Love can be found even in the most remote parts of the world, where the mere presence of the other lights up the hope of a better end in the individual, sometimes even through manipulation. And hand on heart, in moments of the cruellest pain, one is willing to do anything for even the slightest relief, especially for someone else with whom to share one's pain in the fog of injustice.
“Benzin” is a fusion of five short stories based on folk tales of the Brothers Grimm. The entire narrative unfolds in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere, where a new civilization of people shares stories. Undoubtedly, a major theme is gasoline and its price. As the main tool, eight students from Kyiv University used theatrical masks and their bodies.
Gasoline, used as a fuel for most spark ignition engines, is most commonly produced by fractional distillation from petroleum.
MgA. Petr Michálek is the current rector of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts and also a dramaturge, actor, and translator. For over ten years he held the position of director of the Zlín Municipal Theatre.
The programme of the International Festival of Theatre Schools AETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER is rich and varied. Apart from the main programme, consisting of productions by foreign schools, we can also expect off-programme performances by students of the JAMU Theatre Faculty, as well as parties. What exactly the programme offers is available on social media and on the website. A printed programme will also be available at the festival Infocentre during the festival. But where to go when you get a moment to spare? Brno is a students’ city with lots of businesses, but also galleries, museums, and monuments. Here are some more tips on where to spend your time outside the theatres and our festival:
The name of the International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER doesn't include the word international for nothing, so this article will explain how students from foreign schools become part of the festival. Specifically, I am referring to the process of selecting from among the schools which apply and our methods of communication with them. The productions that each school brings to Brno for the main programme of our festival, and we are looking forward to seeing them. But now let's take a look at the work behind all the performances to make sure they come off without any major complications. We can look at the whole process from three sides: production, technical, and artistic.
The Artistic Section is an integral part of the organizing team of the International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER. Sometimes it may seem that this section stands a little apart from the epicentre of the preparations, but the opposite is true. We owe the creation of the artistic side of the festival to this section, made up of students of directing and dramaturgy, scenography, ATD (audiovisual media and theatre), and RTDS (radio and tv dramaturgy and scriptwriting). The duties of this section are wide-ranging - from selecting productions, to preparing the opening and closing ceremonies, photographing and filming, creating TV spot and radio spot, and decorating the school. But there is much more to these efforts, and there are hours of work and preparation behind them. And who would be better able to describe the work of the section at the festival than the representatives of the above-mentioned disciplines who work with us at the festival?
The whole world revolves around money, whether we like it or not. So how does our festival raise money? This topic may seem uninteresting to some, but it is worth paying attention to because a lot of work and effort goes into it. Without financial support, we would not be able to hold a festival on such a scale. Therefore, in an interview with Gabriela Balská and Honza Horský, we will take a look at this issue through their eyes. Gabča is a third-year theatre production student and for this year she is the Treasurer of the festival. Honza is a project manager at the Theatre Faculty of JAMU.
For this year's edition of the International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER, Jaromír Nosek has been appointed ambassador. This Czech actor, who has acted in many theatres not only in the Czech Republic but also in Slovakia, is known mainly for his roles in the film Rebels or in the series Vyprávěj. He is a graduate of JAMU and has worked in Brno at the National Theatre Brno, Theatre Goose on a String, and Polárka Theatre. He is currently performing in various theatres in Prague. As ambassador he appears in the festival TV spot, and we can look forward to seeing him at the Opening and the Closing ceremonies. But before he comes to Brno, you can read this interview with him.
