Bitef

207

PUBLIC DEBATE : NO LOGO OR CONTEMPORARY FESTIVFAL POLICIES

Moderator: Ana Tasić Participants: Branislava Anđelković, Jelena Kajgo, Ivan Medenica, Dino Mustafić, Anja Suša, Jovan Ćirilov, Andraš Urban In recent years, Bitef creators have often had to hearthe question coming from professional circles: does this festival, in view of its concept, need a particular subject or not, i.e. how much is a themerelated selection binding when assessing the achievements of this festival. It is a fact that at the time of its inception, Bitef was one of the first big international theatre festivals and quite unique within the context of the division of the world into the East and the West. The position of Bitef was redefined several times since, mostly in line with the geopolitical framework within which this festival has functioned during the last forty-odd years. Inevitably, this led to new issues and subjects. This year, for the first time after many years, Bitef will unfold without a specific logo and this is a light provocation of the local cultural public and the festival itself. The idea behind it is to breathe a new life into this important topos ofthe contemporary theatre, making it a place ofopen dialogue and debate, fully conscious ofthe spirit ofthe age and expectations from the present international theatre offer. When we ask about the subject/logo of the festival, we do not see it as a formal question but rather as an invitation to re-examine once again the programme orientation of Bitef within the context of contemporary theatre practices and the need for a contemporary theatre festival to itself produce a context and mediate in the reception ofthe theatre art. Anja Suša