STANDARD SET OF GRAPHIC SIGNS For all projects financed from the funds of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, the Multiannual Government Programme and the National Forum of Music Special Film Visual Music Lower micro projects Literature Arts Architecture Theatre Silesia Opera Performance GRANTS No 7 March 2017 32 pages FREE COPY ECC in Wrocław forever 5 million participants, 2000 events, and countless experiences. Wrocław residents, artists, journalists, sociologists, and others sum up the European Capital of Culture. 32 pages of coverage, interviews, photos. Let’s experience it again! Photo. Krzysztof Bieliński Krzysztof Photo. STANDARD SET OF GRAPHIC SIGNS For all projects financed from the funds of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, the Multiannual Government Programme and the National Forum of Music 2 Theatre Photo. Sławek Przerwa Sławek Photo. Dziecinada Festival Photo. Filip Basara Filip Photo. Lear – Roberto Bacci In accordance with our expectations, Theatre European Capital of Culture rested primarily upon Theatre Olympics, to which all theatre goers had been looking forward intensely. The four autumnal weeks in October and November will remain in the audience’s memory, as they had an opportunity to watch the spectacles by the great ones (chronologically from Suzuki to Brook), and talk rotowski to their authors during open meetings. My greatest personal G experience was watching the at the Olympics performance Go down, Moses, brought to Wrocław by one of the most intelligent creators of the modern stage, Romeo in Budorigum Castellucci. Theatre Olympics: Gospel, directed by Pippo Delbono the inheritors of the great Irishman care pics and several-months’ preparations sion-makers to the margin – the oldest A special May edition of Stage Songs about the staging rigor. of their paths, at the numerous work- such festival in the world (with guest- Review, during which a brilliant for- He is an artist who cares The mainstream, however, besieged by shops, conferences, or sessions partici- starring Dorota Stalińska or Janusz Ga- mation Chłopięce Legitymacje (Sam- for a profound sense of the audience, could disappoint at times. pants’, and finally at the organizers’. The jos). Wrocław Pantomime Theatre had bor Dudziński, Konrad Imiela, Cezary his works, at the same Mostly intimate, small-cast performanc- ECC will leave – also in the discipline its special season. Celebrating its 60th Studniak) reactivated, turned out a sur- time not forgetting about the emotional es, monodramas were invited, which of theatre – invaluable experiences, and anniversary, it moved the residents, in- prise. Gala from Budorigum (antique sphere and visual and acoustic impact disagreed with the Olympic rank. One may they have their continuation in fu- viting them to its place for meetings and legendary name of Wrocław) told our on the recipients’ senses. could do with a more balance between ture. Read: may Wrocław never run out workshops, Action-Education, and, first alternative story with allusions to here attractiveness and intimacy. The main- of money for its theatre. of all, by four premieres, which appealed and now, eagerly interpreted by the au- Parables and a dream stream should cater for the demands to the audience and critics. dience. The concert-spectacle titledA. that has come true that are greater than off-stream should, From comedy Some found Battlefield by Peter Brook, the more so because Dialog Interna- to pantomime festival incorporating motifs from Mahabhara- tional Festival had been held successful- Along Grotowski Institute, realizing the ta, delightful – the work being the most ly in Wrocław for many years, so we are Olympics, other institutions joined the famous event in the life of the artist, –when it comes to the encounter with European Capital’s theatrical life. Ad who works in France; others argued that the world of theatre – spoilt. My expec- Spectatores made its performance ap- Robert Wilson won standing ovation tations about this part of the Olympics pearance during the opening weekend not merely for his name. Indeed, Wil- were – bluntly speaking – greater. of World Book Capital and by a cycle of son offered an approach of a star – quite However, the Theatre Olympics is after successful performances about Wrocław legitimately – to the already-classical all More than Theatre (the current ded- history, searching for attractive ways Beckett’s text. The staging of Krapp’s icated to handicapped artists), Eastern with theatre for a spectator, as well as Last Tape by the American was a per- Line, Forefathers’ Eve-Recycling, thus Mons (ECC 2015). We had a festival of fect encapsulation of the principles of more elite things, and Lower Silesian lighter entertainment performances, or- his theatre, and additionally surprised Theatre Platform – the dream about ganized by Wrocław Comedy Theatre, with an unorthodox shape of the very Wrocław regional theatres festival com- that enjoyed popularity, as well as the The ECC will leave – also in the discipline of theatre play. It is known to be a rare thing in the ing true. A different matter is the mem- jubilee 50th Wrocław Meeting of One – invaluable experiences, and may they have their case of Samuel Beckett’s plays because ory of what happened during the Olym- Actor Theatre, wrongly pushed by deci- continuation in future. STANDARD SET OF GRAPHIC SIGNS For all projects financed from the funds of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, the Multiannual Government Programme and the National Forum of Music 3 The biggest theatre ce- lebration in the history of Poland SUMMING UP SUMMING JarosłaW Fret, ECC WrocłaW 2016 ThEatre CuRator: In the pro- gramme book present- Woźny Tomasz Photo. ing the theatrical Photo. Sławek Przerwa Sławek Photo. projects, I Brave Kids: final allowed myself for a kind of faith confession. The faith in the theatre medium, and at the same time the be- lief ‘that these are theatre stages that pose questions about our European, multicultural identity, about tolerance, about a shared and balanced vision of an open society; that today, similarly as at the beginning of theatre, stage is becoming a platform for dynamically describing dynamic changes, which our life modus undergoes, and in pro- viding this description, engaging the entire human, it is less grossly wrong Photo. Krzysztof Bieliński Krzysztof Photo. Bieliński Krzysztof Photo. Theatre Olympics, Forefathers’ Eve Stage Song Review, Budorigum than other media. Theatre, depicting a human in action, creates them anew all the time. In this sense it remains the fundament of our self-understanding and democracy. Skene still not only supports the urban agora, but makes the latter more profound and trans- ports it to the realm of the world that is consolidated and understandable.’ This confession, brought to the plane of cooperation among many people of theatre in our city and Lower Silesia, originated a wave of projects carrying all theatre variations and genres. Many projects of ‘education for and through theatre’ had begun long before 2016, so it came as no surprise that the first half of the European Capital of Culture was dominated by educational projects. altogether, over 5 thousand people, often dedicating several to over ten Photo. Sławek Przerwa Sławek Photo. Photo. Maciej Zakrzewski Maciej Photo. weeks of their time, took part in a Children’s Theatres Review dozen or so educational projects, which not infrequently went for many for Alzheimer, or Memory and Arsenal, project gave its participants: seniors, (National Academy of Theatre Arts) – portant for the local culture, discussed months. here are the unique specifici- or an Amazing Space for Culture proved so called difficult youth from a correc- for example when preparing for ECC widely in the country and Europe, was ties of theatre projects: going-deeper- to be the most interesting point of the tional facility, or representatives of eth- International Meeting of Puppet Fac- the changes in The Polski Theatre. In than-skin-deep, profundity, dedica- programme. The yard of Archaeo- nic minorities living in Wrocław. Their ulties of Theatre Schools Metaforma any case it’s no wonder, as they hap- tion. logical Museum in Wrocław hosted an meetings with recognized professional – talked about their dramatic-puppet pened at the moment of the theatre’s The theatrical map of the second half ephemeral work, a multimedia event artists are an added value, both artisti- art being gained in the studio of Ra- greatest successes (festival opening in of the year was marked by festivals, with a capital E, something immersed cally and socially. dio Wrocław Kultura. In this context, Avignon, invitations from the whole festive meetings, extraordinary in the past, but at the same time abso- A very interesting proposal – and, I be- the Post-graduate Self-formation Pro- world, awards), the moment when the historic events. One of them was lutely contemporary. lieve, not a one-off – was Drama Fes- gramme for actors – originated by the fourteen-hours’ overall performance of The Theatre Olympics, the biggest tival, prepared by Wrocław Contem- ECC theatre curator, Jarosław Fret, and Mickiewicz’s Forefathers’ Eve, historic in theatre festival in the history of not Theatres full of children porary Theatre. A review of plays by addressed to Wrocław students, the terms of idea and quality, united the art- only Wrocław but also Poland, which and the voice of the excluded Polish living authors, feeling the pulse aim of which is to support young art- ists and audience unprecedentedly. brought the presentations of 159 Summing up the Theatrical ECC can- of the present, although often inspired ists in the difficult post-incubation pe- Forefathers’ Eve, incorporated in ECC unique events from 18 countries, not omit street and children theatre by the classics (Paweł Demirski), al- riod – seems to be an ideal carry-over celebrations, was in my opinion the including 81 performances (137 shows festivals, both in June and Septem- ways in dialog with issues close to us.