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The seven-meter puppet of an angel accompanied by acrobats wandered through the center of Prague on 29 November. The symbol of Christmas, hope, safety, and protection greeted the inhabitants of Prague on the Old Town Square and its neighborhood. “We are happy we have managed to find a safe alternative to start the Advent. The majority of pre-Christmas cultural events had to be canceled and we liked the idea of angels in the streets,” said Hana Třeštíková, the councilor for culture.
The people will have a chance to meet the theatre in the streets in the upcoming days as well. “We will face dark evenings and melancholy with light and hope. The Advent time in the capital will be spiced up with some special performances and installations that will take place at various venues,” says Jakub Vedral, the producer, and invites the viewers to the first winter festival of street theatre. The festival will also feature islands of live art that will take place at different venues in association with Krutý Krtek on 7-11 November. The musicians, theatremakers, and acrobats, such as the juggling duo Bratři v tricku on the cross-country skis, will bring joy to passers-by at crossroads, tram and bus stops, and squares.
The Prague Market venue will host the theatre gallery on 10-13 December. The viewers will go through a live theatre installation full of illuminated huge puppets, acrobatic machines, pendulums, and constructions that have toured the world and represented the Czech Republic at Expo in Shanghai, Milan, or the start of Formula 1 in Bahrain.
It is the first time the winter festival of street theatre has taken place in Prague for the first time. Whereas the summer edition of Za dveřmi has a twelve-year tradition, it has not taken place in winter so far. “Organizing the festival of street theatre in the month when it freezes is quite a challenge for us. However, we want to bring joy to people at this time and entice a smile on their faces. When people cannot approach culture, culture must approach them”, says Michaela Holbíková, the dramaturg.
