Individual episodes, featuring moderators Martina Pecková Černá, Ondřej Škrabal, Alice Koubová, Katarína Figula, Jiří Šimek, and guests ranging from dance and theatre artists to curators, cultural managers and theorists, will address the common theme of sustainability and the performing arts from many perspectives. One of these is the performing arts’ sensitivity and response to the state of the environment and discussions around our potential to ensure that the quality of life we enjoy today is maintained for future generations. While it might appear that, in recent months, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has drowned out the critical need for social change discussed in the fields of ecology, economics, politics and culture, the chaos caused by different rules for maintaining social distancing, the deteriorating economic situation and the unpredictable behaviour of audiences are prompting concern about the sustainability of the field itself, as well as its immediate defensive reaction: the rapid adaptation of dance and theatre production for the virtual environment. Does this hybrid existence in real and virtual space amount to a blind alley for a field that is based on contact with the audience, or does it open up new worlds and new possibilities? Will spectators stay at home forever? How are artists, organisers of cultural events, public support providers and educational arts institutions responding to this crisis? What helps them to find their way, what do they believe and where are they heading to? How do they communicate? In dialogue with our guests, we will try to map the performing arts’ emerging strategies and first responses to this global paradigm shift.
The online webinar series is organised by ATI's International Cooperation Department as part of its Promotion of Czech Performing Arts Abroad program and in cooperation with the European projects Create to Connect -> Create to Impact and PACE.V4. In its content, the series is linked to the main theme of this year’s Theatre Night in the Czech Republic, which is sustainABILITY. The webinars will be held on the Zoom platform and take place in English only. Spectators will have the opportunity to ask guests questions during the meetings and the recordings will be made available on ATI's YouTube channel.
In the cycle's first episode, Martina Pecková Černá and her guests will focus on questions emerging from the survey Theatre and Environmental Protection, a piece of research carried out in spring 2020 as part of Theatre Night in the Czech Republic. A majority of the respondents stated that they actively try to minimise the environmental impact of their activities, albeit in a somewhat haphazard way. Together, we will look at current trends in the fields of dance and theatre, including issues around mobility, production, promotion and the topic of sustainability as a theme for artistic creation or communication with the public. These issues will be considered in the Czech and international contexts, but also in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which has fundamentally changed the conditions for creation and presentation in the performing arts field.
The webinars will take place every fourth Thursday of the month from 15.00 to 17.00 CET (except for 17 December).
Webinars will take place on the ZOOM platform; it is not necessary to download the application in advance.
After filling out the registration form, you will receive an email with a link to access the webinar.
If possible, please register 15 minutes before the start of the event to allow time to complete the registration process.
Webinars will take place in English.
