected outdoor performances, art exhibitions, literary events, and more.

"In the reality we live in, there is sometimes a need to pause, reflect, take a deep breath, and remember something fundamental and impactful in our daily lives—in the private, family, and public spheres—civil rights. This is an opportunity to remind ourselves that these rights belong to us, and if we truly believe in them and fight for them, they can be realized and receive the attention they deserve," explains Dorit Nitai-Neeman, the festival’s artistic director.