SESSION 1 - Young European Theatre Network, a tool for youth cultural exchanges by theatre
“Art is not merely contemplation, it is also action, and all action changes the world, at least a little.”
Tony Kushner, 2001
My theatrical groups have attended Rencontres in Grenoble twelve times. We have taken part in another meetings and festivals connected with Rencontres, in Theatrical Season in Milano (twice), in TACT Festival in Trieste (twice).
The longest and permanent exchange I have had with Frank Radüg and his Theatre Frankfurt (Frankfurt/Order). Since 2003 we have run three mutual Polish and German workshops, in Warsaw, ended with performances; and there were many visits of my group with performances in Frankfurt (five), and many visits of Theatre Frankfurt in Warsaw (three German performances and three together workshops above-mentioned).
Marco Pernich and his Teatro Novocento have visited Warsaw with “Medea”. I have been to Roma with my “Odys” in European Theatrical Academy run by M. Rosati Hansen.
In 2011 I was invited by CREARC to run mutual CREARC/Petite Theatre and Machulski Acting School project; I led workshop and directed the performance “La Mere-Matka” based on Polish drama by Witkacy. This performance was presented on Rencontres and in Warsaw in 2011. In 2013, in April a group of 6 students of Machulski’s Acting School took part in exchange with 12 students ending Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. The main workshop (10 days) was in Vilnius and was run by me and Silva Krivickiene. The Lithuanian group came to Warsaw in May. “The outcome” of that cooperation, scenes and improvisations based on “Uncle Vania”, was presented in both schools, in Vilnius and Warsaw.
I add that there were also the individual exchanges. M. Giovanni ran workshop in Warsaw and I led classes at her Academy; I ran workshops in Frankfurt and Frank Radüg led exercises in Warsaw, Bielsko Biała, and Bialystok. I should also mention my workshops during Rencontres and TACT.
It is obvious that I like and value the Network very much.
My thesis is that Young European Theatre Network has a big influence on young people, their life, recognition of the world, on forming characters, on their openness and friendly attitude, understanding people and communication with others.
I divide the thesis into 4 smaller statements:
1/Young people meet with culture, habits, languages, “personalities” of European and over-European countries; they learn about history, political and social problems European countries; they learn how to respect otherness and also make international friendship.
2/ They get rid of the prejudice, aversions, hatred and fears, connected with the history of their countries and nations.
3/ They get to know various styles of European theatre, they meet with different methods of theatrical activity; they train and develop their acting techniques.
4/ The international exchange have an influence on their career.
Ad1. I think that the first point is obvious and I don’t have to give special examples.
Ad.2. Frank Radüg and I have a mission to break prejudice between German and Polish people, at least in the communities we can directly influence on; especially to reduce distrust between young people. We have realized our idea through visits and workshops.
Ad.3. Workshops are the best for training and developing acting skills. My group learned very much during every Rencontres. During cooperation with Frank Radüg they trained physical theatrical exercises and techniques. Thanks Silva Krivickiene and her young actors they trained physical warm-up and they recognized psychological theatre based on Stanislavski method. During CREARC-Machulski’s School cooperation I observed a very big progress in creativity, imagination and improvisation skills of the whole integrated French and Polish group.
Ad.4. I haven’t done any research on the influence of Rencontres and exchange/cooperation NET on the career of young people participating in. But I know that there is a very big impact on their ambitions, life decisions, theatrical development and professional successes. From a lot of examples in my pedagogical practice, I give only two.
The cooperation with CREARC was the turning point in the theatrical education (and professional career) of the group of six second- year students of Machulski School. After they graduated, they founded a theatrical association and their own theatre. They are in contact with directors they met on Rencontres, for example, they cooperate with M. Rosati Hansen and Siergiej Timofiejew.
In 2014 I founded an informal professional group. Studio Theatre (Teatr Studyjny) consists of young actors graduated from Machulski Acting School. Most of them have attended Rencontres, TACT, also Season in Milano and the exchange with the Lithuanian group.
“The vitality of the arts in democracy, like the vitality of democracy itself, rests on the participation of not just a few, but many.” (Dudley Cocke, 2004). I think, it characterizes our activities, Rencontres, NET perfectly. But this idea lays also the direction of our activities in the future. We should look for new places, for new public for our international collaboration and festivals. We should broaden the boundaries of our consciousness of the function of theatre and its place in society now.
Berthold Brecht claimed – “I have been changed with and through others and they I hope, with and through me ... in theatre, as in life, we develop one another”.
Documents
Intervention in french : Click on this link to open this document.
Intervention in english : Click on this link to open this document.
French version
