PAMS, the performing arts festival in Seoul, South Korea is the destination of the Czech delegation, focusing on presentation of multi-company theatres’ projects. “The Janáček Brno festival received the prestigious International Opera Award this year, which makes it the focal point for the whole world. My aim is to promote the festival at PAMS and draw attention to Janáček’s opera works and productions at the National Theatre Brno, focusing on Korean and Asian festivals, including opera houses,” says Jiří Heřman, the artistic director of the National Festival Opera in Brno, about his expectations at the PAMS festival. Another participant is also Jiří Nekvasil, who represents the National Moravian Silesian Theatre, and Lukáš Průdek from the South Bohemian Theatre. The important partner facilitating the presentation of the Czech Republic is Czech Centre in Seoul.
The festival of contemporary circus CIRCA in Auch, France combines showcases of professional productions of contemporary circus and world-famous circus schools, meetings of FEDEC and Circostrada professional networks, presentations of new projects, and other professional encounters for producers, promoters, artists, journalists and theoreticians. This year is special due to the fact that there will be the international conference Fresh Circus, focusing on the development of circus arts, with participants from Cirqueon, the umbrella organization for support and development of contemporary circus in the Czech Republic. Czech contemporary circus will be represented by Šárka Maršíková a Veronika Štefanová from Cirqueon, Petr Horníček from Loosers Cirque Company, Petr Husičkand from La Putyka, Libor Kasík from the Cultural and Social Centre UFFO and the organizer of the Contemporary Circus International Festival Cirk-UFF in Trutnov, and Jiří Turek, the director of the biggest Czech contemporary circus festival Letní Letná. “Apart from the fact that CIRCA is a meeting of most programmers, directors of institutions, company and project managers, it is also a presentation of the most recent production and a platform for presentation of works-in-progress. Participation in the event this year is a unique opportunity for us to present the Letní Letná festival and Czech contemporary circus as the organizers officially invited us,” Jiří Turek comments on the importance of Czech participation.
Performing arts fairs, showcases and festivals and activities of international networks and platform make it easier for cultural professionals to exchange experience, establish precious contacts and agree on cooperation. We can even see thousands of professionals in theatre, dance and music meet there. According to Martina Pecková Černá, the head of the International Cooperation Department, who coordinates the ATI programme International Promotion of Czech Performing Arts, the importance of presentation of festivals of this kind has increased. Pecková Černá says that managers from various performing arts areas keep speaking about the drop in opportunities for classic tours due to budget cuts. The importance of presentation at international showcases is increasing. “Experience of Czech delegations at performing arts fairs and the like show that participation is prestigious and essential personal experience and motivation for work, as well as a necessity. As far as theatre is concerned, encounter in person and a dialogue is often perceived as the most efficient promotional tool, and fairs provide the opportunity to get several minutes from international programmers’ precious time,” adds Pecková Černá.
PAMS fair takes place on 7 – 10 October 2019 in Seoul, the South Korean capital.
CIRCA festival takes place on18 – 27 October 2019 in Auch, France.
