Learn“We emphasize the continuity and the legacy of 25 years of the festival’s existence. The new title purposely derives from the original three-word title Theatre of European Regions,” says Eva Mikulková, the director of the Klicpera Theatre, one of the three co-organizers. The new name of the festival will apply to both original festival parts, Theatre of European Regions and Open Air Programme. “Along with all organizers, we have focused on closer cooperation in the festival management, fundraising, PR and programmme structure. Both parts of the festival were presented separately in the past, which could be confusing for the audiences and participants. More intensive cooperation among all three entities allows us to organize a unique event, encompassing brick-and-mortar theatres, drama, puppets, motion theatre, a gathering of professional and amateur theatres, as well as independent ones,” says Barbora Hodonická, the director of the kontrapunkt non-profit organization. Tomáš Jarkovský, the director of Drak Theatre, adds: “We bear in mind the specific historical features of the festival focused on regional stages in the Czech Republic and abroad. Apart from plentiful representation of Czech regions (except for Prague), the festival has been associated with regional European stages, such as Teatr Opole, Schauspiel Leipzig, or many puppet theatres from various European regions. This specialization, the multi-genre focus and the overlap of professional, theatre and amateur theatre make up a unique mix that is unprecedented in the Czech Republic. The scope of the theatre showcase is rare.”
The festival has had the ambition not to focus on European states only, but to spread to other countries as well. “This is why the new name will not be geographically binding for our newly established board of programmers,” says Eva Mikulková.
New visual identity
The logo and visual identity of REGIONY festival will change according to Přemysl Zajíček’s design, who won the competition the organizers planned for the end of the last year. There were three other applicants – Otherwise studio with Ondřej Marek’s design, graphic designer Jindřich Pavlíček, and Upupaepop graphic studio owned by the Horský family. All of them have been close associates in the past two editions.
“The competition aimed to choose an attractive and outstanding visual identity that will help raise awareness of the important theatre festival in Hradec Králové. It will support the audience’s interest and will be identifiable for both local and Czech audiences. The essential factor for our choice was the sustainable and functional potential of the design that would be forthcoming and open for further cooperation with other graphic studios,” says Karolína Pláničková (kontrapunkt, z.ú.), who prepared the competition along with Martin Sedláček (Klicpera Theatre) and Martina Marková (DRAK Theatre).
The designs were analyzed by the jury: Eva Mikulková, director of Klicpera Theatre; Martin Sedláček, marketing and PR – Klicpera Theatre; Tomáš Jarkovský, director of DRAK Theatre; Martina Marková, PR of DRAK Theatre; Barbora Hodonická, director of kontrapunkt, z.ú.; Karolína Pláničková, marketing a PR kontrapunkt, z.ú. and Andrea Vacovská, graphic designer from Najbrt Studio. The advisors were Barbora Kalinová for DRAK Theatre and Natálie Kratochvílová for Open Air Program.
The new identity will gradually change all tools of visual communication from the logo to festival posters, merchandising, online communication, programme catalogue, to visuals and navigation in the city.
