The ATI has launched the new book Theatre and Freedom at the celebration of 30 years of the Continuo Theatre

The Arts and Theatre Institute organized the Festival of Theatre and Freedom on the occasion of the launch of the new book. The launch of the new book subtitled The First Decade of Czech Theatre Independence after 1989 presented the get-together of the figures from theatre, dance, and performative intervention. The event was part of the celebration of 30 years from the foundation of the Continuo Theatre that took place on 19-24 September 2022. The festival also featured the exhibition of theatre photographs that presented the work of the company from the very beginning to the present and was launched in cooperation with the ATI.

The book Theatre and Freedom: The First Decade of Czech Theatre Independence after 1989 was written as part of the long-term conceptual development of the research organization funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and maps Czech independent theatre after the revolution. The extensive critical catalog written by Martina Pecková Černá, Dagmar Čiripová, Petr Dlouhý, Kateřina Dolenská, Vladimír Mikulka, and Hana Strejčková presents the swift energy and plurality of aesthetics, topics and activities of Czech independent theatre in the first decade after the revolution – the period when the legendary companies were established, such as the Continuo Theatre. The parts of the book focus on the development of conditions and infrastructure for independent theatre, as well as drama, puppet, and movement theatre in the 1990s. Besides essays, the book contains many images and excerpts from interviews that were conducted with nearly seventy figures of Czech and Slovak theatre in the 1990s.

The festival took place on 20 September at 4:30 at the X10 Theatre in Prague. The program also featured meetings with authors of the book, figures of Czech and international theatre and dance, the performance Triangle (the homage to B.N.) by Tonton Macoutes, and a tarot reading about how we can imagine theatre in 2089 in today’s perspective.

The detailed program of the event (in Czech) can be found on the ATI website.

The exhibition of photos documenting the history of the Continuo Theatre presented the selection of 30 panels with topics of BODY/MATTER – PUPPET – SPACE. The photos taken by people who have been involved with the Continuo Theatre (Josef Ptáček, Viktor Kronbauer, and Michal Hančovský) portrayed productions and site-specific projects, such as Mrakavy, Finis Terrae, Scars in the Stone, Grus Grus Lake, In Whale’s Stomach. The exhibition was located in the Archa Theatre from 19 September, when the festival opened, to Sunday 25 September.

Details about the festival (in English) can be found on the website of Continuo Theatre.

Source: ATI/IDU