East European Performing Arts Platform (EEPAP) supports the
development of contemporary performing arts (dance and theatre)
in 18 countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra, Slovakia

sylwias

Slovakia

Time: The festival usually takes place at the end of September / beginning of October. In 2012, the 21st edition will take place from the 21st to the 26th of September.

Organizer: Association Divadelná Nitra

Contact:
Divadelná Nitra
International Theatre Festival
Svätoplukovo nám. 4
950 53 Nitra
E-mail: [email protected], skype: nitrafest, phone/fax: +421 37 652 4 870
Mobil: +421 903 55 44 75

Websites: www.nitrafest.sk, Facebook: Divadelná Nitra, Twitter: nitrafest

"Paranoia" photo: Ctibor Bachratý

The International Festival Divadelna Nitra is the largest theatre festival in Slovakia and is one of the most important international events in the domestic cultural scene.

The festival wants to provide informal education and work along with its audience. The atmosphere of openness, freedom and fruitful exchanges of views are highly valued, above all by the young people who constitute the main target group of the festival. Professionals make up another important group - critics, publicists, festival directors, and authors from Slovakia and abroad. Offering a highly diverse program with a large number of partners and rich media coverage makes the festival an attractive event to visit for the general public.

Creators: Board for Foreign Theatre - Maja Hriešik, Martina Vannayová, Ján Šimko, Miro Zwiefelhofer

Curator of the Slovak Theatre Programme: Rastislav Ballek

Selector of Films: Richard Kováčik

Consultants and Cooperators from Abroad: Martin Bernátek (CZ), Sven Åge Birkeland (NO), Dorota Buchwald (PL), Martina Černá (CZ), Marina Davydova (RU), Roman Dolzhanskyi (RU), Jean-Claude Fall (FR), John Freedman (RU), Ian Herbert (UK), Sylvia Huszár (HU), Nikolay Iordanov (BG), Thomas Irmer (DE), Vaidas Jauniškis (LT), Ott Karulin (EE), Massimo Marino (IT), Ivan Medenica (SR), Helena Meloni (FI), Cristina Modreanu (RO), Marusia Nikitiyuk (UA), Kamelia Nikolova (BG), Lars Seeberg (DK), Dana Silbiger (UK), Kjetil Skoeien (NO), Sergey Tereshin (RU), Asen Terziev (BG), Phillip Thorne (UK), Andrea Tompa (HU), Željka Turčinović (HR), Marianne Vejtisek (AT), Rok Vevar (SI)

Staff: Director of the Festival - Darina Kárová, Deputy Director, International Relations - Romana Maliti, Assistant Director and Accommodation Management - Soňa Tóthová, Accompanying Programme, Educational Programme and Cooperation with Co-organizers - Slavka Civáňová, Technical manager, International Relations - Martin Pikalík, Editing of Printed Matters and Web Site - Lujza Bakošová, PR manager - Markéta Plichtová, Economist and transport - Dana Spišáková, Media Partners and Business Sphere - Barbora Huszárová, Project A Tulip for You - Elena Kárová, Project Manager (Festival as (Creative) Industry; Parallel Lives; Intersection – Intimacy and Spectacle) - Alexandra Janogová, Dosky Awards Management - Svetlana Ďuranová, IT Management - Slavomír Rezník, Assistant at the Office, Guests Accreditation - Boris Belica, Assistant of the Accompanying and Education Programme Realisation - Róbert Špoták, Assistant for Editorial Office - Mária Bakošová, Assistant of PR - Jana Hoosová, Assistant of the Main Programme Realisation - Simona Surovková, Foreign Guests - Michaela Rudyjová, Coordination of volunteers - Kristián Šeffer, VIP and Catering - Adriana Totiková, Tickets - Gabriela Belková.

Divadelna Nitra is a recognized art happening in Europe and has since 1992 been organized annually in the end of September. It is a selective, but non-competitive parade of the top European productions that is mainly focused on drama/plays, dance, music, puppet theatre and visual theatre. It selects mainly non-traditional, innovative and inspirational scenic theatre pieces, and shows the audience the new trends and introduces hot and fresh artists. The festival contains a rich programme that offers space to other types of art and the representation of regional cultural activities.

The festival’s activities within the European space include its role as a meeting point for establishing contacts and finding information about foreign countries in Slovakia, as promoter of Slovak theatre and as partner in other important European festivals and multinational projects. This position was further strengthened after the successful IETM meeting in Bratislava in 2009.

A selected group of European artists and companies have been presented during the Festival’s 20 years of existence, featuring both highly acclaimed stars of European theatre as well as emerging artists: BE: Alain Platel – Les ballets C de la B, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Johan Simons – NTGent, Jan Lauwers; BG: Lilia Abadziyeva, Stoyan Kambarev; CZ: Vladimír Morávek, J. A. Pitínský, Dušan D. Pařízek, Petr Lébl, David Jařab; DE: Dimiter Gotscheff, Sebastian Nübling, Constanza Macras, Nicolas Stemann, Andreas Kriegenburg; Volksbühne, Deutsches Theater Berlin, Schaubühne Berlin, Schauspielhaus Hamburg; EE: Tiit Ojasoo; ESP: Rodrigo García; FR: Eric Lacascade, Josef Nadj, Declan Donnellan, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, HU: Kornél Mundruczó, Béla Pintér, Arpád Schilling – Krétakör, Róbert Alföldi; HR: Bobo Jelčić – ZKM Zagreb; IT: Emma Dante, Alessandro Panzavolta; LT: Oskaras Koršunovas – OKT Vilnius, Rimas Tuminas, Gintaras Varnas, Eimuntas Nekrošius; LV: Alvis Hermanis – Jaunais Rigas Teatris; NL: Alize Zandwijk – RO Theater; NO: Heine Røsdal Avdal, Verdensteatret; PL: Jan Kłata, Krzysztof Warlikowski, Grzegorz Jarzyna; Stary Teatr Cracow, Teatr Rozmaitosci Warsaw, Teatr Wspolczesny Wroclaw; PT: Swap-project; RO: Radu Afrim; RU: Dmitry Krymov, Nikolaj Kolyada, Kirill Serebrennikov, Andrey Moguchyi, Kama Ginkas; SI: Sebastian Horvat, Matjaž Pograjc – Slovensko Mladinsko Gledaliste Ljubljana; SB: Anya Suša, Atelje 212; UA: Andryi Zholdak; UK: Nigel Charnock, Mark Ravenhill, Tim Etchells

Ideas of the festival:

  • Divadelná Nitra wants to extend its already proven capacity as a multiplicator of the mobility of cultural works – by serving as a gateway between the East and the West, a platform where innovation and quality of performing arts productions is being tested and discussed. A platform where tours to other festivals and venues are being planned and negotiated
  • support of intercultural exchange and the mobility of artworks, encouraging to internationally cooperate - further touring of works presented in Nitra to other European festivals and venues, staging their own productions and co-productions
  • international exchange and communication of experts - high participation of individual guests from abroad, workshops and conferences on cultural policy themes
  • development of critical reflection and vocational training of professionals - trainings, workshops, international projects
  • informal education of young people and handicapped children - all year programmes
  • activation of regional culture - accompanying programme
  • cooperation with other European festivals and networks - East European Performing Arts Platform ; Festivals in Transition – FIT network
  • Primary orientation: Europe, strong focus on EU member countries, as well as accession of third countries, occasional presentation of works from other continents is possible
  • Conceptual intention 1: Research of territory = to every year present theatre from a country that has not been presented at the festival before
  • Conceptual intention 2: Between East and West = to support mutual sharing of impulses and inspirations. Cultural exchange
  • Conceptual intention 3: Top Stars and New Faces = to present Top artists and productions – artists that form the European theatre and are well established stars in their respective countries as well as Europe, those who are on the forefront of trendsetting and innovation in performing arts / to present emerging artists – rising stars on the cutting edge of their careers - to discover young artists and companies and introduce them to the European professional public.
  • Conceptual intention 4: Innovation and inspiration = to present theatrical works that are inspiring and innovative, untraditional and unconventional - works of art that dare to search for new trends and bring up themes of taboo.