SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN'S THEATER POSTERS: THE EXAMPLE OF 2024 STATE THEATERS

This study aims to reveal how children's theater posters construct multilayered cultural narratives through visual and textual elements. The research adopts a qualitative design based on semiotic analysis. To enable an in-depth examination, the scope was limited to 10 posters exhibited by State Theaters in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir. Each poster is systematically analyzed using Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework. The significance of the study lies in demonstrating that these posters serve not only as promotional tools but also play a key role in the reconstruction of social values. The analysis reveals both idealized childhood themes such as innocence, freedom, hope, and creativity, and broader themes including social and individual identity, critical thinking, and free will.