The spiral that resonates on: SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 2026 Celebrates the Pure Soul of Art
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.
The experience began even before we took our seats. The theatre foyer was transformed into a scene of controlled, but entirely organic chaos. A group of students in pink vests labelled "Staff" took over the space. Not as an organizational unit, but like a force of nature.
They interacted with the arriving guests, weaving micro-stories, dancing, and speaking a language of their own; though we couldn't understand the words, the energy was unmistakable. Those who joined the dance became part of the production; those who moved aside in confusion played the role of the surprised. It was clear, then, that this year’s edition was not just a showcase of student work, but one grand, collective performance. This euphoric prelude ended the moment the "staff" began shedding their vests and inviting us into the main space.
Inside the hall, a surprise awaited. The lights were not aimed at the stage, but directly into our faces. It was all of Us – the audience, guests, teachers, members of the jury, and, above all, thecreators themselves. We were the "Soul" that had been manifesting itself throughout the five days of the festival.
The proceedings were initially conducted by an old acquaintance: Hot Dog. A mascot and the embodiment of a commercial, self-centred persona. A lingering nod to the opening ceremony and the character of Pravdomil Vincent. As the former staff members reappeared, now dressed in white and beige tones, a metaphor for the purification of art began to unfold. While Hot Dog represented noise, advertising, and ego, the figures in white symbolized the essential purity of theatre.
In a hypnotic dance of circles and spirals, the figures closed in around Hot Dog. He resisted, trying to drive them away, attempting to halt the relentless movement of purity that threatened him. The climax came when Hot Dog was literally stripped of his mask. Suddenly, we were no longer looking at a commercial object, a money-making machine, or a bloated ego.
Soon, the hall was filled with soft finger-snapping and a chant that relied not on words, but on the harmonization of individual tones. Every voice was distinct and original, yet together they created a perfect resonance. In that moment, the festival spiral seemed to reach its centre.
Then, the Spirit of Theatre itself took the floor, its voice speaking of the experiences of the past week. It reminded us of the character Laika, and with it, the fact that theatre has many faces. Some make us laugh, others provoke us, but all ultimately unite us.
This sentiment was seamlessly echoed by Barbara Maria Willi, the Rector of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts. She spoke of the festival's immense power to smooth over sharp edges. "Sometimes the boundaries blur between who we were when we arrived and who we are when we leave," she told the hushed hall, perfectly capturing the transformative energy of the entire week. Emotional thanks from Festival Director Kateřina Halamíčková and wishes for a "strong future" from the Dean of the Theatre Faculty, Blanka Kolegar, confirmed one thing: Laika's manifesto had been fulfilled.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Marta Awards, celebrating those unafraid to express and create – young actors, screenwriters, directors, dramaturgs, costume designers, and everyone who kept this year’s theatrical spiral turning.
The international jury (Sára Törley-Havas, Aris Pretelin-Esteves, Amin Boudrika, and Davide Giovanzana) faced the difficult task of selecting the brightest talents from the spiral’s many layers.
The Award for Directing went to Poland. Lada Borovska from The Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Arts was honoured for the production Balladyna 68 – in a slightly shortened version for her incredible maturity and ability to transform the simplest means into a precise and powerful theatrical language.
The Award for Scenography was accepted by an energetic trio from South Korea: Kim Si-won, Park Se-eun, and Shin So-jeong from the Korea National University of Arts—for their immensely dynamic work with light and space in the production Animal Farm.
One of the most powerful and emotional moments of the ceremony was the presentation of the Award for Acting. It was won by Yelyzaveta Pustovalova from Ukraine from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv for her mesmerizing performance in Sex Education. Girls Edition, where she embodied all the female characters of the story.
The final Award for Best Script went to creators Onur Kurtulmus and Ali Candas from the Bern Academy of the Arts, Switzerland, for the text Yakamoz. The jury highlighted the unprecedented ease, lack of pathos, and immense naturalness with which they brought a weighty social theme to the stage. The kind of execution that evokes sincere joy and perhaps a touch of creative jealousy.
Souls have been nourished, the masks cast aside, and SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 2026 has come to an end, but its echo will not fade.
"From which side will you look at me? And will I still have the same shape?" the festival spiral asked us at the very beginning. During this closing ceremony, we received the answer. We did not flatten reality. Quite the opposite: we found incredible depth within it.
author: Aneta Zákoutská
photo: Jasmína Georgievová