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Description
The project will develop the engaged theatre and make it more accessible and help with starting discussions about the current problems in our society. Engaged theatre reacts to current social and political topics and intends to portray them with high artistic quality, while initiating a dialogue about these topics, and contributing to their solution in an original and creative way.
The project is based on the experience of Divadlo Líšeň in this genre. It reacts to the situation in the current Czech theatre production within which the engaged theatre is being developed, but is not accessible to the general public. Additionally, the project reflects the current challenges of the Czech society.
In terms of the project, we will make a new performance that will focus on the 50s in Czechoslovakia and the effect of the inability to deal with totalitarian past on the present times. We will create composed programs, each consisting of one of the performances and a discussion or lecture lead by an expert, who develops the performance’s topic. We will renew the Paramisa production, which connects Roma and non-Roma cultural traditions, artists, and public. The play will be presented together with the workshop.
We will realize activities with an Icelandic and a Norwegian partner. With both of them, we will share our experiences. We will also introduce the works of Norwegian partner Kate Pendry to the public. Together we will work on developing the possibilities of puppet and visual theatre and engaged art. Project implementation team members will attend educational seminars ).
We seek to make the engaged theatre more accessible to the general public and thus focus on implementing the project in cooperation with schools and performing in publicly accessible areas. Project target groups: general public, pupils and students, Roma, members of Divadlo Líšeň.
Summary of project results
The project raised awareness of political theater. Russian aggression in Ukraine showed that theater can help share and reflect on shocking world events. The theme of Russian totalitarian rule emerged as dominant. Other project themes proved equally necessary, as evidenced by the demand from organizers and audiences. We did not face unexpected problems during the project; the challenge was responding to the war in Ukraine and ensuring maximum live experiences through discussions.
The project created Confession of a Jailor, a performance focusing on political show trials and the impact of an unprocessed totalitarian past on the present. The performances were accompanied by discussions that responded to current political events. Additionally, Paramisa (Cunning Stupid Roma) was revived and presented alongside Roma dance workshops, offering a deeper understanding of Roma culture. A workshop and creative meeting with two foreign partners further enriched the project''s international collaboration.
The dominant activity in the project was Activity 2, which was initially planned but expanded due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. There was high demand from both organizers and audiences for the play Putin is Skiing and discussions about the war in Ukraine. These events fulfilled a crucial need to reflect on and share perspectives regarding the new, shocking situation. The Roma performance and workshop played an important role in popularizing Roma culture, while partner activities helped increase the competencies of Líšeň Theater.
The main output, Access to Contemporary Art, surpassed its initial goals. The planned audience was 3,890, but the actual audience reached 5,932, and the planned number of events was 62, while 69 events were held. The indicators for minority support outputs also exceeded expectations, with 22 events (planned: 20) and an audience of 1,940 (planned: 700). The project successfully popularized engaged theater, providing real opportunities for information exchange, discussion, and involvement in civic activities.
The project tested the potential of political theater during upheaval or crisis (war in Ukraine, Czech elections). It gained respect and helped shift the slightly negative view of engaged art among the Czech cultural public. It confronted the local government (Brno officials and politicians) with political topics in public spaces (the banning and subsequent allowing of "Putin is Skiing" at Janáček Theater). It further linked culture with civil society and developed art in this field.
Summary of bilateral results
Partner involvement greatly contributed to the development of new technical and content skills. In a workshop with Bernd Ogrodnik, valuable feedback was provided on puppet and object work, while also offering the opportunity to observe advanced puppet animation techniques.A creative meeting with Kate Pendry offered a deep dive into her approach to totalitarian Russia, providing an insightful contrast to the play Putin is Skiing, which leaves certain questions unanswered. In her play My Dinner with Putin, Pendry frames the relationship with Russia as an urgent moral issue. She evaluated the performance, shared her unique artistic perspective, and enhanced the understanding of political theater.The project also allowed the partners to showcase their work in the Czech Republic, marking Kate Pendry’s first time doing so. Additionally, through this collaboration, the partners were able to discover new methods by engaging with the work.