24 FLORA THEATRE FESTIVAL OLOMOUC 13–24/5/2020 BEAUTIFUL KBEAUTIFUL NEW WORLD
one of the most prestigious and most progressively developing events of its kind in the Czech Republic, which contextually maps the latest trends in contemporary theatre, artistically reflects social phenomena and initiates the creation of new productions a festival, whose programme is enormously popular with the audiences a traditional event with a strong and positive media response
FLORA THEATRE FESTIVAL IS
the only Czech festival which consistently combines performances of drama productions of renowned Central European repertoire theatres as well as independent theatre scenes with contemporary dance and performing arts productions, complemented by a rich off programme (discussions, workshops, seminars, lectures, concerts, screenings, exhibitions) the largest presentation of live art in the Olomouc Region and the most important theatre festival in Moravia, which has broadened, in a unique way, the offerings of cultural productions for a very wide spectrum of residents of the university city in terms of age and social status as well as visitors to the larger region
2
an activity which manages to closely connect the spectators with the performers through discussions, presentations, seminars and workshops and purposefully cultivates and educates thousands of people in the audience – including accredited university students actively participating in the Czech-Slovak educational programme FloraLab a platform original in its dramaturgical structure, well-respected by theatre makers – a place for interdisciplinary encounters with a unique and spontaneous atmosphere
23 FLORA THEATRE FESTIVAL Olomouc | 15–26 May 2019
12 86 10 10,000 150
days events venues visitors organizers
97
Flora Theatre Festival was held for the first time in 1997 as a mini-showcase of Moravian multi-ensemble theatres from Olomouc, Brno, Opava and Ostrava, which featured four productions in total on a single festival scene. The festival opened to theatre makers from the entire country in 1999 and began occasionally including foreign productions, primarily from neighbouring Slovakia and Poland. The organizer of the Flora Theatre Festival decided to make a financially and logistically demanding step in 2004 – an expansion from the building of the Moravské divadlo to other places, which the festival team began to adapt into festival venues. Thanks to Flora, an important theatre infrastructure is being created and the festival has an irreplaceable position in making interesting Olomouc locations more visible and artistically valuable.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
That same year, Flora significantly changed its programme scope and the mostly drama theatre festival was transformed into a multi-genre project, which also began to feature the newest works of the contemporary dance and performing arts scene in Olomouc and therefore radically changed the character of the festival. Over time, the festival team directed their energy towards production of new pieces and initiated several world premieres.
Flora secured its position on the “Czech-Slovak cultural map” over the period of 2009–2015. Over the last four years, it has progressed significantly and established itself as an important Central European festival with significant participation of foreign guests. The Flora Theatre Festival has become a genre-open event mapping artistic as well as social phenomena and current theatre trends under an original festival motto specific for each yearly event. Thanks to Flora, Olomouc hosts theatre ensembles as well as prominent representatives of the performing arts from many countries and the town has gained the reputation of a major “theatre epicentre”.
19
Flora Theatre Festival – as an independent event – has been taken out of the portfolio of the activities of the public benefit organization DW7 and is organized by a newly formed subject as of September 2019 to ensure more effective running of the project. Flora Theatre Festival, z.s. is an autonomous institution responsible for the complete organization of the festival. As an independent and emancipated “mark” with its own experienced organizing team (identical in members and leadership), it guarantees continuous development of Flora in the future.
The many years of effort of the organizers has transformed the originally humble festival of four Moravian ensembles into an international event whose impact significantly transcends the borders of the Olomouc Region. It is a place for theatre encounters and the establishment of artistic and production links. It provides audiences of several thousand people with an opportunity to see the newest trends and tendencies in non-commercially oriented theatre and transforms the historical and administrative centre of the Olomouc Region into a live and dynamically developing theatre platform.
3
An important milestone in the festival history was the change of the festival organizer in 2008. Divadlo Konvikt theatre (later transformed into a public benefit organization DW7) took over the organization from the Moravské divadlo (a state-funded organization). The activities of the new organizer have always been primarily associated with students of art-oriented studies at Palacký University Olomouc. The intentional cooperation with young, flexible and creative minds resulted in significant acceleration and Flora gained the renown of an inventive and inspiring festival in the Czech cultural context. The “production core” was built up around the long-time director of the festival and gradually grew with new members of the young generation – there are around 150 festival staff at present.
The drama section of the programme has since 2016 focused on staging of remarkable productions from the German-speaking world within the specific annual leitmotifs. 20 Flora featured a director’s profile entitled Regie: Dušan D. Pařízek, Wien; the programme sections Das fließende Europa (2017), Gegen die Wand (2018) and Schreie und Flüstern (2019) have involved guest appearances of well-established ensembles and representatives of the independent theatre scene in the three following years.
…one year later, Flora featured the German Theatre Production of the Year – The Situation by Israeli director Yael Ronen and the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin ensemble on the main stage.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
4
The sold-out Moravské divadlo venue exclusively featured the German language production of the year – The Ridiculous Darkness by the renowned Burgtheater Wien in spring 2016…
The festival audience applauded some of the finest European ensembles and protagonists in recent years:
…Staatsschauspiel Dresden…
…acting leaders of Volkstheater Wien…
5
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
Residenztheater München…
…or stars of Berliner Ensemble.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
6
The faces and personalities of Flora have included the German Actress of the Year Stefanie Reinsperger (2016) and Czech Actors of the Year Stanislav Majer (2017) and Miloslav König (2018). The actress Lucie Trmíková, just awarded Thalia award for the Best Actress of the past season, lent her voice, face as well as stylised gestures to the last year of the festival.
The production of the Slovak National Theatre Elites appeared in the programme just a month after its premiere, another political production by the director Jiří Havelka (The Murder of Gonzago, Dejvické divadlo) appeared in last edition’s programme.
An engaging performance of the Munich-based ensemble Fritz Cavallo entitled Schreie und Flüstern was created specially for the festival and had its world premiere on 24 May 2019.
7
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
The festival of course invites highly-respected productions of Czech and Slovak provenience. The dramaturgical key for the choice of the genre-varied composition of the shows is its relevance towards the festival motto in terms of content or style – a characteristic dramaturgical outline is a traditional feature of the Flora Theatre Festival. The festival is also known for showing works of engaged artists and ensembles, who often expose controversial “socially explosive” themes or events, as well as initiating new productions.
Within the contemporary dance and performing arts section, the festival has focused, for example, on mapping out dance scenes from Norway, Korea, the Visegrad Region and the Netherlands.
8
“I can say we are very grateful to have a chance to be here. It was our honour to open the Flora Theatre Festival.“ choreographer Ingun Bjørnsgaard
Kompani Haugesund brought the monochromatic Mono production to the festival.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
Norwegian contemporary dance was represented in Olomouc by a lyrical production entitled Praeambulum choreographed by Ingun Bjørnsgaard, whose production ceremonially opened the Oslo Opera House.
The D3US/x\M4CHIN4 production by Fernando Belfiore from Brazil was an expressive, all-senses-provoking epic poem…
…Bombyx mori by Ola Maciejewska from Poland was a stylised, artistically strong performance.
9
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
The featured Diverse Netherlands section, organized in May 2017, was actually the largest festival of Dutch contemporary dance and performing arts in the Czech Republic.
The international ensemble of United-C from Eindhoven, Netherlands invaded the Dům u parku house. Their physical-art-music installation Burn took place in front of, above the heads and under the feet of hundreds of enchanted spectators.
The festival has continuously mapped out the broad spectrum of creative approaches of choreographers, dancers and performers of the Visegrad Four countries since 2012.
10
The Czech-Slovak-Belgian co-production You Are Here connected the performers with the spectators…
…the dance performance Soma provided the audience with “a gallery-like experience”.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
The provoking “glittery show” Grace by Hodworks, Budapest enchanted the audience with its openness.
The Goblin Party provided an innovative commentary on the conflict of Korean traditions with the social status of contemporary woman in their A Silver Knife production.
The dark production Green Eye choreographed by Kim Sung-Hoon dominated the largest festival stage‌
11
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
The Focus: Korea (2019) platform featured six exotic productions at three festival venues.
‌a meditative performance Two by the choreographer Lee Kyung-eun enchanted the audience in S-klub.
Two stars of German Theatre met for the first time at Flora – Dimitrij Schaad from Berlin and Franz Pätzold from Munich who stayed in Olomouc for four days in the end…
12
Vladimír Javorský talked to the audience in the legendary Vertigo club until the early morning hours…
…actors from Dejvické divadlo had their pictures taken while meeting festival visitors in the city.
The guests are happy to share their impressions from Flora with the media. Dušan D. Pařízek is being interviewed by Czech Television…
…Jiří Havelka talking in the live broadcast Art Café programme of Czech Radio Vltava.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation
…dancers from the Japanese-Korean production Geisha's Miracle met local theatre makers.
Flora has gained distinctively positive publicity in the media lately and amazing reception as well as references from both the media and the general theatre-oriented public.
The public broadcaster, Czech Television, focused on the 2019 Flora events in several of its programmes.
13
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation | Media Responses
The general media partner of the last year of the festival was Czech Television, while the main media partner was Czech Radio Vltava.
Veronika Štefanová, theatre editor at Czech Radio Vltava (in the picture with Lucie Ferenzová, artistic director of Divadlo Kolonie and stage designer Andrijana Trpković) reflected on the everyday festival events of this year’s Flora and hosted discussions with honoured festival guests.
The festival cooperates with various other printed as well as online media and expert periodicals.
"
The opening production of the festival attacked all the senses of the audience and stunned them with the rough and expressive actors’ performances. Lucia Galdíková, Mloki.sk about 9 Tage wach, the opening production of the 23 Flora by Staatsschauspiel Dresden
Holonics has done great justice to the festival motto. I have probably never heard words uttered on stage with such depth of meaning. A very dignified ending to the most ambitious Czech festival. Petra Zachatá, Divadelní noviny about Die Blechtrommel, the final production of the 23 festival by Berliner Ensemble
"
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation | Media Responses
14
Respekt weekly magazine regularly provides considerable space to the Flora Theatre Festival. It will become another main media partner from the year 2020.
"
This pleasantly unpretentious event is more and more often considered the best theatre festival in the country due to its openness and spontaneity.
I consider Flora the most progressive festival in the country. (...) When you arrive here, you will not want to leave. Lenka Dombrovská, Divadelní noviny Flora maintains a sharp upward tendency and each year I am surprised at how they can move even higher. Flora is a world-class festival. Kamila Polívková, Director and Costume Designer There is no need to look all that far when looking for well-run examples of “good practice”. Ján Balaj, Curator of the Divadelná Nitra Festival Flora attempts to express clear views as to what contemporary progressive theatre is all about. Ivan Buraj, Artistic Director of HaDivadlo The productions Flora offers are often hidden gems and provide the audience with new perspectives.
15
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation | Media Responses
Jan H. Vitvar, Respekt weekly
Tereza Cigánková, Taneční aktuality The city of Olomouc can really be proud of Flora. It is of course my honour to be the face of such a festival! Stanislav Majer, Czech Actor of 2017 I consider Flora Theatre Festival the most prestigious theatre festival in the Czech Republic. Jan Horák, Artistic Director of Studio Hrdinů Flora is the best festival I know! Stefanie Reinsperger, German Actress of 2015 It’s amazing here! People don’t disperse after the productions, but go together to the next one. It’s like a rock’n’roll festival. Amazing, I love it here! Franz Pätzold, Actor Residenztheater München & Burgtheater Wien
"
Organizer’s Credibility
Flora has built a theatre infrastructure and brought top European artists to Olomouc. Its prestige has grown immensely, especially in recent years, as well as its international reputation and attendance.
The team of organizers have worked together for several years, its members are experienced producers as well as dramaturges. More than 150 people take part in the preparation, organization of the event itself as well as post-production (including the festival volunteers).
16
The meeting of the festival costs has been based on the pillars of multi resource project funding. The most significant festival partner is the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Olomouc supported the festival significantly in 2019, the festival is partially supported by the Olomouc region, the State Fund for Culture of the Czech Republic, Palacký University Olomouc and partners from the private sphere. The Czech-German Fund for the Future has become a strategic partner of the festival. In relation to the festival programme, Flora manages to gain support from various institutions and grant schemes – including foreign ones (EEA Grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The International Visegrad Fund, Austrian Cultural Forum, Austrian Centre at Palacký University, INTPA network, The Performing Arts Fund NL, Netherlands Embassy in Prague, Art Council Korea, SIDance, etc.) Czech Television will be the general media partner of the 24 Flora Theatre Festival, while the main media partners will be Czech Radio Vltava and Respekt weekly. In view of the constantly growing programme of the Flora Theatre Festival and the increased requirements regarding the financial, production, logistic and technical coverage of the event, the festival has been taken out of the portfolio of the activities of the public benefit organization DW7 and is fully organized by a newly formed subject as of September 2019. Flora Theatre Festival, z.s. is the institution responsible for the complete organization of the festival. Its experienced organizing team (identical in members and leadership) guarantees the continuous development of Flora in the future. More than 150 people have contributed to the successful organization of the last annual festival. The Flora staff involves more and more volunteers each year who have a chance to see the whole festival programme and at the same time develop their organizational and production skills.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Representation | Organizer's Credibility
The team of organizers and the project’s sustainability
Flora Theatre Festival had come a long way from its creation in 1997. Thanks to the efforts of dozens of organizers and the support of several institutions, the originally small festival of four Moravian ensembles has been transformed into a well-respected international festival with amazing audience turnout, an extensive main programme and various accompanying activities with ambitions for further growth.
Flora featured cross-section retrospectives of several prominent Czech ensembles – Pražské komorní divadlo, Divadlo Reduta, Divadlo Petra Bezruče, Divadlo Na zábradlí and Studio Hrdinů – or profiles of Vosto5 Theatre, Spitfire Company and Geisslers Hofcomoedianten; Flora presented profile sections of renowned Czech theatre makers – Jan Mikulášek (2012), Daniel Špinar (2014), Jiří Havelka (2015) and Dušan D. Pařízek (2016).
Flora Theatre Festival also regularly initiates the creation of world premieres, which Czech artists participate in (often in the form of international co-productions). The festival linked up the Swedish choreographer Charlotte Öfverholm and the Czech group VerTeDance and therefore initiated the dance piece Found & Lost (featured at 2011 Flora), a year later the festival organized and financed the creation and staging of a performance entitled Power Power Dance prepared by the choreographer Jozef Vlk and dancers from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. In the following years – through residencies, co-productions and financial participation – the festival supported the creation of the projects: Silence or Second City (coproduction of Divadlo na cucky with Handa Gote and Vosto5 Theatre) and the performance Un (Czech-French team of Marie Gourdain–Florent Golfier–Zuzana Režná). The production Godt og ondt by the quartet Jan Kačena–Jana Kozubková–Anita Krausová–Jindřiška Křivánková was created during residency stays in the Norwegian town of Hammerfest as well as the final one in Olomouc, where it was performed three times within 2016 Flora. It was then also invited to the Festival Theatre in Pilsen. 2018 Flora was opened by the premiere of the Opletal production initiated by the festival and directed by Michal Hába. It was later chosen for the autumn festival …příští vlna/next wave… In 2019, the director-dramaturge “tandem from Zlín” Patrik Lančarič–Iva Mikulová adapted (in cooperation with the festival partner Divadlo na cucky) Erik Tabery’s book Abandoned Society – the world premiere was part of the last festival edition.
Dušan D. Pařízek, the most successful Czech theatre director with great acclaim also abroad, opened the largest retrospective overview of the most important Czech theatre after the Velvet Revolution. Divadlo Komedie theatre performed seven key productions at the festival in May 2012 and was the first to make use of the open stage of the S-klub music club Olomouc, besides using the Moravské divadlo venue.
17
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Support for Czech Artists
The festival regularly supports the creation of local ensembles
All the festival productions are affordable for a wide spectrum of spectators in terms of their age and social status. The festival organizers make efforts to keep the tickets in such price range that a wide social spectrum of the audience is able to attend the productions – including the exclusive ones from abroad. The point of this event (also offering student or professional reduced tickets) is a contextual familiarization of the audience with current trends and progressive productions of renowned European theatre makers, which the festival goer does not have a chance to see on local stages (in such a compact form). The entrance is free to the majority of the off programme activities (including the discussions, presentations or music productions). Flora Theatre Festival is undoubtedly the largest presentation of live art in the Olomouc Region.
18
The Flora Theatre Festival ranks among the most respected cultural events in the Czech context, significantly expands tourism potential and has a strong multiplying effect.
All festival venues are filled with thousands of spectators, of different ages and social status, over the twelve festival days.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Cultural Service
The festival manages to represent the Olomouc region and its historical and administrative centre – the city of Olomouc – and highlight its position on the “cultural map” of Central Europe. It generates exceptional financial benefits in the sector of services (accommodation, catering, promotion, renting of venues, etc.) and employment.
The wide range of activities focused on work with the audience are an integral part of the festival programme.
The Korean choreographer Lee Kyung-eun held a workshop in the ballet hall of MDO‌
19
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Work with an Audience
Flora has regularly organized discussions for all the productions of the main programme for several years as well as talks on artistic and social topics introduced by the festival, presentation of creators, lectures, workshops, seminars; it participates in theatre-related conferences and meetings.
‌the Norwegian dancer Jon Filip Fahlstrøm gave a workshop in the beautiful fresco hall.
Volunteers as well as spectators participated in the site-specific project Second City, which took place directly on the main square in Olomouc and became part of a unique event.
20
The festival organized the conference Visegrad Dance Platform?, which hosted around 50 guests: creators, programmers and critics from throughout Europe.
The spectators talk with the creators and actors after the production – the discussion with the actors of Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin aroused great interest.
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Work with an Audience
The festival also regularly provides space to artists with disabilities whose performances are accompanied by workshops open to the general public.
21
Social and Cultural Politics Indicators | Work with an Audience
Intense discussions are held not only in the theatre hall of MDO but also in the intimate space of K3 theatre hall, the festival tent and in S-klub.
Informal discussions are also held during the conference breaks.
The festival educates its future audience during workshops and productions for children‌
24 FLORA THEATRE FESTIVAL Olomouc 13–24/5/2020
The Flora Theatre Festival programme will have a festival leitmotif for the fourth consecutive year. The motto of the 24 annual event, with a programme deadline of 29 February 2020, is BEAUTIFUL NEW WORLD.
Several of the below noted productions are in the viewfinder of the festival dramaturgy team in the course of the 2019/2020 season. The choice will gradually become narrower and the organizers are currently negotiating their guest appearances at the festival: Berliner Ensemble Die Frau, die gegen Türen rannte | dir. Oliver Reese
•
Deutsches Theater Berlin Don Quijote | dir. Jan Bosse
•
Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin Third Generation – Next Generation | dir. Yael Ronen
•
Münchner Kammerspiele Werther’s Quest for Love | dir. Jonny-Bix Bongers
•
Rimini Protokoll & Thomas Melle & Münchner Kammerspiele Unheimliches Tal / Uncanny Valley | dir. Stefan Kaegi
•
Schauspiel Leipzig Die Hermannsschlacht | dir. Dušan D. Pařízek
•
Schauspielhaus Bochum Der Hamiltonkomplex | dir. Lies Pauwels
•
Staatsschauspiel Dresden 2084 (AT) | dir. Mirko Borscht
•
NTGent – La Villette Paris – HAU Berlin De Living | dir. Ersan Mondtag
•
NTGent – Schauspielhaus Bochum Orestes in Mosul | dir. Milo Rau
22
•
The organizers are counting (based on the financial, logistic and technical possibilities) with featuring four to five German-speaking drama productions. The “German footstep” (the festival finally announced its programme mapping of the German-speaking theatre space during the last festival edition) will be highlighted by several film screenings (Styx by Wolfgang Fischer, Transit by Christian Petzold or a cross-section of works by the director Ulrich Seidl) and music productions. Alexander Maschke, multi-instrumentalist, composer of stage and film music from Munich, will be the author of the festival jingle.
Artistic Criteria | Dramaturgical Concept of the Main Programme
Flora Theatre Festival has been focused on presentation of German-speaking drama productions for five years. After the profile section Regie: Dušan D. Pařízek, Wien or the thematic programme lines Das fließende Europa, Gegen die Wand and Schreie und Flüstern, the preliminary festival programming choice includes productions which communicate or dialogue with the motto Schöne neue Welt. The curator of the German programme is Dominika Široká, longtime chief editor of the festival magazine, theatrologist and currently assistant dramaturge at Schauspiel Köln.
Geographically, the dramaturgical choice focuses on shows created in Central Europe, which the festival aims at. The audience will have a chance to see a wide spectrum of creative approaches and reflections on the most up-to-date phenomena (migration crisis, xenophobia, posthuman turn, etc.) The dance and performing arts programme of 24 Flora will feature five to six productions; the current dramaturgical choice includes the following productions: • • • • • •
Csaba Molnár, Márcio Canabarro Tropical Escape (HU) Dariusz Nowak, Dor Mamalia into me, see (PL) Doris Uhlich TANK (AT) Eszter Salamon, Boglárka Börcsök MONUMENT 0.5: The Valeska Gert Monument (HU) tYhle, Marie Gourdain Medúza (CZ) Yuri Korec & Co. Habibi 2196 – 18 (SK)
The Flora dramaturges will visit several Czech and Slovak premieres during the autumn and winter part of the current season, the Hungarian festival dunaPart and productions in centres of contemporary dance and performing arts such as TanzQuartier Wien and Hebbel am Ufer Berlin. We can therefore assume that the choices will be partially modified at the programme deadline (29 February 2020).
23
Artistic Criteria | Dramaturgical Concept of the Main Programme
The dance and performing arts section – curated by Jitka Pavlišová, theatologist and lecturer (Faculty of Arts at Palacký University Olomouc, DAMU Academy) – will be dramaturgically closely connected to the leitmotif of the 24 festival. Together with drama of Czech, Slovak and German-speaking provenience, it will therefore provide a compact summary of high-quality productions which reflect the motto Beautiful New World and make a multi-layered focus point regarding the form and content.
Ten to twelve Czech and Slovak productions – mostly new ones, which premiered during the current or at the end of the past season – will be added to the presentation of the German-speaking drama and dance and performing arts programme of the festival; they will of course also relate to the theme or style complexity of the festival motto. The list of productions with great potential interest include: Divadlo Aréna Bratislava The Lesson (d. Rastislav Ballek), Divadlo Husa na provázku Don Quijote (d. Jan Mikulášek) + A Home at the End of the World (d. Anna Davidová), Divadlo Komedie Prague Lazarus (d. Marián Amsler) + Vladař (d. Anna Klimešová), Divadlo Letí Europe Connexion (d. Adam Svozil) + Greta (d. Marián Amsler), Divadlo Na zábradlí Kyjem po kebuli (d. Petr Erbes), Jan Mocek – Divadlo Archa Prague Virtual Ritual, Divadlo pod Palmovkou Happy Chicken CZ (d. Michal Lang), HaDivadlo Woyzeck (d. Miroslav Bambušek), Jatka78 Heaven’s Gate (d. Viktor Tauš), Komorní scéna Aréna Ostrava Winter Solstice (d. Adam Svozil), National Theatre Prague Cosmos (d. Ivan Buraj) + Proslov k národu (d. Petra Tejnorová), Slovenské komorné divadlo Martin 1984 (d. Rastislav Ballek) + Zem pamätá (d. Jiří Havelka), Slovak National Theatre Bratislava The Bacchae (d. Rastislav Ballek) + Dnes večer nehráme (d. Jiří Havelka), Studio Hrdinů Prague Kacířské eseje (d. Miroslav Bambušek); 24 Flora will also feature one production from each of the partner festival theatres – Divadlo na cucky and Moravské divadlo – as well as other potential upcoming productions which premiered during the season. The curator of the Czech-Slovak drama programme is the director and main festival dramaturge Petr Nerušil. The 24 edition of the Flora Theatre Festival will feature 20–24 productions in the main programme (that is around 30–35 theatre performances in the main programme), altogether then around 90 events – over 12 days – at 10 venues in Olomouc.
Within the context of Czech festivals, Flora has gained a strong stance in the below stated aspects in the past several years: The festival successfully combines staging of drama productions of renowned Central European theatres with productions of the contemporary dance and performing arts scene on an international level. Apart from ensembles from Germany (Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, Residenztheater München, Theater Bremen, Staatsschauspiel Dresden, Berliner Ensemble, independent artists from Frankfurt and Munich), Austria (Burgtheater & Volkstheater Wien) and Slovakia (e.g. Slovak National Theatre Bratislava), the festival has managed to present, for example, Norwegian dance productions, a cross-section of Dutch, Visegrad or Korean performing arts scene and stage genre-transpassing German-speaking productions (Christine Gaigg, Rabih Mroué) within the past four years. Flora has built up the dance and performing arts platform Visegrad Performing Arts for seven years.
The intense international programme is regularly complemented with outstanding productions of Czech provenience. The festival has focused on profile sections of prominent Czech theatre makers and ensembles and initiated several world premieres.
24
Flora featured the biggest retrospective overview of the Pražské komorní divadlo, profile sections of progressive Czech directors and ensembles and award-winning local productions. Flora has initiated premieres, supported them financially, logistically as well as personally, organized residencies and connected local artists with international ones. The festival is not only focused on art phenomena, but social ones as well. When preparing the programme, the festival organizers take into consideration the social function of theatre – this aspect was fully manifested in the main dramaturgical lines of the last three festivals. The choice of drama productions reflected explicitly the demographic changes and current problems of the “old continent” and encouraged debates about the redefinition of basic European values which were discussed during the increasingly frequent meetings with the creative teams. Flora relentlessly features – within the annual leitmotifs – provoking and socially-engaging productions which reflect the events of the Czech and foreign political scene. The festival has a significant multi-genre character. The festival off programme included in 2019 (within the Cries and Whispers festival motto) an extensive retrospection of Ingmar Bergman films (complemented by seminars and film introductions). Thematic workshops are led by theatre makers as well as light designers or architects. The festival also features interesting music productions (Andrew Bothwell, Eva Jantschitsch, Hooverphonic, Maria Peszek, Kriton Klingler-Ioannides, Carlos Cipa, Alexander Maschke and others) each year. Flora effectively and continuously broadens its educational impact. Workshops open to the general public are also regular components of the festival programme. Most importantly the number of discussions of the audience with the production’s creative teams and protagonists rose significantly mainly in the past four years. Another important festival activity involves presentation of artists and discussions on current and social themes; the festival has been developing and refining the educational programme FloraLab for the past four years.
Artistic Criteria | Significance in the Field
Over the last seven years, the festival has featured dozens of productions of Czech, Slovak, Polish and Hungarian dancers, choreographers and performers – several of them in world premieres, often in co-production with creators and ensembles from outside the V4 geographical area.
25
Artistic Criteria | Significance in the Field
In 2017, Flora organized a proper encounter of university students of theatre studies and art academies from Prague, Brno, Olomouc and Bratislava connected with critical and analytical seminars. The festival organizers managed to further develop the newly created FloraLab programme during the 2018–2019 period.
The Czech-Slovak educational programme FloraLab focuses on stimulating the professional growth of dozens of students of DAMU Academy in Prague, JAMU Academy in Brno, Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University Brno and Faculty of Arts at Palacký University Olomouc and VŠMU Bratislava, who have a chance to attend all the productions in the main programme, talk with festival guests and actively participate in the thematic seminars, workshops and lectures. The student programme continues to grow with students of other schools and broadens the variety of activities and involves more and more experts and specialists, university lectures and professional theatre makers.
Flora Theatre Festival is not a “mere” festival but a vibrant platform – a place for encounters, discussions, networking and refinement of opinions.
26
The above-mentioned activities demonstrate the growing respect for the festival; the conference organizers view Flora as an “open space” which is an ideal place for such types of meetings. A pilot meeting of around twenty representatives of Central European performing arts will take place at the 24 Flora Theatre Festival. During their three day stay at the festival, they will discuss the possibility of establishing a new theatre platform Industry Get Together of the Performing Arts in Central Europe. The effective concept of regular meetings (creators, managers, critics, etc.) should reflect and identify the main themes, problems and peculiarities of the Central European cultural space. The purpose of the project is also to deepen the already established cultural bonds and strengthening of the competitiveness of the region on the “global cultural market”.
Artistic Criteria | Significance in the Field
Thanks to the original programme with a very specific and unique dramaturgy, the organizers have managed to bring over to Olomouc more and more people passionate about theatre from a range of fields – not only creators and performers, but also dramaturgs, journalists, critics, theoreticians, promoters, producers, artistic directors and directors or programme curators of other theatre events and institutions. During the twentieth edition, Flora became the meeting point of fifty creators, managers and critics for three days within the international conference Visegrad Dance Platform?; the festival included another encounter in 2017, with the attendance of dozens of guests from all over Europe. The festival co-hosted the conference Za hranou/Over the Edge, focused on forms of participative theatre and innovative work with the audience. 2018 Flora hosted a second edition of the Theatrological Conference – a two-day seminar of researchers, academics and postgraduate students discussing the potential and challenges of current theatre studies closely linked to the festival. Flora co-organized a sale book exhibition called Book Me in 2018 featuring works by prominent European publishing houses focusing on theatre and dance.
Flora is famous for its friendly and non-conformist, community feel. The fact that renowned theatre makers and performers attend the festival is not obvious but very welcome just like the casual communication with colleagues, artists, audiences and the media.
Leading personalities of the Viennese drama scene – Lukas Holzhausen from Switzerland and Rainer Galke from Germany – comment on the whereabouts of European politics for the festival magazine…
27
Artistic Criteria | Guest Artists and Personages
Based on the shape and form of the programme, renowned figures of the Central European theatre scene will make their way to Olomouc in May 2020 – mainly from the Czech, Slovak and Germanspeaking scene.
…the Lebanese artist Rabih Mroué gives a lecture and talks about his work at Palacký University Olomouc during his stay…
…the star of the Berliner Ensemble Nico Holonics is getting ready for a meeting with the audience.
The German theatre personality Franz Pätzold taking a picture with the former president and Czech Actor of the Year Stanislav Majer…
28 …and director Sebastian Klink compares Flora Theatre Festival to the legendary Woodstock during a discussion with students.
Artistic Criteria | Guest Artists and Personages
…in the Vertigo club a Berlin-Munich “networking” takes place…
The main programme of the 24 Flora Theatre Festival will be complemented with genre-varied off programme activities. Based on the huge interest of the audience and positive response of the guest artists, there will be discussions for all productions in the main programme, complemented by specialised presentations and talks with exceptional guests. The festival will organize workshops, seminars, lectures and other topical events related to the leitmotif Beautiful New World. (Flora will further deepen cooperation with its official media partners in this respect, Czech Television and Czech Radio Vltava and will involve the editors of a new media partner – Respekt weekly – in the shape and form of the off programme.) 24 Flora will be organized in partner cooperation with Moravské Divadlo and Divadlo na cucky in 2020 and will deepen its partner bonds with two other significant Olomouc-based institutions – the Museum of Art and Palacký University.
Apart from the off programme theatre productions (including shows for children and presentations of artists with disabilities), the festival off programme will also provide several music productions as usual and offer a dramaturgically compact film programme – a profile of Ulrich Seidl from Austria or screenings of German feature films relevant to the motto Beautiful New World (such as Transit by Christian Petzold, Styx by Wolfgang Fischer, etc.). Most of the off programme events of the 24 Flora will have free entry.
29
Artistic Criteria | Accompanying Programme
The festival will further develop the educational programme FloraLab, in which around 60 students of art and theatre studies from six Czech and Slovak universities will participate.
Thanks to the Flora Theatre Festival, the vast premises of Palacký University Arts Centre become alive each year. The Konvikt courtyard in the centre of the city with more than 20,000 university students is a lively and charming festival meeting point. It is a place of laid-back encounters, whose heart beats with culture each festival day – often until the early morning hours…
Flora Theatre Festival has always had a creative and original visual representation accentuating the particular annual motto.
The festival publicity playfully impacts the main square of Olomouc, and the faces of artists of the individual festival editions also “flood� other parts of the city centre.
Artistic Criteria | Promotion and Documentation
30
It has inventively designed promotional materials as well as professionally made presentation and thorough documentation.
31
Artistic Criteria | Promotion and Documentation
Each year, the festival also produces original merchandise which includes for example T-shirts, bags, handbags, badges and other souvenirs or useful everyday items.
The printed materials of the festival include, apart from various formats of posters, leaflets, folding programmes, postcards and outdoor materials (freestanding displays, banners, billboards), an extensive bilingual catalogue and a programme bulletin with pictures. Festival productions are documented and make up a unique video archive of exceptional theatre productions which serves as amazing study material for reviewers, university students and theatre experts. The social networks serve Flora Theatre Festival as a vital communication channel; the festival of course cooperates with several printed and well as online media in the Czech Republic and abroad. The general media partner of the festival is Czech Television, while the main media partners are Czech Radio Vltava (since 2019) and Respekt weekly (since 2020).
The 23 Annual Flora Theatre Festival programme, photo gallery, summary of media monitoring, all issues of the printed magazines, the set of all the video magazines as well as a report from the last festival annual can be found here: programme www.divadelniflora.cz/programme photo gallery www.divadelniflora.cz/foto media www.divadelniflora.cz/press magazine www.divadelniflora.cz/zpravodaj video magazine www.divadelniflora.cz/video 23 Flora Theatre Festival report www.issuu.com/floratheatrefestival/docs/23df_en
In Olomouc 1 November 2019 Petr Nerušil Festival Director Flora Theatre Festival, z.s. www.divadelniflora.cz Contact: Simona Vičarová Festival Producer simona.vicarova@divadelniflora.cz +420 736 440 903
Artistic Criteria | Promotion and Documentation
32
Flora pays utmost attention to detailed referencing about its course and updates during the festival. A printed festival magazine is distributed every day during the festival to the actual venues but also to cultural institutions, schools, galleries and cafés. Each day a video magazine is also created – together they thoroughly map the festival events and bring them to the attention of the audience, guests and the wider public (in the form of programme tips, annotations, reviews, reflections, portraits, interviews and surveys and photo galleries).