Dance and theatre from Europe. New impetus from the East

The exchange between Eastern and Western Europe received an enormous boost with the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago. Collaborations between artists, festivals and European cooperation projects took the place of glances behind the Iron Curtain. Today however, the East seems to have lost its fascination. This is not only evidence in the attendance of festivals, but in the awareness of new artistic developments in general. Exchange through Europe is marked by vast differences. Aesthetic developments seem to proceed completely differently in Eastern and Western Europe.

A two-day symposium in cooperation with the German Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), Berlin, will attempt to enrich the Europe-wide debate with an intensive exchange of opinions. Two public panel discussions will form the opening and closing of the symposium – attractions for an interested audience. Exchanges between networks, production companies, festival producers and artists will then take place in smaller work groups.

Freitag 05. Nov. // 14.00 – 16.00 Uhr / Eintritt frei

14:00 Uhr: Eröffnung
/ Michael Faber, Bürgermeister und Beigeordneter für Kultur der Stadt Leipzig
/ Manfred Beilharz, Präsident Internationales Theaterinstitut (ITI) – Zentrum Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Berlin, Intendant Hessisches Staatstheater und Künstlerischer Leiter Festival NEUE STÜCKE AUS EUROPA, Wiesbaden

14:15 Uhr: Eröffnungsimpulse
/ Manfred Beilharz
/ Zane Kreicberga, künstlerische Leiterin Homo Novus Festival und Direktorin New Theatre Institute Latvia, Riga

14:45 Uhr: Podiumsdiskussion »Sehnsuchtssuche« (»Searching for desire«)
Theateraustausch in Europa – Erwartungen, Interessen, Anregungen
/ Nele Hertling, Akademie der Künste, Berlin
/ Carena Schlewitt, Kaserne Basel
/ Ivo Dimchev, Performer, Sofia
/ Peter Konwitschny, Chefregisseur der Oper Leipzig
Moderation: Michael Freundt, ITI, Berlin

What desires, curiosities and interests fuelled the European exchange of theatre in recent decades? What fuels this today and what will in the future? How will artistic tendencies in Eastern and Western Europe find new awareness?

Samstag 06. Nov. // 14.00 – 16.00 Uhr / Eintritt frei

14:00 Uhr: Film »Wetterleuchten« (»Sheet lightning«)
Impressionen und Visionen von Theaterlandschaften in Europa

14:30 Uhr: Podiumsdiskussion »Interessenlagen« (»Interests«)
/ Dessy Gavrilova, The Red House, Sofia
/ Tilmann Broszat, SpielArt Festival, München
/ Bekim Lumi, Regisseur, Prishtina
Moderation: Michael Freundt, ITI, Berlin

15:45 Uhr: Fazit
/ Günther Heeg, Universität Leipzig
/ Michael Freundt, ITI, Berlin

The diversity of artistic signatures in Europe is part of its cultural richness. But how can this help it to earn an audience? Festivals, production companies and the artists themselves have to engage themselves deeply with the societal conditions under which young art is created in Eastern and Western Europe.

More information and participants working groups: www.iti-germany.de/symposium