The International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER is not only a primarily educational platform. It is a community that spans all academic years.
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.
And maybe it cannot be compared in quality to the articles written by the amazing editors of the Meeting Point blog, led by the excellent editor-in-chief Barbora Lahučká, who have done professional work, and whom I would like to thank. But it's my text. Written from the bottom of my heart. And maybe it will sound like a thank-you speech, but I am truly grateful, and my fragile poetic soul can't express it any better.
The SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER festival holds a special place in the hearts of many students and graduates of the Theatre Management and Stage Technology Studio. It is primarily an educational tool, but I found passion in it. Thanks to the festival, I built strong relationships with my colleagues and classmates. Thank you for them. Thank you to them.
Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the community that is created within the studio and passed down through the years. I am thankful for the atmosphere and environment in which we can all work, share our thoughts, joys, and worries. I value the support of our teachers. The festival was just the cherry on top of the cake, which was made possible only through our togetherness and cooperation. An awesome week was the reward for almost two years of work that my classmates and I have put in.
Heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the festival in any way: pedagogues, jury members, schools, guests, ambassadors, workshop and lecture leaders, interns, and volunteers. But I want to specifically thank my classmates from the Core Organizing Team, without whom we wouldn't have been able to make the festival happen. I want to thank Yelyzaveta Sytnychenko, my co-head of the Media and Promotion section, thank you bro, Kateřina Halamíčková, Hana Severinová, Julie Michalčíková, Anna Šestáková, Alberto Zorzo, Pavel Jirgl, Anna Vodáková, and Pepa Kožnárek. Thank you, colleagues.
The festival is not only about the program; it is about the people and organizations who believe in it. A big thank you goes to our main media partner, Czech Television (Česká televize), whom we thank for their long-term support. And we also thank other organizations that supported this year's festival: Kofi-Kofi, Resa, Rebio, Teplárny Brno, Moss Logistics, TIC Brno, Divadelní revue, magazines Kultino and Svět a divadlo, and Radio Krokodýl.
The festival spiral of this year's edition has slowed down its rotation and has made way for the next one, the 37th edition already, which you can look forward to from April 13th to 17th, 2027. So, follow our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and website so you don't miss anything.