Valka Town Theatre () is one of the oldest theatres in Latvia, in the town of Valka, North Vidzeme. Its activity started on 10 May 1871, with the production of Hesse Vahgesa's play "Kleine Lisa".
A fact mentioned in the history of the Latvian theatre that as early as 1870 a play was performed in Latvian to a closed audience in the JÃÂnis Cimze Vidzeme Parish Teachers' Seminary. Unfortunately, no supporting documentation of this mentioned fact has been preserved. In spite of historic events, the theatre has existed from Valka's founding days. Even during World War I, the Temporary National Theatre and Temporary National Opera started their activities in the Valka Town Theatre. Today both operate in Riga as The Latvian National Theatre and The Latvian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Upon graduation from the JÃÂzeps Vëtols Music Academy in 1982, Dr. Aivars Ikselis became the director of the Valka Town Theatre. Today the theatreâÂÂs repertoire consists of the worldâÂÂs drama classics including Anton Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol, Jean Cocteau, Latvian plays by dramatists Rà «dolfs Blaumanis, JÃÂnis Rainis, and Agita Dragà «na.
Included, as part of the activity of the Valka Town Theatre has been the organization of the international independent, semiprofessional, and professional theatre festival âÂÂTÃÂlvils.â The first international theatre festival âÂÂTÃÂlvilsâ took place in Valka in 1996, followed by festivals in 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009. Participants included theatre troupes from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Turkey, Georgia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, and Belarus.