MEETING POINT EN 3 by bb.laierova

PROGRAMME

THURSDAY / 4. 4. 10:00

DISCUSSION | SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER / DF JAMU, The Hall - 202 / 180 ́

11:00

This is not your Karenina / DF JAMU, 013 / 45 ́ / OFF

13:30

Disappearing Future / Latvia / Studio Marta / 120 ́ / MP /JP

14:00

BODYMIND GAME / Irina Andreeva / Astorka / 150 ́ / W

14:30

OEDIPUS / Philippines / DnO / 60 ́ / MP

17:00

She Only Came to Use the Telephone / Croatia / HaDi / 90 ́/ MP /JP

17:00

Romulus the Great / Austria / DHNP / 90 ́/ MP

17:00

Disappearing Future / Latvia / Studio Marta / 120 ́/ MP

17:00

Life Sentence - The Worst Will Stay / DF JAMU, 013 / 70 ́ / OFF

17:00

Workshop of African drums - Get into the rhythm! / Astorka / 180 ́ / W

20:00

Romulus the Great / Austria / DHNP / 90 ́ / MP /JP

21:00

MEETING POINT PARTY - Dance Equals Regenerate / Ponrepo / OFF party

EDITORIAL If only we could sweep through the foyer like a gentle breeze and peek into the minds of the audience waiting full of expectations. I wonder, what would we find there? “Was the paper due this week, or the next one? Shouldn’t I go home on Friday already, to have enough time for everything? I forgot to pay the rent! What about the work shift schedule next week? I have to write to him and her, send this to them and contact those and answer this and also that.” How many would be lost in such thoughts? Thoughts that are luring the attention away from a pleasant conversation accompanied by a glass of wine, from a cigarette small talk or a simple musing on the beauty of Brno at night. It happens to all of us. Before you know it, your mind takes over, pulls you by the hair and drags you into a black van called Future (and watch out for the Past, that’s even more rotten gang!) and it’s over. Mindfulness, awareness, focus on the present moment, being conscious of what is here and now, the power of full engagement and so on and so forth– words so often repeated these days that it feels almost obscene to mention them in an editorial. Still, I couldn’t help myself, and so I wish you… …that today and for the rest of the festival, you shall enter the auditorium–some of you trembling, others in a joyous conversation–and take your seat. That together with the curtain, your worries will lift and you will stop pondering over the past, the thought constructs and your practical plans. I wish you that your mind will settle and rest. That you will be pulled in among the emotions, ideas and images presented on the stage. That you will go through your own personal catharsis. And I most certainly wish you that you will walk out of the theatre with tears in your eyes to . . . have a talk about the joint experience over a glass of wine, or a simple cigarette small talk. Sára Ciancimino The Head of The Editorial Office

REVIEWS / MAIN PROGRAMME ➝

CHEKHOV. NEXT

YAROSLAVL STATE THEATER INSTITUTE ALMOST The double bill of Chekhov’s The Bear and Friel’s Afterplay from the students of Yaroslavl State Theater Institute was a very intriguing part of today’s programme. The completely white stage, along with the cheeky (I thought) title “Chekhov. Next” suggested a fresh look at the well-known works of A. P. Chekhov. Sadly, it was almost a farce since it touched on so many topics. It was almost modern and almost interesting. We were offered quite a literal and realistic look into the worlds of a lonely widow and two Chekhovian liars, and that’s where I found myself feeling a little disappointed. I was asking myself questions like: What is the connection between these two stories? Is it the exploration of male-female dynamics and relationships? Was it supposed to accent the stale elements of Chekhov and contrast them with the much newer Afterplay? Or (and this still terrifies me), was vodka the only connection? Anastasia Klimushkina’s ability to drive forward the very much too long second part of the performance was remarkable, and so was the craft of the other actors. It really did feel like they were fighting to bring a touch of humanity into the sterile world presented to the audience. However, I do not understand why I felt like the set and sound effects were constantly undermining their performances. There were white supermarket-like doors on the farthest part of the stage, a melodramatic piano on the left side, and songs that felt like they were being played from a jukebox in a pub at 4AM. In the very last part, where all of the characters have broken down and the actors dance together (kudos for the choreographer), that’s when I felt a surprising wave of relief. This performance felt like a relationship with an ex you don’t really feel like hating, but you don’t miss him, either. In the words of Ariana Grande: thank u, next. Martin Modrý, JAMU 4

photo by Libor Máca

IS WATER REALLY ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE? Psychological realism, lots of vodka and a mad dancing. Russian Yaroslavl State Theater Institute presented to the festival audience a play by Irish playwright Brian Firel Chekhov.Next, inspired also by other Chekov dramas: Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull and a one-act play The Bear. And it was the one-act play – directed by Oleg Nagornichnkh, with cast by the students of students of acting – that really was a great example of the tradition of the Russian theatre: based on the declaim-style of acting and the psychological realism. The emotions went deep, the scenes were dynamic and the overall feeling was embraced by the dances of the three actresses dressed up in a white loose costumes. The story about growing love affair didn’t lack humorous moments and was boosted by a number of both external and internal expressions of the actors – proud stance, clasped hands, realising the feeling growing deep inside the lover’s guts. Authors picked the character of Sonia Serebrayk from the Uncle Vanya drama and Andrey Prozorov from the Three Sisters and placed them both into the setting of the early 20’s of the last century. Their meeting oscillates somewhere between the present and the memories as they reveal their past actions to each other (Andrey admits that instead of being a member of an orchestra he is rather a street artist). A truly clever way of merging characters and motives from various Chekhov dramas. The dialogue about trees relates to The Cherry Orchard, three actresses sitting next to each other whilst drawing books to the Three Sisters and The Seagull at the same time, to give an example. It is the second part of the play where the director uses ways of the slapstick comedy the most – like in the scene when Andrey mentions that his “little girls” (Three Sisters) have been dreaming about mo-

photo by Libor Máca

ving to the Moscow throughout the last 40 years. However, there are some things from the director’s and script editor’s point of view I would like to point out. It is the dynamics and the flow above all. Whilst the first half is a rush (in a good sense I mean), the second is more like a chat over a flask of vodka with no really climax to it. The stage design gives just the right 20’s vibe, using white panels and a period table, chairs and a grand piano. Well, after all, the question is: What was the point? Was it to examine the relationships between the characters? Or just to remind us that no play by Chekhov should lack a bottle of vodka. I guess that if the authors created tighter link between the two stories it would be a bit easier for us to get it. Miroslava Košťálová, VŠMU

ACCORDANCE!

ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS IN BRATISLAVA

FUCK IDEALS! After the apocalypse. All around us is chaos. Piles of old newspapers, sacks of garbage and sheets of blank paper scattered about, and the wreckage of a helicopter. A junkyard to live in, but also as a place for politics. Welcome to an imaginary country. Or a real one? Certainly, the politicians in suits will be interested in the welfare of all, but especially in their own. Rub some red on yourself and you can join them, because red rules everything. A retrospective performance. Let‘s go back to the past from the crash. “Who are we? Why are we still alive?” ask two (anti)heroes, Mataj and Bartoloměj, at the beginning of this trip into history. Do they even have a chance to find an answer? Who knows. Archival footage of demonstrating crowds in which you cannot miss the Czechoslovakian flag, the red star, the hammer and sickle. Wait, this can‘t be a fictitious world, this is the country of Czechs and Slovaks before 1989. Mataj and Bartoloměj have face to face debates. So, my colleague, on which side are you? It is important to adhere to the new

photo by Monika Řeháková

guidelines, postponing your personal opinion for an indefinite period of time, and so on, over and over. Debates about nothing. It seems like we are in one of Havel‘s absurd dramas. Nothingness. You can‘t get out of this mess. Mataj as a obdurate Communist - a careerist. Bartoloměj as a powerless democrat - an idealist. Fuck your ideals and be happy, that is the best advice. Shut up, opponents, let the leader speak! We have to find an enemy who can be blamed for everything. If someone wants to be satisfied, this madhouse is becoming the ideal place to live. Everything is fine there, even if people are wearing straitjackets, but things are different there than in reality, for example - Trump won‘t be president. And if someone comes to this absurd theater, we will pretend that we are democrats, an ideal model for someone like Babiš. Oh, we‘re back now, actually, nothing has changed... Petra Kupcová, UPOL

IDEALS ARE NAIVE! What chance does a person have to win, fighting alone against everybody? Many people in communist Czechoslovakia asked the very same question when they had to live without liberty. They didn’t agree with the absurdity of everyday life. A dystopian picture of reality. The absurdity of the performance ridicules the ideals with which the communists tried to replace traditional values. They used censorship and manipulation of information for the common good, because people are safer when they don’t know much. This performance by the students of VŠMU, named Accordance!, gives the audience the opportunity to peek into an imaginary world where an individual has only one option. Because the others doesn’t correspond with the harmony of the proletariat. White versus red, which presents the contrast between liberty and non-liberty, is a combination which dynamically frames the whole scene. Each of the characters wears something red as a stigma. The only place that hasn’t been marked is a madhouse, or let’s say “recreational house”. Here the spectator can better understand the fact that the monsters rule everything, but paradoxically, a human being who would die for progress is considered a dangerous madman threatening society. The performance also contains historical records which are projected on wrapping paper hanging from a balcony. Documents about the ideology of the Soviet Union in the 60s and the massacre of students during demonstrations resonates with the audience. It’s a part of Czechoslovak history that, two generations later, still resonates in our

photo by Monika Řeháková

population. Kristýna Staroštíková, MUNI/JAMU

OEDIPUS

DE LA SALLE-COLLEGE OF SAINT BENILDE

DIY ACTION MOVIE IN MIDDLE-EARTH Ancient Greece. Somewhere in front of the palace. Oedipus is not king anymore, Jocaste is dead and Antigona mustn’t bury her brother, because Creon forbade it and Creon is the king. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and she inherited more than just blood. What a nice family! Creon and Antigone do not get on well… De la Salle – College of Saint Belinde brought their own take on Sophocles’ oft-performed trilogy, all three plays rolled into one, in sixty minutes. The action takes place retrospectively. It all starts with the dialogue between Antigone and Creon, and goes back to the starting point of Oedipus Rex, where the plague is terrorizing the citizens of Thebes. The play then investigates the past and the fate of Oedipus, before returning to the moral conflict of the king’s daughter and her uncle. Greece has disappeared, and the white marble columns and ideas of wise men in togas are gone as well. Instead of that, we are taken to a mysterious world fully lit in red, inhabited by the long-haired elves of a fantasy film made at the start of the millenium. The palace walls are replaced with strips of tulle hanging from the ceiling; these also serve as a fragmented projection screen. Long monologues of messengers and oracles are gone, the text has become action. Violence is taken outside the palace for everyone to see. The acting is based on expressive stylization with strict rhythm and gesture. Fight scenes remind one of Asian martial arts, so every now and then we move from emotionally tense dialogues to an action movie. Almost all of the props are made of natural materials, and many of those allow the actors to add sound and rhythm to the movements on the stage,

photo by Nikola Minářová

so most of the music is formed in the here and now. Both choir and individual characters are hidden behind golden half-masks. Only in the moments when they truly learn the truth and act honesty towards themselves - when they become human - do we finally have the chance see them just as they are Leňa Dobrovolná, JAMU

MASKED OEDIPUS FROM THE PHILIPPINES Almost everyone knows the characters of Oedipus and Antigone and their tragic story. This knowledge was necessary in order to fully understand the performance of Oedipus by the students of the Filipino catholic school De la Salle. But even without that knowledge, you could enjoy and absorb the energy and joy of these actors, as well as their amazing physical skills. After a few minutes, I came to the conclusion that it is impossible to read all the subtitles, perceive the loud dialogues, and follow the text, loosely assembled from the plays Antigone, King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colon and Antigone by Jean Anouilh. So I focused on the form of the performance. The Filipinos brought traditional theatre with masks to Brno, something which I knew only from school. The set resembled, from the very beginning, some sort of ritual place (over the stage were two legs, on the floor some sort of mandala, and at the very back some cloth strips lit in red). And the whole performance was a kind of a ritual. The actors wore decorated masks, and some of them even had long wigs making them look like North American Indians. They were barefoot and dressed in beautiful robes and colourful ornamental costumes. For me, this performance was one big show with acrobatics and a simulation of martial arts. There was the sound of little drums, various rattles, and instruments made out of shells. The students were dancing, running, doing somersaults, and building structures out of their bodies on the stage while declaiming their lines, aggressively in places, with great pathos. Maybe this is because we are not used to this type of theatre in Europe, but this formally declaimed theatre with big gestures (which must accompany the masks), in connection with the ritualistic movements and stage design, seemed a bit amateu-

photo by Nikola Minářová

rish and ineffective in the limited space available at Divadlo na Orlí. Oedipus from De la Salle reminded me of the show by the well-known group Cirque du Soleil, only with words this time. If only the students had followed the example of the circus troupe. Because their physical acting was excellent! And if the motto of this festival is Encounter regenerates, it is more than good that Filipino students came all the way here and presented a piece of their culture to our young people, even if the performance had directing, dramaturgical, and acting issues. Sarah Slavíčková, DAMU

MY ANXIETY PAX A WEAPON

AST NATIONAL ACADEMY OF THEATRE ARTS IN KRAKOW A WILD INFUSION OF SELF-DESTRUCTION My hate/disgust/anger is my weapon. Each word we choose, if it is the right one, refers to self-destruction, a vicious circle, or hopelessness. Hate, or some kind of disgust, was a leitmotiv through the whole performance. Besides that, there were other motives and themes - relationships, love, society, ecology etc. Everything intertwined or connected with everything else. First, the energetic performance of a mad professor who had discovered a time machine. It looked like the beginning of a sci-fi, transferred into a theater. Then, however, the performance took a completely different direction. Using the time machine, for which the company used an old dilapidated car, a traveler - Gulliver (in each act there was a different actor) - went to different periods, communities, or corners of the world. Throughout his travels, we saw unfamiliar life forms and relationships... Guliver, however, didn‘t like it anywhere, so he needed to travel further in the hope that it would be better somewhere else. This description may seem a little bit like a fairy tale,

photo by Aneta Jindrová

but our Polish colleagues’ production was unexpectedly wild and original. The set was full of pieces of paper, refrigerators of various sizes, microwaves, and a broken car; everything was more varied than it seemed at first sight. These props primarily functioned as household appliances, but they also served as chairs or „walls“ for the actors to walk on. The set, indeed, seemed unnecessarily crowded. Our Polish colleagues made light of our human nature and our pathetic psychological need for survival. The characters were drawn with different styles of language. This added not only to the authenticity of the characters, but also to the overall momentum of the performance. At the same time, the funny „sci-fi“ rendering of time travel was a harsh reference to eternal dissatisfaction. With perspective and wit, they reflected on the ever-present problems of society, which in most cases lead to (self) destruction. Yet none of us is aware of this. Bibiána Švecová, VŠMU

REVIEWS / OFF-PROGRAMME ➝

IN THE SOLITUDE NOTHING FROM NOTHING Bodies. Slow and fast movements. Deafening music. Light. Nothing – something, something, something and nothing again. My reference to “nothing” doesn’t have any negative meaning. The effects of the devised performance In the solitude were very positive and filled people with a dose of energy. Everything began from “nothing”. Each of us starts life from nothing, from zero, like a blank slate. In the very beginning, the performers also started from “nothing”. From little children, little by little, they created two adults right on stage. Friends or partners. In public or private. The action of the performers was filled with common, everyday words, but with a strong philosophical subtext. Sometimes the lights pointed to specific characters or specific parts of their bodies, sometimes the lights created their silhouettes and outlines. The deafening music (electro, techno?) was not as expressive as the performers’ acting. The change from childhood to adulthood and back again symbolized emptiness and solitude. At the beginning of our life we start from nothing. As we get older, our life gets more interesting and rich upon meeting new people, making friends, experiencing new things, journeying through life, an intensive use of social media… and still, we feel alone and empty. And then we end up alone, without anything, literally with nothing. Very much as we started. We have so much and yet we don’t have anything. We have many friends and yet we are alone. Don’t you sometimes feel alone in a crowd of people? Bibiána Švecová, VŠMU

photo by Radovan Dranga

ECHO „WHICH WORD FROM THE PERFORMANCE HAS STAYED IN YOUR MIND?“

CHEKHOV.NEXT: Marie Mlatečková, JAMU Štěpán Plucar, JAMU: No. Zdislava Začalová, JAMU: Vodka. Zuzana Šicková, VŠMU: Enthusiasm.

ACCORDANCE!: Veronika Onheiserová, JAMU Eliška, JAMU: Truth. Milena, JAMU: Red. Students from UNI Graz: Dream. Regret. Marek Horoščák, pedagogue JAMU: Emptiness. František, JAMU: Mandarins. Marek, JAMU: The first.. Roman, JAMU: Plan. Klarin, employed: Clumsy.

OEIDIPUS: Alba Muñoz Da Glória, JAMU Adela Ohnheiserová, JAMU: Strong. Jonathan Peller, ADK Ludwigsburg: Art thou. Simon Kluth, ADK Ludwigsburg: Body.

VŠMU’S POINT OF VIEW Once upon a time, when the water was running and the sand was pouring... there was a festival SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER. It brought together a large number of schools and people, all dedicated to the arts, which they loved in any form. The festival brought freedom to all their hearts and souls. In a short amount of time, in a small space, it brought together people of different nationalities and cultures, and it helped to create new friendships and relationships. This was repeated, every year, for almost three decades. Thanks to this festival, one could watch antique plays performed by an Israeli theatre school, or Chekhov seen through the lens of Russian psychological realism. Every year, the backpack filled with various production techniques grew, and thanks to this, an extraordinary, inspirational tale about encounters of schools from the Czech Republic to the Philippines was created. Once upon a time, there were people who, thanks to their commitment, passion, and love for theater, built a land where one encounter followed upon another. Miroslava Košťálová, Bibiána Švecová, VŠMU

BEHIND THE SCENES More than a year ago, at our first official meeting about the festival, I decided to start counting the hours that I would work on it, but I gave up after the first month. Today, sitting most of the day and night at the editors office, I would guess that it has been hundreds and hundreds of hours of work. Over time, illusions, dreams, and plans have changed into reality and have taken on firm outlines. A year ago, it was unimaginable. And it‘s important to realize that students produce the festival alongside their regular studies. But unlike the other (more normal) students, we management students often worked on the festival after school, into the night. This unusual schedule undoubtedly took a lot out of us. On the other hand, the festival is a unique experience for everyone. When our worries go away and we forget all about the obstacles we had to overcome, we will remember the festival for the rest of our lives. Wherever we go. There’s something important we’ve learned about publicity and advertising - everything you do is visible to everyone, and so every single mistake you make will be thrown back at you several times . But this has taught us a lot. That one sponsor’s logo will always be missing, no matter how perfect your system is. That one sticker will get glued upside down even if there are huge arrows on it. That 3D printers are fine until you‘re using them 24/7 for a couple of weeks (once again, we are so sorry, Mr. Gruna). And you never have enough festival bracelets. That making the website through “SunLight CMS” is quite a daring move. That there will be too many mistakes in the festival bulletin no matter how many times as you check it. And there‘s so much more... But honestly - I don‘t know what I did to deserve such a great team. We didn‘t know what the results would look like, and we have learned the process along the way. Outdoor promotion, website administration, social networks, photos, trillions of

photo by Aneta Jindrová

different graphic designs, and last, but not least, the editorial office, where I have just written this article. For all of this I have to thank you - Barča, Sára, Anet, Monika and also Sára, Vendy and the whole ATD atelier. And you, dear visitors, when you hold the bulletin or programme in your hands, or when you look up to the roll-ups, citylights, and banners, remember there is a competent, hard-working person behind each little regenerating pill. I wish you a pleasant festival and a lot of fun. And don‘t forget - Regenerate with Encounter ;) Adam Harton, Head of Promotion

BEHIND THE SCENES GRAFIČKA A TVŮRKYNĚ FESTIVALOVÉHO VIZUÁLU MONIKA ŘEHÁKOVÁ: CELÝ MŮJ ŽIVOT SE NYNÍ SKLÁDÁ JEN Z PILULEK Pilulky. Právě ty jsou základem letošního festivalového vizuálu, který vytvořila Monika Řeháková, studentka Audiovizuální tvorby a divadla na JAMU. Pilulkám a vizuálu věnovala v posledním roce veškerý svůj volný čas. Jak se díky tomu změnil její pohled na svět?

My life right now is a huge pile of pills, says Monika Řeháková – graphic designer and the author of the SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER visual identity Pills. That’s what the visual identity of this year’s festival is all about. Designed by Monika Řeháková, student of The Audiovisual Creation and Theatre. Pills popped most of her free time during the past year. Did it change her perception of the world around her? Mrs. Monika, the festival gave you the chance to have a taste of what a graphic design is all about. How that happened? You know I like tasting stuff so I was quite eager to try some pills as well. I gave it a shot and I really liked the flavour. Then I realised that it would be pretty cool to somehow put this taste on the paper so that whoever wants to can have the opportunity to enjoy this pill-taste throughout the whole festival. How do you think this sort of tasting will influence the rest of your life? Big time. I actually converted to pills. They are my life – my life is pills. Every time I face a challenge I just look up to the pills. I wonder – If I was this little ginger pill, where would I go, what would I do? – What would happen in this pill-world? This means a lot to me. It gives me a brand new perception and everything seems a bit easier now. I know that if I keep going like this I will be able to achieve much more.

photo by Aneta Jindrová

Well then, as we sit here and speak right now, you don’t see me as a human but as one of pills form your pill-world? Yeah, that’s right. You mentioned a ginger pill – what do you have in common with her? The ginger pill is a representation of myself in the pill-world: She is able to give all the emotions simple shapes. Exactly the way the pill simplifies myself I do simplify the world around me so that it all fits. And she is ginger because so am I. Could you described a bit what The Audiovisual Creation and Theatre is about? In a small way we do the graphic design as well. But in general we look at the world through the camera finder. But, as I mentioned earlier, my sight have been full of pills lately – and so I try hard to get as much pills as possible into every photo or shot I take. Sára Matůšová

WORKSHOP | SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER RANDOM MOVEMENT(S) I‘m having lunch at Orlí. “Can I shoot you?” asked a young lady in a t-shirt that said “šickovporadku” (everythingsallright), Zuzana ŠICKOVÁ (we can translate her last name as everything). “You can.” (devouring my schnitzel) nodding to the participant of intensive performative workshop of Attila Antal. Sympathy. We talk without prejudice. “And for what you need this?” I‘m trying to spy out. “It‘s a homework from Attila. The theme is encounter. There should be one unknown person, randomly asked in Brno, in specific place.” Zuzka explains. In the evening, we are together in the theatre HaDivadlo (Chekchov.Next). I have just found out that she came here from VŠMU and she likes to dance. Later, in the editorials office of Meeting Point magazine, the roles have changed. And that‘s how this interview was created, in the move, about the movement You are studying your first year of puppetry directing and dramaturgy departement at VŠMU. What has brought you to the festival SETKÁNÍ/ ENCOUNTER? Desire for new experience. A vision of a new opportunity. Attila chose this year‘s participants of the workshop by himself. I‘m glad I can be between them You are right in the center of action (today is the second day). How does it looks during the workshop? Do you have a fixed schedule? There is 9 people in the group right now (mixture of Slovak and Czech). We have a fixed time table. Just one short lunch break. Right know it‘s happening in the rehearsal room at Divadlo na Orlí, shortly

we will move to Divadlo Husa na provázku. After the warm-up, we do exercises to get connected, to perception, rhythm, movement in the space. The main accent is on putting together the final collective performance. Constantly, we are working with the main motive of encounters. Encounters/discovery of new... I have realized HERE, that no encounter is random. It can always bring you enrichment. Our encounter, here in Brno, it‘s a proof. I‘m doing an interview with you and you with me. And yesterday, we didn‘t know about each other. Is Attila a clear leader of the group? Yes, he is. But he does not lead the group directively. On the contrary. He‘s focused on using the authenticity of individual person and mutual communication. Through this, we are getting to know each other. For now, there has been a very interesting choreography which came up through the connection of our personalities. How your collegues inspire you? With their FREEDOM of movement speech. Attila is Hungarian, you are Slovak. Does the theory of similarity of temperaments apply? It does. We understand each other. Harmony ahead. Common history won‘t let go (laugh). Which animal, with it‘s movements, can fascinate you? HIND, running to the safe distance. Zuzana Tašká, JAMU

HUMANS OF ENCOUNTER THE FESTIVAL COORDINATOR JÚLIA PECKOVÁ: THANKS TO THE FESTIVAL WE BONDED A LOT IN THE ORGANISATIONAL TEAM For the 29th edition of the festival Júlia Pecková was selected as the festival coordinator. She is a student of the third year of Theatre production. What did she get thanks to her position and what is she going to remember the most? And how is she going to spend the week after the festival?

photo by Aneta Jindrová

How time-consuming is your job as the festival coordinator? All my work began a year ago in April when me and my classmates selected our roles for this year’s festival. Then we had to start with the festival’s theme and the visual style. Then we started to work at full steam from September, when the next semester started. The coordinator job is full-time. As the festival was getting closer I’ve had to spend about 12 hours per day at school, working. And the rest of the leaders as well. So it took quite a lot of time What does your position include? It has multiple levels. The biggest priority is to coordinate everything, to satisfy everybody and also 18

make everything work at the end. I communicate with the student organisational team which is made up of 39 people and meets every week at the Small festival meetings and shares information. Then I share the information with the leaders of our school. So my function basically is to connect the student organisational team with the leaders of our faculty and the festival. The people involved are the dean, the director of the festival, the supervisors etc. What’s the most difficult task for you as the festival coordinator? I suffer from stage-fright. When I came into my position the biggest challenge was to fight my fear

of public speaking. I knew it was a big part of my role. Although the good thing is that in this position you have to do it all the time. So it becomes much easier when you have to speak like every day with someone or to speak publicly. Then it began to be much easier than it was at the beginning. Although for me it still was an every day challenge. In addition, the hard part is to communicate with so many people because each of them needs individual care and requires a specific form of communication. And of course you have to communicate differently with students versus professors. I’ve had to learn, how to fine tune my communication with everyone so they will clearly understand everything. And which part of your job did you enjoy the most? I enjoy how nine people can have a different opinion on one thing. I enjoy compromising in such a situation. I enjoy overcoming challenges whether it’s the stage-fright or trying to find consensus in several spheres. I see playfulness in it, especially when we find various solutions to the same problem. Is there something that happened to you in your position that you’ll never forget? The week before the festival, on Monday, I happened to be on the Czech television’s show called “Dobré ráno” from 6:30 to 8:00, for the first time in my life. On Tuesday, the 26th of March, there was the press conference and I had to speak into a microphone for the first time. Then I had to speak at a photo vernissage which is still happening at Kabinet múz. These are the things I think I’ll never forget. I was not use to it, it was all very new for me and it gave me a lot of experience. To work together on the festival made very strong relationship between the student organisational team leaders, which means those of us who have

this festival as their graduation project. It brought us together a lot despite the fact that we have been seeing each other every week for almost a year. In my opinion that’s something that all of us are going to remember – all the problems, all we‘ve managed or not so much, all we made to be better or worse by mistake. What are your plans for the week after the festival? Well we start immediately with the post-production on Sunday after the festival closes. Me and the rest of the festival team are going to sort out everything at the school, to send thank-you-letters and so on. We don’t expect to get much rest but me and the student organisational team’s leaders plan to take a few days off together at a cottage. And also we have to work on our bachelor’s theses and the festival’s documentation paper which is a part of our graduation. So none of us really finishes the work, it just continues in different ways. Which encounter have you experienced recently that was regenerating for you? To be regenerated is to meet with the organisational team because it makes me feel the connection that working together brought to us. Not even talking about how cheering up is to encounter friends and to motivate each other about our work. Because as far as my health was concerned I didn’t need any regeneration. Sára Matůšová

SWEET RE-LEAF - how much did it cost? - fifty - this one’s sixty five, I’ll rather buy yours next time - but this is a small one They don’t have draft beer here. - mate, there’s noone here - well, everyone went a little overboard yesterday “We don’t have straws neither draft beer.” *Ben Cristovao playing in the background* - where are you going? - somewhere, where´s beer - actually, there’s more people standing and smoking outside than staying inside. “No money, no funny” - students who aren’t making a living by selling drugs or scrap business, have no chance to buy or order anything Veronika Onheiserová, JAMU

photo by Monika řeháková

MEETING POINT THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THEATRE SCHOOLS SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 2019

Editor-in-Chief Sára Matůšová The Head of the Editorial Office Sára Ciancimino Typesetting Vendula Hlaváčková Assistants of the Head Adam Harton Barbora Laierová Aneta Tkadlecová Proofreading of the Czech Version Lucie Říhová, Kateřina Balíková, Karolína Ondrová Translators Kristína Melišová, Frederika Halfarová, Adam Dudek, Martin Modrý, Martina Součková, Markéta Štefanová, Lenka Dobrovolná, Eliška Houserová Proofreading of the English Version Adrian Hundhausen Publisher The Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno Divadelní fakulta Mozartova 1 662 15 Brno IČ: 621156462 / DIČ: CZ62156462