European Association for Theatre Culture EATC
Artistic Direction: Dr. Jurij Alschitz
METHODIKA 2007
METHODIKA is a unique international festival exploring various methods of theatrical training. The festival for theatre artists, pedagogues, directors, students and scholars of performing arts will take place in the form of an intensive working meeting.
METHODIKA opens up new directions in the development of theatre training and the evolution of methodological approaches; spreads knowledge to theatre professionals and scientists; and finally creates a discussion about pedagogy in theatre schools, and in the theatre itself.
The European Association for Theatre Culture and Fondazione di Venezia invite specialists from all over the world to attend the IV. METHODIKA from November 5-11 2007 in Venice, providing 80-100 theatre practitioners with a chance to exchange and develop ideas about contemporary theatre-training.
The artistic director of the festival, Prof. Jurij Alschitz, was first able to realise his idea of holding “METHODIKA“ in 1999, concentrating on the theme of “Personality and Ensemble”, in Milan. The two consecutive METHODIKAs, “Energy and Theatre“ in 2001 and “The Face and the Mask of the Actor“ in 2003 were held in Stockholm. Following an interlude, 2007 marks the return of this event.
A diverse group of acting instructors, pedagogues, stage directors, artistic directors of theatres, and actors will spend a week concentrating on intensive practical and theoretical work. Four recognised masters in their fields as directors and teachers of theatre, Cesar Brie (Bolivia), Prof. Maria S. Horne (USA), Prof. Adolf Schapiro (Russia), and Prof. Rimus Tuminas (Lithuania) have been invited to conduct workshops to share ideas, approaches, and insights into the theme of this event “The Theatre of Centaur”.
The need for a forum in which ideas are exchanged lies partly in the fact that directors’ attentions are increasingly focused less on the art of acting and more on the realisation of visual or conceptual ideas. Institutions devoted to teaching acting are increasingly under pressure to cope in a changed market and to provide students with a means of survival. One frequently hears instructors articulate that they are forced to neglect research and artistic experimentation, which leads, through renewal and provocation to continuous development in theatre. Schools are in danger of becoming the most conservative component in the theatre ‘system’. All concerned are aware of this.
It is, then, no wonder that all METHODIKA-Festivals held so far have been received with great enthusiasm. The desire to develop new ideas and techniques while striving to develop a modern kind of theatre-education in a professional manner is immense. Many directors and educators are aware that the art of acting is still stuck in the 19th or early 20th century: a leap into the 21st century has not yet occurred.
The notion of making this leap is a far-reaching one, as never-ending as potential for development in the arts in general. Yet each METHODIKA is a small but significant step in that direction. The fact that those striving for progress meet on an international level has led to the most interesting projects over the last few years.
This year’s theme, “The Theatre of Centaur”, has been described thusly by Jurij Alschitz: “In spite of the fact, that the actor’s art exists far more than one millennium, professionals still face a collection of numerous questions of this unique and in many respects mysterious art. I have asked myself: what amazes me most of all in the art of acting? And I answered myself: it is the abundance of paradoxes, the non-connectable connections, the incongruous combinations. How, for example, is it possible to combine various categories such as „actor“, „persona“, „personnage“, „role“? Do they exclude each other, belonging to various substances, or do they supplement each other? How do the models “actor-role“ and „character-as real person“ co-exist executed in parallel activity by the same subject? How are the given models created on-stage? What prospects of realisation has the ideal model? In our opinion, the contemporary theory of theatre, is not capable to answer the given questions adequately, simply because they are very little studied today. Therefor the necessity arises to search for answers, based on philosophical and artistic principles, to these questions concerning the actor’s art. This leads to the wish to carry out the 4th edition of the international festival METHODIKA.“
Four masters of their craft, Cesar Brie, Prof. Maria S. Horne, Prof. Adolf Schapiro and Prof. Rimus Tuminas will endeavour to answer these questions each in their own way. Prof. Anatoly Vasiliev, has also been invited as a special guest of the festival to respond to this issue in the form of a ‘carte blanche’. Enquiring-minded theatre artists are cordially invited to come to Venice in November 2007.
