Introduction
The “Free Theatre” was founded in March 2005 by the Belarus dramaturge Nikolaï Khalézine and the current Manager Natalia Koliada. In May 2005, Vladimir Schreban, the main Theatre director, joined them. Nowadays the company contains 10 professionals actors, 4 managers and 2 technicians. Considering the current political context in Belarus, the “Free Theatre” does not have any juridical person. Repetitions and representations, with free entrance, take secretly place in private flats, clubs or cafés. Members often suffer from governmental pressures, and some of them were fired of the State theatres because of their participations in the “Free Theatre”.
Structure
The “Free Theatre” operates as associations’ pole for lots of representatives of the underground culture in Belarus in several fields such as music, visual arts, cinema, photo,…
Aims
The “Free Theatre” actions tend to clash with the soviet system used by the Belarus authorities. They aim to promote the contemporary Theatre in order to lead up to questioning the Belarus citizenship and its society, and more generally the Human societies. The action includes the European theatrical movement to promote open societies ideas, cultural diversity and European identity.
Activities
The “Free Theatre” operates as associations’ pole for lots of representatives of the underground culture in Belarus in several fields such as music, visual arts, cinema, photo,… The “Free Theatre” activities include:
- implementation of educational master-classes by the leading theatrical figures of Europe, USA and Russia for the young Belarusian dramaturges and scenarists;
- organizing the International Contest of modern dramaturgy “Free Theatre” and publishing the almanac of laureate plays;
- underground performances of the Belarusian prohibited playwrights and best European and American plays that reflect modern life in all its aspects. The main aim of the performances is break through stereotypes of the Belarusian population that are imposed by the ideological system of Belarusian dictatorial regime.
- public readings of plays of the Belarusian dramatists in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states, as well as at the leading European theatrical festivals;
- publishing of collection of the Contemporary Belarusian Dramaturgy;
- translating the plays of the young Belarusian dramatists into the foreign languages;
- participation in theatre festivals in Europe and the USA.
Contact
Culture Action Europe contact: Natalia Koliada, Director of “Free Theatre”
T. + 375 29 613 34 17
email:
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www.dramaturg.org
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