As one of the Heads of the Media and Promotion section, I want to say right at the beginning that this article will not be an artistic essay, a summary of the festival, or a review. It is my personal reflection.
The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 2026 has come to an end. So let me take a brief look back at the past week of work for festival blog Meeting point; let me take a final turnon our editorial spiral for this year.
The 36th International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER centred this year around the themes of the Soul and the Spiral. and the festival achieved something on Saturday night that few might have expected. It blurred the line between the auditorium and the stage so completely that not a single mere ‘observer’ remained in the hall.
At the international theatre festival Encounter, visitors had the opportunity to see work by students from our department of audiovisual arts. The first film screened in the series was Irenka, an almost five-minute-long photo film about the filmmaker’s great-grandmother. Through a series of brief episodes, it recounts the story of her father, who fought in the First World War, her own life during the Protectorate and the years that followed, as well as her reflections on and anxieties about the world to come. The photographs capture a small, meticulously kept flat, with its carefully organised bookcase, antique glassware, and crossword puzzles – her great passion. Their conversations are mediated through a tablet, which serves as a bridge between the filmmaker and her great-grandmother, whose hearing has significantly deteriorated.
This text is not a review. This text is not an analysis. This text is not trying to tell you anything or explain anything. This text would have come into existence even if the world had long ceased to be. This text should never have been created.
The following text consists of the author’s unedited notes from their journey to the CO.LABS venue and from the concerts of bands YI, Panracek and mmnk. The author, me, isn’t trying to say anything with this text, as, for once, they’ve decided to keep their mouth shut. The party ENC: Vertigo was awesome, as the text, if we can call it that, hopefully shows.
How do we rescue photography from social media feeds and force it to truly interact with its audience? Three students from the Audiovisual Arts and Theatre program at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (JAMU) offer a compelling answer. They have envisioned their collaborative exhibition at Café Trojka as a dynamic interplay of space and emotion.
