9 Bitef Polyphony
16 – 27 September 2008
The new roles of the theatre for new generations

As during its previous seasons, BITEF Polyphony explores and promotes the innovative, participative and engaged theatre of the young and for the young; it raises topical issues, encourages change and modifies the established practices. The exchanges among the participants of round tables, presentations, workshops and productions reveal the spaces of new theatre trends appearing and developing in theatres and other institutions, organisations, areas and sectors or wherever play, drama and theatre are a method, a tool, a technique of work... especially in education, social care and humanitarian work.

The themes of productions shown encourage interaction with the audience, including discussions and work demonstrations before or after each performance. BITEF Polyphony discovers and promotes new directions in the repertory of institutional theatres for children and youth who – notably through inter-cultural cooperation and international partnership-based projects – become acquainted with topical and sensitive issues of growing up, and resurrects the idea of the »family theatre« or »theatre in education«.

Drawing on the musical form that has given its name to this programme, BITEF Polyphony unfolds like a composition, through a specific »feedback structure« wherein the performances, discussions and workshops always intertwine, complement one another and initiate new links. BITEF Polyphony follows up on BITEF’s main subject with its concept of polyphony, the sound of many voices, variations… New links emerged from this form of communication and exchange set in motion processes and concepts which will continue when BITEF Polyphony closes to be opened and presented in full next year.

This year BITEF Polyphony elaborates on Tragicomedy – The Tragedy of Our Time as the main festival subject and Truth in Theatre as the subject of the special programme in the counterpoint of inter-generational activities.

BITEF Polyphony first took place during BITEF 2000 as a presentation and evaluation of twenty-seven projects called Play Against Violence realised within the programme Art for Social Change of the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam and with the support of the Open Society network in seven South-Eastern European countries. The first BITEF Polyphony was intended for artists and their role in the work with young people under the conditions of the crisis, the war, the conflicts... Its focus was on empowering through theatre, the reinstitution of values and the significance of regional cooperation and exchange, with the special emphasis on the opening towards the integrative processes in Europe. This concept took root as a specific expression of BITEF's new theatre tendencies.

Programme realised by:

Bitef Theatre in cooperation with CEDEUM, Centre for Drama in Education and Art (National Centre of the International Association of Drama/Theatre and Education IDEA) and ASSITEJ Serbia (National Centre of the International Association of Theatres for Children and Young People ASSITEJ)

Programme editor:
Ljubica Beljanski-Ristić

Programme coordinator:
Nataša Milović

CEDEUM and ASSITEJ Coordinators:
Jasmina Urošević and Jelena Gavrić

Organizators - Volunteers:
Tajana Cvjetković, Jovana Stojković, Dana Stojković

GUESTS:
Sead Đulić, Center for Drama Education/IDEA Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivana Marijanĉić, Croation Center for Drama Education/Zagreb, Croatia/IDEA Croatia, Chrissie Tiller, Royal National Theatre, London, UK, Sara Topsøe-Jensen, Carte Blanche, Viborg, Denmark, Peter Jankovic, ASSITEJ Denmark, Michael Krbecek, ASSITEJ Austria, Arif Akkaya, Huma Oylupinar and Yonca Inal Egilmezbas, Istanbul Municipality Theatre, Turkey

Office:
Centar za kulturu »Stari grad«,
Kapetan-Mišina 6a
Tel. 2639 639, 2626 338
Fax. 2183 792
e-mail: bitef.polifonija@gmail.com