PROJECT THEATRUM MUNDI PRESENTATION
The project Theatrum Mundi is promoted by Eufonia soc.coop.- Astràgali Teatro, with the support of the Creative Europe Program of the European Union, in partnership with National and Kapodistrian University of Athens-Art and Speech Lab (Greece), Italian Centre of International Theatre Institute-UNESCO (Italy), University of Venice-IUAV (Italy), Stichting DW-RS Producties (Netherlands), Maison d’Europe et d’Orient (France), Theatro tsi Zakynthos (Greece), in association with Directorate General of International Theatre Institute (France), Xenia-Performing Arts Ensemble for the Internationalization of Artists (Italy).
The project Theatrum Mundi focuses on some forms of theatrical traditions present in the countries involved, such as the Italian tradition of ‘comedy’, Ancient Greek drama and comedy, the storytelling tradition, and the meaning of these traditional theatre forms in contemporary multicultural urban contexts.
It intends to make assumptions on how theatrical traditions have changed and on how to communicate today the different European theatrical forms within the current socio-cultural context, marked by the creative and cultural industry.
The forms of theatre are constantly transformed, subjected to all kinds of influences and drives. Performativity has always represented an effective key of interpretation in identifying the processes which mediate the construction of sense on the part of a given society. Theatre performance indicates first of all a practice of the bodies, a practice apt at producing a critical redefinition of the surrounding reality.
The heritage shouldn’t be considered as something frozen into a stiff identity, but as a resource that requires to be innovated and changed. The invention of new artistic languages is related to this transformation of the tradition. The richness of forms that enliven the theatrical landscape in Europe is an heritage that deserves to be protected and enhanced. The connection of these forms with renewed and increasingly changing contexts is a necessary action that permits to open long-living practices to new artistic practices, to inspire new visions of the present and a new production of the future, to reach new audiences, which is just the opposite of all narratives with an ‘archaeological’ intention. Europe presents a great variety of artistic practices that contain very interesting elements of métissage, both social, cultural, artistic.
The contact and confrontation of different theatrical practices may have a great, innovative impact in terms of renovation of methodologies, of aesthetic approaches, of use of diverse technical means, of opening to different cultural backgrounds. An extraordinary kaleidoscope of artistic forms that get into contact through a practical joint work of masters, keeping the flow of change and putting them into a real connection with the socio-cultural changes.
The project features the implementation of a range of artistic activities, based on international mobility, exchange of artists and works of art as well as on audience development actions, that are combined with a participatory research. Activities aim to: improve artists professionalism and careers through the co-working between artists and cultural operators with diverse theatrical backgrounds and languages; involve the audiences in new enriching experiences, getting them closer to artists. The activities are realized in Italy, Greece, Netherlands, France. Main project outputs are: an international performance, as the result of the European artists co-working in residence, that is presented and toured in the 4 countries; a series of audience development actions; a multimedia platform, including research results, artistic activities materials, archives; a publication on the participatory research; a video on the project actions.
Performance THE REPETITION -Synopsis
Direction: Fabio Tolledi – Astràgali Teatro.
International cast from Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, France, Latvia, Israel, Turkey: Lenia Gadaleta, Petur Gaydarov, Laura Lutard, Vita Malahova, Prodromos Mezopoulos, Roberta Quarta, Raphael Rodan, Simonetta Rotundo, Onur Uysal, Evangelis Zapantiotis
A strolling company tries to put on stage a Classical Comedy: Amphitryon of Plautus. But nothing works. The theater is not found. The actors do not come. It is a variety of the last century. A comedy of errors of two centuries ago. Or is it a story of more than two thousand years ago? In any case, the question is always the same: what is true? What is false?
The genres are mixed: comedy or spy story? Sentimental drama or musical? Farce or tragedy? Melodrama or storytelling?
Who loves Alcmene? Who still believes in theater?
A performance that questions our present, the theatre life, our societies, our boundaries, that mixes the stories, the languages, the desires.
Masters Day
Masters Day is an event whose core is the relation between tradition and contemporary context as a cross-roads of cultures. The experts give a vision about different forms of art, through short demonstrations and discussion with the audience, to give insights on relevant forms of art, with some comparative moments and interactions between the ‘traditions’. It is an event addressed to a large audience, but also to the professionals of theatre.
With: Fabio Tolledi, Director of Astràgali Teatro and President of the Italian Centre of the International Theatre Institute; Dominique Dolmieu, Director of Maison d’Europe et d’Orient and of Théâtre de Syldavie.
Open twinning day
The Open twinning day dedicates a special focus on the artistic form of another country. In Athens Italy meet Greece. It is an event that allows to promote the knowledge of a country theatre form in the host country. Inevitably the contact with another tradition could also show possible points of contact. These connections, together with the peculiarities, aim to create a sort of ‘twinning’ of the two countries through the two theatre ‘traditions’. The interventions in Athens are made by Theodore Grammatas (professor of Theatre Studies at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Director of University Art and Speech Lab), Roberto Tessari (professor of Theatre Studies at University of Turin-Italy), K. Diamantakou (Assistant Professorof Theatre Studies,National and Kapodistrian University of Athens).
