THEATRE IN PUBLIC SPACE

Workshop festival in the frame of II))II\II//\

23-29 May 2010 /////// Warsaw (Poland)

The festival of workshops is focused on the relation between theatre and public space. The public space is understood here both as architecture and as society. Theatre is not seen here as a separated world, shut in a box, but just the opposite – it has reasons and methods to interact with the outside reality. During the workshops different kinds of this interaction could be explored. The participants will have a chance not only to try different theatre methods developed by experienced artists, but also to get to know how to analyze and organize theatre projects in non-theatre venues.

During 7 days of the festival each participant will take part in 2 workshops – each lasts 4 hours a day, one before the lunch break, the other after lunch. The practical workshops will be supplemented with a theoretical background. Every evening everybody taking part in the festival and anybody who may be interested in the subject, also from the city, will meet in one room. It will be a time to relax and talk, but most importantly – it will be an opportunity to learn about the phenomena creating an important context for the practical work. The festival will end with an open show of projects or works in progress prepared by the workshops groups during the week.

All of the workshops are open to different kinds of participants: students, actors, dancers, activists, culture animators, community artists, directors, cultural managers, critics, theatrologists, etc.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. 

Deadline for applications (use application form below) /////// 14^th of April

The chosen participants will be contacted by /////// 19^th of April

Organisers cover the costs of

/////// accommodation in shared rooms in the centre of Warsaw from 22^nd until 30^th of May /////// breakfasts and dinners from 23^rd until 29^th of May

Fee /////// 330 Euro

Notice /////// 100 Euro for travel refund will be given to representatives from the member countries of DNA project (Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia). 

Deadline for payment /////// 4^th of May

Organiser /////// Katedra kultury Association (Poland) www.dna-project.eu

Contact person /////// Zofia Dworakowska /////// theatreinpublicspace@gmail.com

How it works?  

Below you will find two groups of workshops: A and B. Choose one workshop from group A and one from group B. Please indicate also a third workshop and in the event there are not enough free places in one of the two selected workshops you will be assigned to the third workshop of your choice. The description of workshops and information about the leaders are presented below (see also application form below).

A

Iconosphere /////// Akademia Ruchu

The visual space of cities is filled with stereotypes of inscriptions, signs and repetitive human behaviour. You can bring life into them, or interpret them through creative intervention. Some of the meanings inscribed there may be reversed and others developed. City space is a set of messages in itself. Find a role for yourself by making a presence, by adding your words or signs to what you already see. Find a role for your partners or become a partner yourself – become part of someone else’s artistic initiative. Make this the means for conveying your own message about the social content of space, about the city, or universal matters, for instance.

In its initial stage the workshop encompasses a comprehensive analysis of the motifs existing in the visual structure of the city – as shown by the instructors or selected by workshop participants. The final stage envisages the preparation of a few to several street happenings carried out anonymously.

(number of places: 15)

Akademia Ruchu [eng. Academy of Movement] was created in Warsaw in 1973. Wojciech Krukowski was a founder of the group and remains its artistic director. Since its beginnings Akademia Ruchu has been known as the ’theatre of behaviour’ and visual narration. Akademia Ruchu is a creative group which works at the edge of variety of artistic disciplines – theatre, the visual arts, performance art and film. Movement, space and the social message are characteristic of all creative process undertaken by Akademia Ruchu. This derives from the conviction that artistic radicalism and a social message are not mutually exclusive.

Through its work in open city spaces, which has been regular and continuous since 1974 (approximately 500 performances, events and street happenings), Akademia Ruchu has become Poland’s premier example of a creative group which functions outside the official realm of the cult of the arts, in ’non-artistic’ space: the streets, residential homes, industrial zones. In turn, the elements of everyday life which Akademia Ruchu transfers into the ’hallowed’ realm of art (the stage, the gallery) have enriched its anthropological vision without compromising its aesthetic vision.

Akademia Ruchu has presented its works in nearly all the countries of Europe, in both Americas and in Japan, during international tours and at theatrical festivals of significance (including: World Theater Festivals in Caracas and Nancy, the Festiwale Kaaitheater in Brussels, the Chicago International Theater Festival, the LIVE Art Festival in Glasgow). Akademia Ruchu has also performed its works in many galleries and places for the presentation of visual arts (among others: DOCUMENTA 8 in Kassel, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the Museum for Contemporary Arts PS1 in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in Yokohama).

“We constitute a group as long as we are bound by the feeling that there is value in searching as a group. We expect greater intensity in our relations with the ’searching’ members of our community. It is them who we treat with the greatest respect”. 

www.akademiaruchu.com

The state of exception /////// Poste Restante (Sweden)

New relations between the theatre and its audience require new methods of working. Poste Restante construct big scale situation-specific performances where the participation and personal experience of the individual visitor is the focal point. During the workshop we will closely study how a state of exception is created and how it can relieve the audience from their everyday life and make them more susceptible to their individual experience. By mixing theoretical discussions with practical exercises followed by evaluations, the participants of the workshop will work with a new aspect of the state of exception every day.
The workshop will treat subjects such as: intention, agreements with the audience, narrative and actions and fiction levels. By relating to these we form methods and use them to create a small-scale interactive theatre work outside a conventional venue.

During 7 days of the workshop we will discuss and work practically with these methods, on the final day there will be open presentations. Each participant will be regarded as an individual and all collaboration in the group is optional.

(number of places: 17)

Poste Restante is an artistic constellation consisting of Linn Hilda Lamberg and Stefan Åkesson. Both graduated at the Dramatic Institute of Stockholm, Linn Hilda as a set designer and Stefan as a dramaturge. “We generally choose to work outside of the traditional theatre stage and seek other kinds of rooms such as offices and ambassador houses. We work situation specific by letting the visitors meet constructed activities where they actively take part. Led by guides they get a hand-on experience and participate in the piece by for example attending a class in flirting manners or learning how to make a nice evening hairdo in only 5 minutes. By taking the full responsibility and addressing the visitors as individuals we seek to give them a personal experience and the possibility to make independent reflections on the topic of the piece. Thematically we work with identifying inner questions that we have which we experience as more or less problematic, questions where we haven’t found an answer. To give legitimacy to the problem rather than trying to present a solution is most important for us. We wish to offer the visitors a possibility to swell on an issue, free from their everyday social context, without being served an expected solution on the problem at hand. In this way we hope to offer a feeling of an exception where the problem may exist, and eventually also be dealt with”.

www.poste-restante.se

Public Movement ///////

Omar Krieger, Dana Yahalomi, Public Movement (Israel)

In this research and action workshop we will explore together the different possibilities of moving as a group in public space, experimenting with notions such as confilct, the political body and the embodiement of politics. We will observe and construct political situations while studying together moments in the political geography of Warsaw: past, present and future. We will ask ourselves what are the physicla manifestations of politics and the political in the specific time and place we are at. Where are the differences between a party, a demonstration, a dance and a street fight?

(number of places: 28)

Public Movement explores the political and aesthetic possibilities residing in a group of people acting together. The movement operates in public spaces, studies and creates public choreographies, forms of social order, overt and covert rituals. Among Public Movement's actions in the past and in the future: manifestations of presence, fictional acts of hatred, new folk dances, synchronized procedures of movement, spectacles, marches, inventing and reenacting moments in the life of individuals, communities, social institutions, peoples, states, and of humanity. It is a representative group, a selected team of artists based in Tel-Aviv, with the prospect of becoming a mass movement.

In 2008-9 Public Movement took responsibility for the following actions in Poland: The Lodz actions and Also Thus! At the Festival of Dialogue of Four Cultures in Łódź, The 86th Anniversary of the assassination of President Gabriel Narutowicz by the painter Eligiusz Niewiadomski with the Center of Contemporary Art Zamek Ujazdowski at the National Gallery of Art Zachęta, Warsaw), Spring in Warsaw – A new walk in the Jewish Ghetto with Nowy Teatr.

www.publicmovement.org

B

Can theatre be a public space?

Some thoughts on theatre place, public sphere and art /////// Joanna Ostrowska (Poland)

At the turn of 2006 and 2007, a group of researchers from all over Europe prepared a study “Street Artists in Europe” concentrating both on history, aesthetics, types of street theatre, as well as on its social context and its influence on the shape of urban space. One of the basis of this was the survey conducted among the artists, referring, among others, to the influence of such art on social reality and the development of urban spaces. Among a couple of possible answers referring to the aims of creating street theatre, the one very frequently chosen, was about the wish to create the “public space” through their own performances. Does it mean that contemporary artists by practicing theatre outside traditional venues in reality wish to practice the “public theatre”? And what, in fact, does the term “public space” mean for the contemporary theatre artists? The theatrical building, although it is not a place sensu stricte  “private”, also has not been perceived by artists as the public place. Thus, the theatre created its own conception of the public space.

The main aim of the workshop is to present a variety of theatre activities which take place outside the traditional theatre building. The workshop will explore relation between theatre and public space – not only nowadays but also its historical background and how “publicness” of the space can be perceived by different artists.  We will try to answer how theatre can support development of public space and how different approaches toward public spaces create different artistic strategies. Workshop will be based on lectures and presentations of visual materials as well as on discussions and presentations of participants own ideas. The workshop relies on interaction between the lecturer and participants, on their comments and questions.

(number of places: 20)

Joanna Ostrowska is an assistant professor in Cultural Studies Institute, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland). Main fields of her interest are: alternative theatre in Poland and abroad, radical street theatre also Polish theatre in public spaces. Her articles were published, among others in “New Theatre Quarterly”, “Pamiętnik Teatralny”, “Kultura Współczesna”. She is co-editor of three books, co-author of Sketches on Alternative Theatre and author of the only Polish monograph on The Living Theatre. Since 2005 she has been taking part in international research project “European Festival Research Project” in 2006 and 2007 she was a member of a team preparing a report “Street Artist in Europe” for European Parliament. Since 2008 she was part of a project "City in Art, Art of  City". Now she is responsible for the Polish part of the project “Theatre Architecture in Central Europe” – “Experimental Theatre Spaces”.

Sense the space /////// Marta Ladjanszki, Zsolt Varga (Hungary)

This is workshop about how to be in the space, how to deepen our knowledge of creative processes, how to simply be and how to listen to the inner thoughts of our own selves. Marta Ladjanszki is working partly with improvisations through authentic movement and partner-works and she is teaching Horton Technique based technical classes if needed. What she does always depends on the people who take part in the workshop and the space which she and the group chooses to be in.

(number of places: 20)

Marta Ladjanszki started her ballet studies at the private studio of Valeria P. Acs (Budapest) and from 1994 to 1996 she attended ballet and modern dance classes. In 1997, she co-founded the group KompMania, where she was a dancer and co-choreographer of several productions until 2002. Her first independent work One was created for the 1st Solo Dance Festival in Budapest, and later on she regularly performed her solos at Trafo. These works, like Stretching Thighs and Two, were devised for herself and radically rewrote sensuality. In 2001 she joined L1 DanceLab, located in a site-specific studio in Budapest, and has been a member of this ensemble ever since. “Ladjanszki is perhaps the most exciting, and most promising member of her generation. Her works are full of fire: her individual and outstanding presence, freedom of her imagination, passion of her movements and sensitivity towards intimacy can be discovered in all her creations”.

www.ladjanszki.hu

Zsolt Varga is a musician, composer, sound and movement artist. Starting out as a saxophonist playing improvised music with the Budapest based Balvanyos Ensemble his interest soon turned into working with artists from various fields like literature, visual and movement arts. Besides taking part in several Hungarian electronic music projects and playing in a funk band, in the recent years his work mainly concentrates on the collaboration with Marta Ladjanszki as a movement artist and composer/musician.

Question zone

Managerial workshops /////// Agata Etmanowicz, Agnieszka Wlazeł (Poland)

The workshop will provide participants with a blend of theory and practice to strengthen their theoretical and practical skills in cultural management, to support their professional growth. It provides an opportunity to both reflect on, and develop skills in a range of management functions and cultivate a professional attitude and proficiency in communication, teamwork, project planning and personal development. It also implies that the participants develop concrete projects using the opportunity for collaborative partnerships with other participants.

We will start with ethos questions discussing cultural managers identity between politics, market, cultural values and artists’ interest and take a look at audience development concept. However the workshop will focus on the theme of international cooperation in the field of culture including description of EU cultural policy and practical sessions on collaborative project running, including those underneath:

/////// Where and how to start?                                                   

/////// How to find partners, how to negotiate and work with them?

/////// How to build the project? Strategies and implementation                    

/////// What does that mean good application? Filling-in the application form – general, no matter where are you applying for funds

/////// Where is the Money?

where to apply – introduction to EU programmes

how to secure your own financial contribution  

/////// How to run the project? What does that mean effective partnership?

/////// Which monitoring and evaluation procedures work? Reporting and disseminating the results (EC perspective vs. project perspective)      

/////// Who is selecting, what are the criteria? Selection procedures (applicant organisation vs. project application)                           

The methodology includes theoretical contributions and practical activities, discussions, working groups and simulation of producing an artwork or event including fundraising and application writing.

(number of places: 20)

Agata Etmanowicz - from 2002 until 2007 she was working for the Ministry of Culture in Poland, where she was: coordinating the Community Programme Culture 2000 in Poland (promotion of Culture 2000 Programme, preparing and conducting workshops and conferences, projects’ applications consultation, advising on adequate financial resources for given projects). She was also representative in the Council of European Union working groups - Cultural Affairs Committee and Audiovisual Working Group (preparing instructions/positions for the working groups meetings, COREPER, Council, taking part in negotiations, reporting). She was a member of the Culture 2000 Management Committee and Culture (2007-2013) Management Committee.

From 2005 until 2008 she was working for Artistic Centre Fabryka Trzciny in Warsaw as a project manager. Her main responsibility was running international projects. She was organising festivals, concerts, dance shows, exhibitions, artistic workshops etc. She was also obtaining funding from international, national, regional and private founds. 

Now, she works for Łódź Art Center as the programme director of Łódź European Capital of Culture 2016 project. She works also as a trainer – prepares and conducts workshops and lectures on European Union’s cultural policy, projects founding, project management, international cooperation in the field of culture. She cooperates with number of organisations at national and international level and runs projects with them. She also consults project for cultural organisations and public bodies in Poland and abroad. She worked as a journalist. She’s been publishing regularly for the last nine years – both articles and books, after 2001 mainly dedicated to cultural policy.  

Agnieszka Wlazeł graduated from University of Warsaw with MA degree in Cultural Animation and a European Diploma for Cultural Project Management from M. Hicter Foundation in Brussels. Coordinator of various interdisciplinary and educational projects, also as part of international cooperation; involved with the social aspect of art and culture.

For 15 years Vice President of the Polish Federation of Independent Filmmakers. Creator and producer of film workshops financed by the European Commission Youth Program. Awarded the Golden Medal of the World Union of Independent Cinema UNICA for her entire work. Director of the OFF/ON Warszawa European Film Week (www.offon.org). Director of Re:visions Independent Art Invasion – the three-day swirl of culture in Warsaw presenting all art disciplines – the best of Warsaw Off (www.revisionswarsaw.pl). Creator and coordinator of River//Cities – platform for cooperation between European cultural organizations located in riverside cities (www.river-cities.net). Creator of artistic events organized by the Vistula River. President of Impact Foundation. In 2009 Impact took care of the coordination and promotion of the 4-month TRANSFORMATIONS Art Festival by the Vistula River. Over 500 artistic and educational events were organised with the total audience of over 150,000 people (www.transformations.pl). She researches audience development as part of her doctoral thesis.

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