Description
"Blue Planet" is an artistic project developed by the Miniatura City Theatre in Gdańsk, the only puppet theatre in the Pomerania region, in cooperation with the Association of Independent Theatres (Sjálfstæðu Leikhúsin) in Iceland. The project is an answer to the need to stage Andri Snaer Magnason's novel "The Story of the Blue Planet" - a book which deals with current social issues in a way that is easily understood by children. The aim of the project is cultural exchange between Polish and Icelandic artists, establishing a long-term bilateral cooperation, broadening intercultural dialogue and creating a joint artistic event: a programme promoting Icelandic culture in Poland in order to strengthen bilateral relations and a theatre performance directed by Erling Jóhannesson. The spectacle will be staged in Poland and Iceland 6 times between May and October 2014. All events will involve artists staging work directed towards the young audience (2 500 people).
Summary of project results
Icelandic literature and theatre are not widely known in Poland. One of the aims of the project was to improve their profile in our country and to establish an extended Polish-Icelandic artistic cooperation. Part of the project involved the production of a play based on the bestselling Icelandic children’s book The Story of the Blue Planet by Andri Snær Magnason, directed by Erling Jóhannesson, with music by múm, set design by Izabela Toroniewicz and the participation of the artistic team of the Miniatura Theatre. The premiere of the play was accompanied by a programme of events presenting Icelandic culture: debates, film screening, reading of the play, an exhibition and family workshops. The Blue Planet was performed 14 times in Poland (Gdańsk and Toruń) and 5 times in Iceland (Reykjavik and Akureyri) and has become a permanent fixture in the Miniatura Theatre’s repertoire. The project was additionally enhanced by the publication of the Polish translation of The Story of the Blue Planet by the EneDueRabe Publishing House, one of the Miniatura Theatre’s partners. The project was directly addressed to its makers and producers as well as Polish and Icelandic audiences. It was additionally targeted towards the representatives of the project’s partners, recipients of promotional materials as well as the readers of the Polish edition of The Story of the Blue Planet. The performances were seen by a varied audience, including those from the Pomeranian region with limited access to culture, Poles and the Polish diaspora, and Icelanders.
Summary of bilateral results
The project partner - the Association of Independent Theatres in Iceland, provided invaluable substantive support with regards to the knowledge of their native theatre and literature, as well as technical backing directly related to the staging of the show in Iceland. As a result of the cooperation with the experienced theatre artist who represented the Association, many problems and issues were swiftly and easily resolved. The mutual arranging of the programme and the organisation of events to promote Icelandic culture constituted an important element of the actual exchange. The partnership greatly enriched both parties’ knowledge of each other’s countries and sparked off a mutual interest which has been continued even after the completion of the project through an exchange of information, active participation in social media etc.