SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER je mezinárodní festival divadelních škol s více než třicetiletou tradicí. Jedinečnost festivalu spočívá v tom, že hlavní organizátory tvoří studenti Divadelní fakulty Janáčkovy akademie múzických umění.

SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER

The OFF Programme at SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER is, in a way, a festival within a festival. Don’t just expect “something added” to the Main Programme—think of it more as a stream of events running from morning to night, occasionally drawing you in so deeply that you forget where you were originally headed. It’s a mix of everything imaginable: student performances, concerts, workshops, screenings, and chance encounters that can easily become the highlight of the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;As a first-year student in the Media and Promotion section, I decided to find out what exactly lies behind OFF, so I interviewed Anna Šestáková, the production manager of the OFF Programme. And as she herself says: “A synthesis of creations, projects, and student performances from the JAMU Drama Faculty—something every day from morning to night—you’ll never be bored!”&nbsp;<component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/Ykotxe17P8zbzhDW8Ho96Znoy73R00xn" alt="Head of OFF Programme section, photo by Jasmína Georgievová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>What exactly falls within the OFF programme section, and how does it differ from the festival’s Main Programme?&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>The Main Programme consists of performances by selected companies. That is the reason the festival exists, the reason guests and visitors from all over the world come here every year. The OFF Programme is actually a companion program to the main one—its function is to create a space for visitors, participants, guests, students, and the public to meet. At the same time, the festival opens and closes with a unique ceremony.&nbsp;&nbsp;In recent years—and this is how we’re approaching it this year as well—the OFF Programme has increasingly featured works by students from the JAMU Drama Faculty that, by their very nature, don’t fit into the Main Programme—such as photography exhibitions or film screenings created by our students.&nbsp;&nbsp;The OFF Programme includes evening events, typically parties at clubs in Brno. This year, you can look forward to parties at Kabinet Múz, Pul.pitu, and Co.labs, as well as the opening event in the courtyard of Divadlo Husa na provázku, at Alžbětínka. &nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to the evening highlights, we’re also organizing workshops—you’ll be able to attend six of them during the festival week! In addition to movement workshops led by Tomáš Weber, John Freeman, and Bibiana Krausková, we’ll offer lectures on Live Cinema by Kamila Polívková, Crowd Safety in Event Settings led by Martin Královič, and a lecture titled “Performing Democracy Under Illiberalism” by Noémi Herczog.&nbsp;Throughout the festival, an exhibition by ATD students will be on display at the Trojka café, and on Saturday there will be a series of film screenings in the Chillout Room at DF JAMU.From March 16 to April 20, an exhibition will be on display at Moravské náměstí near Jošt, where you can learn more about the festival’s history, the countries that have visited us, the festival ambassadors, and this year’s edition.&nbsp;&nbsp;In short—the OFF Programme has a ton of events, and we guarantee you won’t be bored during the festival!</blockquote><component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/w1LQheRk66gHtKGNk8yb2X896lVxnlpb" alt="Photo by Klára Prchalová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>How do you choose the events or artists that make it into the OFF program?&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>As for concerts, at the beginning of the academic year we create a list of bands, and all members of the MFR (the Auxiliary Festival Board) can add suggestions. Then we review it, sort through the options, and decide what’s feasible within our budget and target audiences, and reach out to them. &nbsp;&nbsp;For workshops, the process is quite similar. &nbsp;&nbsp;We strive for a diverse programme where everyone can find something they like. &nbsp;&nbsp;OFF performances, exhibitions, and screenings are organized via open call—anyone can apply, and selections are made from the applicants. This is done either by us, the organizers, or, in the case of OFF performances, by the Dean’s Council.</blockquote>Was there anything this year that you really wanted to organize but didn’t end up happening?&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>Yeah, the tournament at Woodkopf. And also an open-air theater event, which ultimately couldn’t be held due to staffing issues. Maybe it’s for the best—we all know what April weather is like.</blockquote>Is there any event from this year’s OFF Programme that you’re personally most looking forward to?&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>I’m really looking forward to Noémi Herczog’s lecture, and then quite a bit to the concerts at Pul.pit and Co.labs, mainly because we’ve never held evening festival events there before, so it’ll be a new space and a new experience. But otherwise, I don’t have any favorites—we tried to select and prepare everything as best as we could, so I’m looking forward to everything equally!</blockquote><component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/UhY3HMkQkPH3FdG0PjTs0jJGAxsMwQdT" alt="OFF Programme section, photo by Jasmína Georgievová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>What has working on the OFF Programme given you—perhaps experience or something you’d recommend to students in lower grades?&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>Probably not to be afraid to try new things, but to have a good plan ready for them and tackle them well in advance. And that the most important thing is that we, as students, learn something from the festival, and if something doesn’t work out or doesn’t go as planned, it’s not the end of the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;But personally, I’ve learned a lot about time management, leading meetings (better than I could before), and creating clearer spreadsheets.</blockquote>But the OFF Programme isn’t just about everything you manage to see; it’s also about what you learn along the way, whether as an audience member or an organizer. It’s a space where things don’t always go according to plan (see the canceled tournament at Woodkopf), but that’s part of the experience. As mentioned in the interview: “It’s not the end of the world—on the contrary, it’s an experience.And maybe that’s exactly why the OFF Programme at SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER works. It’s not perfect, it’s a bit chaotic, but it’s alive. And if you’re still not convinced? Well, the final note is simply: “It’s awesome!”&nbsp;Cover photo by Klára Prchalová

The OFF Programme: A “Festival Within a Festival”

OFF program na SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER je tak trochu festival ve festivalu. Nečekejte jen „něco navíc“ k hlavnímu programu – spíš proud akcí, který běží od rána do večera a občas vás vtáhne tak, že zapomenete, kam jste vlastně původně šli. Je to mix všeho možného: výstupy studentů, koncerty, workshopy, projekce i náhodná setkání, která se snadno promění v highlight dne.&nbsp;Jako studentka prvního ročníku v sekci média a propagace jsem se rozhodla zjistit, co všechno se za OFFkem skrývá, a vyzpovídala jsem vedoucí produkce OFF programu Annu Šestákovou. A jak sama říká: „Syntéza výtvorů a projektů a výstupů studentů DF JAMU, každý den něco od rána do večera, nikdy se nebudeš nudit!“&nbsp;<component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/GyVODcMVwrz9vh7PlKdThBcKcPdOj4TS" alt="Vedoucí sekce OFF program, foto: Jasmína Georgievová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>Co všechno vlastně spadá pod sekci OFF programu a čím se liší od hlavního programu festivalu?<blockquote>Hlavní program se skládá z představení vybraných souborů. Je to ten důvod, proč festival existuje, proč na něj jezdí každoročně hosté a návštěvníci z celého světa. OFF program je vlastně doprovodný program toho hlavního – jeho funkcí je vytvořit prostor pro setkávání návštěvníků, účastníků, hostů, studentů i veřejnosti. Zároveň je festival zahájen a ukončen jedinečným ceremoniálem.&nbsp;V posledních letech, a koncipujeme to tak i my letos, se do OFF programu čím dál víc dostávají i díla studentů DF JAMU, která se z podstaty věci nevlezou do hlavního programu – takže třeba výstavy fotografií nebo projekce filmů z dílny našich studentů.&nbsp;Pod OFF program spadá večerní program, typicky parties v brněnských klubech. Letos se můžete těšit na parties v Kabinetu Múz, Pul.pitu nebo Co.labsu, a také na zahájení ve dvoře Divadla Husa na provázku, na Alžbětínce. &nbsp;Mimo vrcholy večera zajišťujeme také workshopy, těch budete moci během festivalového týdne navštívit šest! Mimo pohybové, vedené například Tomášem Weberem, Johnem Freemanem nebo Bibianou Krauskovou, nabídneme přednášky o Live cinema od Kamily Polívkové, Crowd safety v eventovém prostředí vedenou Martinem Královičem nebo přednášku „ Performing Democracy Under Illiberalism” od Noémi Herczog.&nbsp;Po celou dobu festivalu bude k nahlídnutí výstava studentů ATD v kavárně Trojka, v sobotu bude probíhat blok projekcí filmů, který bude probíhat v Chillout roomu na DF JAMU.Od 16. 3. do 20. 4. stojí na Moravském náměstí u Jošta výstava, kde se budete moci dočíst více o historii festivalu, zemích, které nás navštívily, festivalových ambasadorech, a i o letošním ročníku.Ve zkratce – OFF program čítá fakt hodně výstupů a je zaručeno, že se během festivalu nebudete nudit!</blockquote><component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/aOJI6VcOiVfJNE9D83YNhfNCaTJ01SIn" alt="Foto: Klára Prchalová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>Podle čeho vybíráte akce nebo umělce, kteří se do OFF programu dostanou?<blockquote>Co se týče koncertů, tak vzniká na začátku akademického roku tabulka kapel, kam mohou přispět všichni členové MFR (malá festivalová rada). Pak se na ni koukneme, rozdělíme a řekneme si, co je reálné v rámci budgetu a cílových skupin, a oslovujeme. &nbsp;U workshopů to probíhá dost podobně. &nbsp;Snažíme se o pestrý program, kde si každý něco najde. &nbsp;OFF představení, výstavy a projekce jdou formou open callu - každý má možnost se přihlásit a následně se z přihlášených vybírá. To děláme buď my, jako organizátoři, nebo, v případě OFF představení, kolegium děkanky.</blockquote>Bylo letos něco, co jste opravdu chtěli zorganizovat, ale nakonec se to nepovedlo?<blockquote>Ano, turnaj ve Woodkopfu. A taky divadelní open-air, který ale z personálních důvodů nakonec nebylo možné realizovat. Možná je to dobře, všichni známe aprílové počasí.</blockquote>Je nějaká akce z letošního OFF programu, na kterou se osobně nejvíc těšíš?<blockquote>Já se moc těším na přednášku Noémi Herczog, a pak dost na koncerty v Pul.pitu a Co.labsu, to hlavně proto, že jsme tam nikdy večerní akce festivalu nepořádali, takže to bude nový prostor a nové zkušenosti. Ale jinak nemám favority – všechno jsme se snažili vybrat a přichystat nejlíp jak můžem, takže se na všechno stejnou mírou těším!</blockquote><component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/pvAlWVvZ6bcyUNlZc0IO6jXoxqdWrjBQ" alt="Členové sekce OFF program, foto: Jasmína Georgievová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>Co ti práce na OFF programu dala – třeba zkušenosti nebo něco, co bys doporučila studentům z nižších ročníků?<blockquote>Asi nebát se zkoušet nový věci, ale mít na ně připravený dobrý plán a řešit je dost dopředu. A taky že nejdůležitější je, abychom se na tom festivalu něco naučili my, jako studenti, a když něco nevychází, nebo se to nevydaří tak, jak bylo namyšleno, není to konec světa. &nbsp;Ale osobně jsem se z toho hodně naučila time management, vedení porad (líp, než jsem to zvládala předtím) a tvorbu přehlednějších tabulek.</blockquote>OFF program ale není jen o tom, co všechno stihnete vidět, ale i o tom, co se během toho naučíte, ať už jako divák, nebo jako organizátor. Je to prostor, kde věci ne vždycky vyjdou podle plánu (viz neuskutečněný turnaj ve Woodkopfu), ale právě to k tomu patří. Jak zaznělo i v rozhovoru, „není to konec světa – naopak, je to zkušenost.&nbsp;A možná právě proto OFF program na SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER funguje. Není dokonalý, je trochu chaotický, ale je živý. A jestli vás pořád nepřesvědčil? Tak poslední poznámka zní jednoduše: „Je to super!“&nbsp;Autor úvodní fotky: Klára Prchalová

OFF program jako „festival ve festivalu”

For five days, Brno will once again come alive with an international gathering of young theater artists, students, and educators from around the world.&nbsp;This year, the festival will welcome eleven theater schools from nine countries. In addition to the ensemble from the JAMU Theater Faculty, Brno will host, for example, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv from Ukraine with the production Sex education. Girl’s Edition. Germany will be represented by the Hamburg University of Music and Drama with the project Landing, as well as the University of the Arts Berlin&nbsp;with their production Co-radical togetherness. The Faculty of Music and Dance of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague will present WHODUNIT, and the Latvian Academy of Culture will present their Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers.&nbsp;The Swiss Academy of the Arts in Bern will present the project Yakamoz; the Slovak Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava will be represented by the production An Enemy of the People; and the Polish Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art will bring the title Balladyna 68 – in a slightly shortened version. The program will also feature the New Bulgarian University from Sofia with the production of Thus with a kiss I die and Korea National University of Arts with their production of Animal farm.&nbsp;<component-embed-image-gallery gallery="[{&quot;id&quot;:47123,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/qV7NTGEiMDUgNXHtKozKVYyEPZ6xHPO6&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Sex education. Girl’s Edition&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47124,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/yMBuW51Z6bYcKVaIrgirA7ueRMaIAtYS&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Landing&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47127,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/P3t7yFq2ul0KcdqegSu0tcCr012VW0PV&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers &quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47129,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/geSw2c93tpezoFxhiAt41bBwWZDrUU7v&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Co-radical togethernessCo-radical togetherness&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47131,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/pqjUaqiJJSlUfbdiwvyuw4CwpQKcjxPP&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Balladyna 68 – in a slightly shortened version &quot;}]"></component-embed-image-gallery>As in previous years, the festival will also feature an international jury of experts. This year’s jury consists of: Amin Boudrika (Moroccan scenographer, stage director, and researcher), Davide Giovanzana (theatre director, theatre pedagogue, and researcher with Italian, Swiss, and Finnish backgrounds, based in Helsinki), Sára&nbsp;Torley-Havas&nbsp;(freelance dramaturg based in Hungary), and Aris&nbsp;Pretelin-Estéves (Mexican scenographer and scenic artist).&nbsp;We can also look forward to a rich OFF Programme, which will offer workshops, debates, and meetings with prominent figures in contemporary theater. Among those who have accepted invitations are John Freeman (Australian author – Open Scenes workshop), Martin Královič (security expert from Slovakia – lecture: Better safe than sorry; how crowds really work at live events), Noémi Herczog (Hungarian theater critic – Performing Democracy Under Illiberalism: critical pedagogy lecture &amp; workshop on the radical aesthetics of the ‘Learning Republic’ staged by Hungarian theater students in 2020), Bibiana Krausková (a movement and expressive arts artist from Bristol – The Body as a Living Instrument: Stories of Spiral), as well as festival ambassadors Kamila Polívková (Czech set designer and director – Live Cinema masterclass) and Tomáš Weber (Czech actor – acting Actor's Training).Each year, the festival is united by a theme chosen by the students. For the 36th edition, the theme is Spiral—a symbol of movement, growth, and return. Which shapes the form and direction of the entire festival.&nbsp;We’ll be sharing updates on the 36th edition on the official website <a target="_blank" href="http://encounter.cz">encounter.cz</a>, on Instagram <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/setkani_encounter/">@setkani_encounter</a>, and on Facebook <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/setkani/">SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER</a>. That’s where you’ll find the first program announcements, introductions to international schools, side events, and behind-the-scenes moments from the festival’s preparations.&nbsp;Want to be there from the start? Follow us online! You’ll find all the important news conveniently in one place.&nbsp;You can relive the atmosphere of last year’s festival, which energizes the whole of Brno every year, on the official <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/SETKANIENCOUNTER">SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER</a> YouTube channel.&nbsp;The main media partner of the 36th The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER is Czech Television (Česká Televize).&nbsp;Author of the press release: Klára Danielová&nbsp;Media and Promotion section contact:&nbsp;Zuzana Michalcová, <a target="_blank" href="mailto:media@encounter.cz">media@encounter.cz</a>&nbsp;

The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER Will Bring Brno to Life

Brno tak na pět dní znovu ožije mezinárodním setkáním mladých divadelníků, studentů a pedagogů z různých koutů světa.&nbsp;Festival letos přivítá jedenáct divadelních škol z devíti zemí. Vedle souboru z Divadelní fakulty JAMU dorazí do Brna například Ivan Franko National University of Lviv z Ukrajiny s inscenací Sex education. Girl’s Edition, Německo budou reprezentovat Hamburg University of Music and Drama s projektem Landing a University of Arts Berlin a University Co-radical togetherness. Hudební a taneční fakulta Akademie múzických umění v Praze přijede s inscenací WHODUNIT a Latvian Academy of Culture s titulem Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers.&nbsp;Švýcarská Bern Academy of the Arts uvede projekt Yakamoz, slovenskou Vysokou školu múzických umení v Bratislavě bude reprezentovat inscenace Nepriateľ ľudu a polská The Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art přiveze titul Balladyna 68 – in a slightly shortened version. Program dále doplní New Bulgarian University ze Sofie s inscenací Thus with a kiss I die a Korejskou národní univerzitou umění s jejich inscenací Farma zvířat.&nbsp;<component-embed-image-gallery gallery="[{&quot;id&quot;:47123,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/qV7NTGEiMDUgNXHtKozKVYyEPZ6xHPO6&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Sex education. Girl’s Edition&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47124,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/yMBuW51Z6bYcKVaIrgirA7ueRMaIAtYS&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Landing&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47127,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/P3t7yFq2ul0KcdqegSu0tcCr012VW0PV&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers &quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47129,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/geSw2c93tpezoFxhiAt41bBwWZDrUU7v&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Co-radical togethernessCo-radical togetherness&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:47131,&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/pqjUaqiJJSlUfbdiwvyuw4CwpQKcjxPP&quot;,&quot;image_description&quot;:&quot;Balladyna 68 – in a slightly shortened version &quot;}]"></component-embed-image-gallery>Součástí festivalu bude jako každoročně také mezinárodní odborná porota. Pro letošní ročník jí tvoří: Amin Boudrika (marocký scénograf, divadelní režisér a badatel), Davide Giovanzana (divadelní režisér, divadelní pedagog a výzkumník s italskými, švýcarskými a finskými kořeny, působící v Helsinkách), Sára Torley-Havas (nezávislá dramaturgyně působící v Maďarsku), Aris Pretelin-Estéves (mexický scénograf a scénický umělec).&nbsp;Těšit se také můžeme na bohatý OFF program, který nabídne workshopy, debaty a setkání s výraznými osobnostmi současného divadla. Pozvání přijali například John Freeman (australský autor – workshop Open Scenes), Martin Královič (odborník na bezpečnost ze Slovenska - přednáška Better safe than sorry; how crowds really work at live events), Noémi Herczog (maďarská divadelní kritička - Performing Democracy Under Illiberalism: critical pedagogy lecture &amp; workshop on the radical aesthetics of the ’Learning Republic’ staged by Hungarian theatre students in 2020), Bibiana Krausková (umělkyně pohybového a expresivního umění z Bristolu – workshop The Body as a Living Instrument: Stories of Spiral), či ambasadoři festivalu Kamila Polívková (česká scénografka a režisérka - masterclass Live Cinema) a Tomáš Weber (český herec – workshop Actor's Training).&nbsp;Každý ročník festivalu spojuje téma vybrané studenty. Pro 36. ročník je jím Spirála – symbol pohybu, růstu a návratu, který určuje podobu i směřování celého festivalu.&nbsp;Aktuální dění kolem 36. ročníku budeme postupně sdílet na oficiálním webu <a target="_blank" href="http://encounter.cz">encounter.cz</a>, na Instagramu <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/setkani_encounter/">@setkani_encounter</a> i na Facebooku <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/setkani/">SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER</a>. Právě tam se budou objevovat první oznámení programu, představení zahraničních škol, doprovodné akce i zákulisní momenty z příprav festivalu.&nbsp;Chcete být u toho od začátku? Sledujte nás online! Všechny důležité novinky najdete přehledně na jednom místě.&nbsp;Atmosféru minulého ročníku festivalu, která každoročně rozhýbe celé Brno, si můžete připomenout na oficiálním YouTube kanále <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/SETKANIENCOUNTER">SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER</a>.Hlavním mediálním partnerem 36. ročníku Mezinárodního festivalu divadelních škol SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER je Česká televize.&nbsp;Autorka tiskové zprávy: Klára Danielová&nbsp;Kontakt na sekci Média a Propagace:&nbsp;Zuzana Michalcová; <a target="_blank" href="mailto:media@encounter.cz">media@encounter.cz</a>

Mezinárodní festival divadelních škol SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER oživí Brno

The Core Organising Team for The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 2026 is made up of third-year students of Theatre Management and Stage Technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;Led by the Festival Director Kateřina Halamíčková and the Treasurer of the Festival Hana Severinová, members of the team lead the individual sections – Fundraising, Guest Service, Jury, Participants, Media and Promotion, OFF Programme, the Artistic Section and Technical Support. The organization of the international festival is also part of the curriculum for students in the first and second years of their studies, and their participation has a strong impact on their education.&nbsp;<component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/C6OGsvRlmaqX6YcEjWxkhF7A99J894At" alt="Photo: Jasmína Georgievová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>The festival's final form is also influenced by the Artistic Section, which consists of students of the Dramaturgy and Directing, Scenography, Audiovisual Media and Theatre as well as Radio and TV Dramaturgy and Scriptwriting, with Eva Kaslová (a student of the Dramaturgy and Directing Department) serving as artistic director this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;This section, for example, helps shape the dramaturgical line of a given edition of the festival, participates in the selection of productions, the conception of the ceremonies, and the selection of themes. The spiral that accompanies this year's edition thus symbolizes movement, growth, and a constant return to the essence.&nbsp;&nbsp;The resulting collaboration across departments connects production practice with creative thinking. The festival is an opportunity to pause, discover something in the productions that resonate with us, form an opinion, think critically, engage in debate, let art affect us, have fun, dance the evenings away, and, in a spiral of exhaustion, get through the next day of the festival.&nbsp;&nbsp;SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER combines encounters across year-groups, disciplines, and generations—and mainly encounters with ourselves. Experience it again on April 14th–18th 2026, when The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 2026 will take place. We look forward to seeing you then!&nbsp;&nbsp;Wishing you a peaceful start to the summer semester.&nbsp;&nbsp;Klára Huczalová&nbsp;

Production are people. Who is behind the 36th annual of The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER?

Produkční jádro 36. ročníku Mezinárodního festivalu divadelních škol SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER tvoří úzký organizační tým složený ze studentstva třetího ročníku Ateliéru divadelní produkce a jevištní technologie.&nbsp;&nbsp;Úzký organizační tým v čele s ředitelkou Kateřinou Halamíčkovou a ekonomkou Hanou Severinovou se chopil vedoucích rolí jednotlivých sekcí – Fundraising, Hosté, Porota a Soubory, Média a Propagace, OFF program, ART sekce a Technical Support. Organizace mezinárodního festivalu je navíc pro studentstvo, stejně jako studijně mladší ročníky, pevnou součástí výuky, čímž je podpořen kýžený edukační přesah.&nbsp;<component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/YEsJz36UWRF5xpCNHDxnQlN1JiH3WP7U" alt="Foto: Jasmína Georgievová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>Na výsledné podobě festivalu se podílí také ART sekce, kterou tvoří studenstvo Režie a dramaturgie, Scénografie, Audiovizuální tvorby a divadla a Rozhlasové a televizní dramaturgie a scenáristiky, v čele s uměleckou šéfkou, jejíž role se letos zhostila (studentka Režie a dramaturgie) Eva Kaslová. Právě tato sekce spoluutváří dramaturgickou linku daného ročníku festivalu, podílí se na výběru inscenací, koncepci, režii a scénografickém pojetí ceremoniálů, festivalových prostor a výběru komunikačního tématu daného festivalového ročníku. Spirála, která provází a bude provázet letošní ročník, tak předznamenává symbol pohybu, růstu a neustálý návrat k podstatě.&nbsp;Výsledná spolupráce napříč ateliéry vytváří prostor, kde se propojuje produkční praxe s tvůrčím myšlením. Festival je příležitostí zastavit se, objevit v inscenacích něco, co v nás rezonuje, utvořit si názor, kriticky myslet, vést debatu, nechat na sebe umění působit, bavit se, protančit večery a ve spirále společenské únavy absolvovat další festivalové dny.&nbsp;&nbsp;SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER v sobě snoubí setkávání napříč ročníky, obory i generacemi – a především i setkávání se sebou samými. Zažijte to znovu 14.–18. dubna 2026. Právě tehdy proběhne 36. ročník Mezinárodního festivalu divadelních škol SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER. Těšíme se na dubnové setkání. Na viděnou.&nbsp;S přáním klidného vstupu do letního semestru.&nbsp;Klára Huczalová&nbsp;

Produkce jsou lidé. Kdo stojí za 36. ročníkem Mezinárodního festivalu divadelních škol SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER?

I took the liberty of interviewing Vojtěch Obdržálek, a recent graduate in acting who became a long-term participant in the festival during his time at the Theatre Faculty of JAMU. After graduation, Vojta has become a member of the acting ensemble at the Městské divadlo Zlín. Even though he is currently in the middle of dress rehearsals, he found a moment to share his memories and experiences from the festival with us so that we could reminisce about the festival atmosphere with him for a while.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When you hear SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER, what comes to your mind first?&nbsp;<blockquote>Lots of young people who are interested in theatre. Lots of fun, getting to know each other, learning about other cultures, or rather, how theatre is done in other countries and what their approach to it is.&nbsp;</blockquote>How many times have you participated in the festival? Were you always just a spectator, or did you also shine on stage?&nbsp;<blockquote>I was at ENCOUNTER all four years I was at JAMU, so from 2021 to 2025, and always just as a spectator. I never managed to get on stage as a participant.</blockquote>Do you remember your first ENCOUNTER? Did it meet your expectations? What surprised you?<blockquote>I don't remember it in detail (laughs). Since I was there four times, it all kind of blends together. I didn't really know how prestigious it is. That surprised me a lot. Like, really, people are willing to come to ENCOUNTER from as far away as Africa, Asia, America... Really, people from all over the world come to JAMU in Brno for The International Festival of Theatre Schools.</blockquote>Is there a performance from the festival that you still remember today?&nbsp;<blockquote>I recently recalled a monodrama, and I think it was last year. Some girl, and now I don't know, man, whether from Germany or Sweden... she had huge curly hair, and it was absolutely luxurious in terms of movement. (author's note: Accademia Dimitri Verscio, Shooting Snow White, 2025, Switzerland) Or another thing that was quite interesting, I liked when the Koreans did King Oedipus – a Greek tragedy in Korean dress. They were kids in Korean clothes with masks, and they performed a Greek tragedy through movement. That was interesting. (author's note: Korean National University of the Arts: The Nape, 2025, South Korea)&nbsp;</blockquote><component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/bTUZbGlZVqadc8RqgRCXhddCID6EuKP0" alt="Photo: Martin Chmelík" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media><component-embed-media src="https://s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/mediaboard-publishing/blogs/oKggBkyvYbGqOpBaA0yIKDrBiAyQe9ax" alt="Photo: Bára Kučerová" visible_alt="true" url="" content_type="image/jpeg" type="image"></component-embed-media>And what is it like to watch a performance in a language you don't understand?<blockquote>Well, fortunately, most of them had subtitles, so you could more or less keep up with it. On the other hand, when it's well-acted, you literally don't need to know what they're saying. You just read their looks and how the actors react to each other, and you can figure out what it's about relatively easily. Or, for example, when you go to see Slovaks or Poles, it's pretty much the same. You're able to get it even without subtitles, within reason.&nbsp;</blockquote>Do you have a story from ENCOUNTER that you're not afraid to share with us?&nbsp;<blockquote>(laughs) Well, I have a lot of stories from ENCOUNTER, of course, but most of them are completely unpublishable, so I can't tell them (laughs). But it often happened to me that when I went to a party in the evening as part of the program, as you meet people there, you stop and start talking to someone. Since it's ENCOUNTER, you both assume you don't speak the same language, so you start speaking English, and only after about three minutes of conversation does it become clear that you're actually both Czechs, and that you can talk to each other in Czech. (laughs)&nbsp;</blockquote>Do you plan to maintain your loyalty to ENCOUNTER and visit it again this year, even though you are no longer a JAMU student?&nbsp;<blockquote>Wow... I haven't really thought about that at all. Since I'm already a working person and my schedule isn't completely set, it will depend a lot on whether I even have time, whether I'll even be able to get tickets, which will be much more difficult now that I'm not at JAMU as a student. It would be nice and I would like to go, but for these reasons, it probably won't work out.&nbsp;</blockquote>What advice would you give to someone who is going to their first ENCOUNTER this year?&nbsp;<blockquote>I have a few things... Buy an off-pass, that's a must-have! Then I would also say go to parties and leave early enough so that you can manage to catch at least two, preferably three performances the next day, because such a range of genres, approaches to theatre... it doesn't happen often. It's nice to take advantage of the fact that you have such an opportunity, so ideally catch two, preferably three shows a day.&nbsp;</blockquote>Is there anything you would like to share through the article?&nbsp;<blockquote>Well, not really (laughs). Love each other. As my colleague from the theatre, Gustav Řezníček, would say: "We are theatre. We love each other."&nbsp;</blockquote>&nbsp;&nbsp;I would like to thank Vojta very much for such a pleasant conversation. I hope that you, like me, have returned to the festival mood for a little while, and that those who plan to go to their first ENCOUNTER this year have learned something new from the perspective of a long-time viewer, and that the time that remains until the start of this year's edition now seems much less painful.&nbsp;I believe that we, too, will be able to take away such memories and stories from April 14th to 18th, 2026 as Vojta has from past editions of the festival.