Archivo de la etiqueta: Performing arts

Be sure to visit the blog mov-s/madrid

These days I am in body and soul dedicated to mov-s/madrid2010. Visit the blog where I publish all relevant information.

And if you want to give you a tour by mov-s/madrid from 10 to 13 June at Reina Sofía Museum, theatres and arts centres of Madrid.

“mov-s/madrid 2010” – The Active Spectator

Presentation of “mov-s/madrid 2010 to be held at the “Centro de Arte Reina Sofia” in Madrid and performing arts venues of the city from 10 to 13 June. Information www.move-s.org

Under the generic title of “The Active Spectator”, the third edition of mov-s aims to delve into the reality of today’s audience. The relationship between performer and spectator can be enriched through the transformation from a passive spectator to an active spectator, who is the protagonist in their relationship with the artist. Considering the spectator as being intimately involved with the artist’s work is a path relatively little explored by the arts, in particular the dance and movement arts, and is a way for a large number of people to be involved in artistic creation. Seguir leyendo “mov-s/madrid 2010” – The Active Spectator

Texts of the Lectures “Reasons for Programming Contemporary Performing Arts in Time of Crises” – Feria de Huesca 2009

Again the “Feria Internacional de Teatro y Danza de Huesca” has met the challenge of being the showcase of contemporary dance and theatre, and with this, to foster their touring extensively by the theatres and arts centres. Seguir leyendo Texts of the Lectures “Reasons for Programming Contemporary Performing Arts in Time of Crises” – Feria de Huesca 2009

The Popular Theatre has to be Contemporary. A good example

Rotterdam Community Theatre

A concern that always has accompanied to me has been to conciliate the contemporary art with the amateur activity. At the present time on the one hand we see the work of professional artists who offer new readings of the world that we live in, and on the other, an amateur practise who mainly repeats archaic models and stereotypes. In the theater this practise is more than evident  and the activity amateur remains in mere comedy; poorly interpreted in an attempt to emulate the recognized stars.
It makes little sense to consider the amateur or “community” artistic activity if the results do not offer anything new, if only offer cheap entertainment for families and friends; the justification of the “social cohesion” is not maintained by itself. NorI am happy to say that in “community practice” what matters is the process and not the result since if the process is good, the result should be  also good.

Eating and playing

My impression is that there is that we must change the culture of the  amateur practice adapting it to the new times and that we must demand an artistic ambition which in the majority of the cases it is lacked. Putting in the centre quality, contemporary and professionalism does not have to be contradictory with the work of people who feel the performing arts away from their habitual activity or as a vehicle to connect with the reality of the people of around them.

I explain this because a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the work of the Dutch theater group “Rotterdams Wijktheater – RWT” (the translation is more or less  “Community Theater of Rotterdam”). This group of theater is a good example of the effective way that is possible to work with people of the district and talk about the reality around them. In fact it is a professional group that makes all its productions with amateur people. During a period of time they carry out a work of dramaturgy and interpretation with the people of the district, so that in the end it leaves a spectacle interpreted by the own neighbors who speak of the everyday reality of  themselves.

Rotterdams_Wijktheater

The performance I could see in Rotterdam titled “Kaap Goede Hoop” (Cape of Good Hope)  made a route by a degraded district of the city where their inhabitants explained their experiences, memories and relationships. During four hours and in different spaces of the district, the neighbors relived their past and they faced the multi-ethnic and intergenerational present with total determination to overcome the differences that separate them.

The most interesting was that the players faced their characters quite naturally without wanting to express anything beyond what they are. It were used expressive resources  that each of them owns without wanting to obtain results of its natural deficiencies. In addition, the action was adapted to the spaces  and not the other way around (neighboring houses, bars, gyms, playgrounds, etc.) and, so that the story was perfectly coherent with the environment.

Multiethnic Meeting

In short, betting on a participatory theater as well as being absolutely necessary to expand the artistic activity in our society, should be done rigorously, based on quality, using natural scenic resources of the people and talk about the depth reality of these people and their communities.

Theaters of London. Handbook for Cultural Managers

Continuing the series of handbooks that emerged from educational trips of Red de Teatros Públicos de España I will introduce today the London theatres. The manual (in Spanish) can be downloaded from this address http://www.redescena.net/descargas/proyectos/londresfinal.pdf

Teatro Roundhouse de Londre
Teatro Roundhouse de Londres

The report is divided into two parts. The first defines exhaustively the British model of management of nonprofit performing arts venues and cultural policy of the British government regarding the performing arts. In the second part, provides very detailed information of the artistic policies, audience development, education and outreach. Besides, the concepts described are accompanied by the essential information relating to the budget, audiences, technical details, etc.

Theaters described in the report are divided into three groups. On one hand, those who make London one of the capitals of theater worldwide. Of these we chose the National Theater, the Southbank Center, the Royal Court Theater and the Sadler’s Well . A second group is made up of mostly performing arts centres related to the social reality of different neighborhoods or social groups in the city. These are the Roundouse, Theater Royal Stratford East, Battersea Arts Center – BAC and Unicorn. Finally, we move out of London to enter into the reality of a regional theater. Here is chosen the Oxford Playhouse in Oxford City .

I hope this manual, along with the one of Berlin, and with the others that later on will be published, may be helpful to understand the different models on Europe to manage preforming arts venues.

The Theatres of Berlin. Handbook for Cultural Managers

Following the trip I organized last year in Berlin for the Spanish Red de Teatros Públicos (Spanish Network of Public Theatres), this manual has been edited from the  theatres visited on the occasion. The report can be downloaded at http://www.redescena.net/descargas/proyectos/berlinfinal.pdf (only in Spanish). Seguir leyendo The Theatres of Berlin. Handbook for Cultural Managers