Bitef

BITEF SEMINAR FOR YOUNG THEATRE CRITICS

Who needs Contemporary theatre?

Newart,that is being introduced to Beigrade togetherwith thè other cultural centres in Europe, through major city manlfestations such as,for example, October Salon or Bitef Festival, in our discourse, paradoxically, questions thè very purpose ofthose manifestations, namely the need for Contemporary art in thè context of our society and its cultural expectations and habits.

Contemporary art here has a reputation of being elitist, although one ofthe main characteristics of Contemporary art forms, which are based on the new media, is that they strive to involve as many people as possible into thè artistic interaction and public dialogue.

The question - Who needs Contemporary art? suggests that in our society, frustrated from politicai pressures that seem to be endless, there is a crisis in the cross-section ofthe arts, media communication and the practice of public dialogue, and that is thè area of art critlcism, Especially in the field of theatre, during thè past several years thè connection between art production and its public mediation has almost completely disappeared. The Situation becomes alarming in relation to media coverage - both thè scope and the form-ofthat kind of theatre production that is guided by new tendencies.

Although, on the first sight, thè lackof information in media about Contemporary theatre and other forms of new arts can be attributed to the inert and disinterested relation of media toward un-institutional art, which is definitely a part of the reason, the problem lies in the fact that thè critics are not prepared to face the new poetics.

But even in relation to classical theatre production, there is a serious deficit of mature and grounded mediation, the one that has an ambition to respond to some ofthe tasks that theatre criticismi undoubtedly has: to valué a theatre production and, in doing that, to Position it in relation to its immediate context, even in the market sense; to situate it and explain in relation to the wider artistic context; to breakdown a theatre production, as thè "art of thè moment", and record it, so its characteristics and valúes are preserved for future generations of artists, theatre theoreticians and other researchers; to promote artistic valúes in a wider sense, and in doing that to contribute to the shaping and educating of theatre audience, improving artistic life in its area, cultural Identity and thè society level, its consolidation, etc.

While thè custom of thè public/theatre audience to consult the opinions of the critics has all but disappeared, theatre production, which is noticeably increasing, is guided increasingly more by the market demands; in that circle, through uneven and offen superficial media reports, a false image of artistic and cultural life of our time is being created, conveying an image of an area dominated by only a few ofthe actually present art personalities, valúes and tendencies.

This year, recognizing the need to create a new generation of theatre critics, Bitef initiales a practica! educational program in the field of theatre criticismi. The program is not focused exclusively on the art school students, but is open for all educated young people interested in critically examining the Contemporary theatre - for students and graduales of the school of literature, humanities, politicai Science, media, etc., but also practitioners in the field of modern theatre who may bave varied educational backgrounds.

In thè focus is Contemporary approach to criticai practice, which сап fathom and explain theatre that is being created here and now, as well as the artistic expression ofthe spirit, valúes and dilemmas of our time, and which must be read exactly by using the Codes ofthat time. Bitef - the festival dedicated to new tendencies, follows its natural responsibility to envisage and Implement a program which, through criticai mediation of Contemporary theatre, serves to its time and to thè future.

Besides its Orientation toward Contemporary theatre, thè seminar for young theatre critics has manifest regional and European character. With the support of foreign cultural centres in Beigrade, each year we invite a renowned theatre critic from a different European country as a lecturer, while thè participants come from the countries in the West and Central Balkans, from Slovenia to Bulgaria.

Through this program we wish to create a core of young critics who will adopt common Contemporary criteria in critically approaching the theatre and initiale a new criticai practice in their home countries, giving a spark to thè livelier and better cultural and artistic life in the Balkans. We hope that in time, through thè continuous activities of the PACT, a criticai mass of educated young critics would be created on the regional level, and that, together with their collaboration, can intensify thè integration process in the Balkans, with thè goal to create a new cultural space, and contribute to the more efficient integration ofthe Balkans into the European movements.