Bitef

EXHIBITION: BITEF - GRAND PRIX Gallery of Historical Archives of Beigrade Openning: September 14, 2007,19:00h

What is Bitef? A polycentric and poly-cultural phenomenon of the second half of the 20th Century. Originating in Beigrade in 1967, it embraced the enormous cultural space of Europe, America and Asia. Much before the notion of globalization and United Europe had been politically articulated it demonstrated that the world is one and indivisible. Bitef is a unique form of dialogue whose content is determined by the complementarity and antagonism of ideas, theories, concepts and view points.

Dr Branka Prpa

Director of Historical Archives of Beigrade

BITEF - 40 YEARS OF NEW THEATRICAL TENDENCIES Document of Beigrade International Theatre Festival, 1967-2006 Edited by Historical Archives of Belgrade

Editorial

If one wereto seek a simple answerto the query about the content ofthe Bitef archives, it would most certainiy indicate a sound and profound strife to spring free from a provincial and orchestrated frame ofthought and culture, in general. Bitef is the most tangible evidence that in Beigrade, Serbia and Yugoslavia, cultural pluralismi and universalism was the weapon for conquering freedom in the world of politicai monism and politicai bipolarism. For this reason, and only as a segment, can this book of documents which Sublimates a 40 year long heritage of a Festival, be an Illustration of the power of cultural dialogue enacted with a non-pretentious definition of new theatrical tendencies.Jhe gravitational field it created inevitably drew in politicai ideas and subsequently all that is considerad undeniable, un debatable and untouchable in a given society. The petrified structures begun to crumble under the pulling force of the universalista ¡deas which inevitably produce catharsic exhilaration with regard to profanity and banality imposed as a formula by egotismi and egocentrism ofthe individual and ofthe nation.

This would undoubtedly be the primary and most important quality of an Archive comprising 434 boxes, 52 m long when put in a line, that will submerge as a mighty wave any researcher daring to take on the taskof reconstructing the key assumptions ofthe history of late 20th Century, Acting as an Institution for protection of cultural property and cultural heritage, the Historical Archives of Beigrade has done everything possible to not only protect from destruction the Bitef documents, but also to classify and process it according to international Standards. This invoives intense efforts to makethem readily availabie in the digital form which will be searchable via Internet, Bitef Archives have been classified according tothe individual festivals and sub-groups reflecting all the events and the endeavors accompanying such a major manifestaron. The Festival Archives comprise stage performance dossiers, including Scripts, correspondence, photographs, posters, audio and video material, catalogues, affiche, press clippings, photo albums books of comments by thè audience. In other words, they represent gold mine of various Information that can be utilized for any type of muiti-disdplinary research having not only local but the international character, as weil. For this very reason, by presenting the documents related to the 40th anniversary of Bitef, the Historical Archives of Beigrade wants to remind the public and researchers ofthe importance ofthe Festival that has already become history. Or, more precisely Bitef is a lasting historical phenomenon which is a rare occurrence in societies and countries lacking the continuity of institutions.

Dr Branka Prpa

Director of Historical Archives of Beigrade