Bitef

Encouraged by the subject-matter of the main programme, Bitef Polyphony this year has as its theme the establishment of its own continuity and existence here and now; it continues its pursuit of polyphonic drama and theatre as a concept for the future and plays with counterpointing as a way of harmonising and mutually complementing differences, disagreements, oppositions... But, most of all, it calls for action and reflection about the strength and power of the theatre to set in motion emotions, critical thought, to empower, to heal, to be responsible, to affect changes, to make the world better. This year Bitef Polyphony rounds off the fifteenth year of research and presentation of innovative, creative and participative projects and productions created through exchanges among the participants and with audiences and revealing new theatre tendencies and new spaces in which theatre artists and other professionals work together with different populations and age groups, particularly the young ones, in arts and culture, education, social work, inclusion and social activism. As before, Bitef Polyphony adds to the slogan of this year’s Bitef. Past is Present, its own slogan: this year it is About, my Brain! playing with Shakespeare and the counterpoint offered and inviting to reflections about one’s raison d'etre and questions about the power of the theatre to explore truths and reveal signs of action for the future.

Programme producers of Bitef Polyphony are The Centre for Drama in Education and Arts CEDEUM (IDEA National Centre of the International Association for Drama/ Theatre and Education) in coproduction with Bitef Theatre. CEDEUM team: Boris Čakširan, Dragana Koruga, Diana Krżanić Tepavac, Andelija Jočič, Jelena Mišković Team of associates: Nataša Milovič, Jelena Hadži Manić, Nevena Boroja, Dušica Gavrilovič, Lidija Antonovič, Marjam Ristič, Slavica Brdovič Next Generation Placements Program: ASSITEJ Serbia Volunteers: Marija Domonji, Jelena Černajski, Milijana Radič and CEDEUM in coop/eration with in cooperation with Šumatovačka - Centre of Fine Arts and Education, Belgrade - Anita Vukašinovič, Neda Miloševič, Katarina Čežek and Aleksandar Orozovič This year’s programme of Bitef Polyphony is supported by the Ministry for Culture and Information of Serbia and NIS in cooperation with the City of Belgrade following the public competition Together for Community.

21 st SEPTEMBER, 13.00 UK Parobrod Opening ★ IN SEARCH OF POLYPHONIC DRAMA AND THEATRE Interactive presentations Duration: 90’ The opening is conceived as a meeting and exchange between participants and the audience of Bitef Polyphony in the form of an interactive multimedia presentation of the programme, with a thematic exhibition and selected performances in different spaces with the unfolding of simultaneous scenes and the concept of “polyphonic approach". Invitations have been sent to all those who had left the most impressive mark during the previous fourteen years and were, in different ways, the protagonists of the ‘polyphonic approach’ disclosing a new

theatre open to differences , new experiences, new changes and ever-new generations yet to come. The opening will demonstrate the beginning of Bitef Polyphony which emerged from the project Art for Social Changes - Play against Violence presented in 2000 within Bitef programme called Polyphony. The protagonists of the first Bitef Polyphony were Stari Grad Centre for Culture in Belgrade in partnership with CEDEUM Centre for Drama in Education and Arts, ANET the Association of Independent Theatres and CENPI, Centre for New Theatre and Dance. The first Polyphony will be presented as a cd-rom multimedia presentation done simultaneously with the event and distributed among the participants and guests on the last day of the programme. The authors were Dragan Jovanovič and Ivana Kronja. The photographs of the first Polyphony were by Vesna Pavlovič. The moderators of the project Art for Social Changes - Play against Violence of the first Bitef Polyphony were: Slobodan Bestie, Boris Čakširan, Vedran Vučič, Ivana Despotovič, Igor Dobričić, Sunčica Milosavljevič, Gordana Lebović, Diana Miloševič, Sanja Krsmanovič Tasič, Tatjana Pajovič, Nela Antonovič, Zoran Jovanovič, Karolina Spaič, Milan Lučič and Ljubica Beljanski-Ristič, head of the project in Serbia; Vladimir Krušić, head of the project in Croatia, Sead Đulić, head of the project in B&H, and Chrissie Tiller, programme coordinator and programme consultant for South-East Europe. Since 2001 the programme of Bitef Polyphony has been organised by CEDEUM in co-production with Bitef Theatre and since 2011 they have been joined by Parobrod, a new Cultural Institution of Stari Grad Municipality as a support to the preservation of tradition and projects initiated and developed by Stari Grad. Photographs by Nenad Miloševič and Lidija Antonovič have been selected from the library of Bitef Polyphony for a thematic slide presentation and the exhibition Shakespeare's Children.

Bitef polyphony

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Bitef Polifonija Bitef Polyphony V NIS (P