Premiere of performance „Ragnarok” (Poland / Norway)
Production: Art Factory in Lodz
Creators: CHOREA Theatre, The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance - Carte Blanche
Direction and choreography: Adrian Bartczak
Music: Tomasz Krzyżanowski
Costumes and stage design: Marta Góźdź - El Bruzda
Director’s assistants and dramaturgy collaboration: Wiktor Moraczewski
Choreographic consultations: Annabelle Bonnéry
Cast: Janusz Adam Biedrzycki, Maja Caban, Joanna Chmielecka, Michał Jóźwik, Małgorzata Lipczyńska, Anna Maszewska, Tomasz Rodowicz
Light: Tomasz Krukowski
Sound: Marcin Dobijański / Karol Skrzypiec
Poster: Filip Appel
Production coordinator: Ola Shaya
Production: CHOREA Theatre, Fabryka Sztuki in Lodz, The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance - Carte Blanche
Arvo Pärt's piece "STABAT MATER", for mixed choir and string orchestra, from the CD "Pärt, A.: Stabat Mater", (in: Creator Spiritus, Harmonia Mundi Fr, 2011), is used in the performance. Performances are approved by Universal Edition A.G.
Premiere: 19.08.2022, International Theatre Festival Retroperspektywy
Date: 19.08.2022 / Friday
Date: 23.08.2022 / Tuesday
Time: 7 pm
Place: Stage in Art_Inkubator in Art Factory in Lodz
Admission: free, prior booking of free-entrance passes is required
Duration: 80 minutes (no intermissions)
Viewers' age: 15+
Performance on August 19th will be interpreted into Polish Sign Language (PJM)
After the event on August 19th we invite the viewers to a meeting and discussion with the artists
The discussion will be held in Polish
DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFORMANCE:
Ragnarok in Norse mythology means „the twilight of the gods”, or simply the end of the old world and the beginning of a new one. However, the title of our performance is the only direct reference that connects it with the mythology. We felt that it might give another layer of interpretation for the audience, but at the same time we liked the fact that this term is so blunt with its meaning.
The show is about a new world. And here we wanted to dive into the problematics of humanity. Relations between people, connection with oneself, and representation of a society, but without certain roles or hierarchy.
We are working with the concept of liminality, which is focused on the „in-between” place, that occurs in the central phase of the rite of passage. The place, where the participants are no longer their old selves, but are not yet anything new. It is the ambiguous place of passing by. And we wanted the whole performance to be that place. A kind of distorted situation, a bit out of order or with some kind of tension and uncomfortable feeling.
Through the whole performance each actress and actor has hers and his own story and path, and through some crossings the relations are happening. We were trying to underline this loneliness, even if there are some connections happening. It is more about finding this specific performative state of carefully listening to myself - and through this tender and vigilant listening - to truly hearing the others.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Adrian Bartczak - born in 1988. Mover, teacher, choreographer. His education comes from various workshops and coachings. Adrian was taught by Krzysztof Skolimowski, Witold Jurewicz, Ray Chung, Christophe Jeannot and Jozef Frucek. He worked consistently as a freelancer since 2008. During this period he collaborated with Michał Ratajski, Tomasz Rodowicz, Robert M.Hayden, Sarah Shelton Mann, Rosanna Gamson, Minako Seki, Roberto Olivan, Jacek Owczarek. From 2011 on he was both teacher and choreographer in the Polish dance collective KIJO. Adrian has also cooperated with CHOREA Theatre since 2012. Since August 2016 Adrian has been part of Carte Blanche.
Marta Góźdź - El Bruzda - is a philosopher and clothing designer by education. Prizewinner of Off Fashion in Kielce, First Award at the festival of production and costume designers Vizuart 2013 in Rzeszów, ‘’Klasyka Żywa” and Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper. She is currently working in Poland and Germany.
Tomasz Krzyżanowski - is a composer, arranger, musician and singer. He is an author of music for dozens of theatre performances, concerts as well as films and other art projects. For 15 years he has been the music director of the CHOREA Theatre in Łódź as well as the Choir of the CHOREA Theatre. Performances with his music have been awarded several times, incl. the competition ‘’Klasyka Żywa” or The Best OFF. He is currently working in Poland and Germany.
CHOREA Theatre - a thriving, uncountable and unpredictable group of artists, performers, musicians, dancers, actors, practitioners, theatre and drama theorists. We create interdisciplinary artistic, educational and social projects: concerts, workshops and performances. We employ innovative, original work methods, going beyond the cultural mainstream. We direct our work, projects, actions and activities to: adults, youth and children, those who are regular theatre-goers, those with limited access to art, and those looking for alternative cultural initiatives. We put emphasis on team-building, joint cooperation, partnership, group dynamics, interrelations, the awareness of body, voice and musicality in our work.
CHOREA Theatre was founded in 2004 in Lublin, as a result of collaboration between two groups of performers. First group, 'The Ancient Orchestra', was developing musical and rhythmical work. Second group, 'Dances of the Labyrinth', was experimenting on movement and dance. Since 2004, before they found their residence in Lodz in 2007, they have been working in several locations. The company was first based in Naleczow, Srebrna Gora and Warsaw, they cooperated with Erthfall Dance Theatre in Cardiff (Wales). Since 2007 they established a permanent base in the city of Lodz, co-founding with Lodz Art Centre a cultural institution named Fabryka Sztuki (Art Factory) and they own an amazing industrial theatre spaces (for rehearsals, performances and workshops) situated in the 19thCentury factories, named Art_Inkubator in Fabryka Sztuki in Lodz.
During 17 years of activity CHOREA Theatre fully developed its educational and artistic work. CHOREA artists organized many international workshop sessions, transnational artistic projects, their own International Theatre Festival Retroperspektywy and nationwide Theatre Festival Perspektywy, and created more than 60 theatre productions, performances, and concerts. In 2015 CHOREA artists recorded a musical album 'Lullabies' and published actors training handbook 'Actors physical training. From individual to group actions'. In 2020 we recorded our second musical album "Gilgamesh" - concert for a choir, jazz trio and string quartet. CHOREA group collaborates with artists from all over the world: USA, Great Britain, Israel, Spain, India, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Syria, Japan, Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Croatia, Sweden, Norway, etc.
During last years CHOREA Theatre presented their performances, concerts and intensive workshop sessions all over the world. In 2009 CHOREA performed on International Meeting on Ancient Drama Festival in Delphi, (Greece). In 2010 we cooperated with Rosanna Gamson Worldwide Theatre in Los Angeles (USA). In 2011 we presented our work in Escena Contemporanea Festival in Madrid (Spain) and in Meyerhold Theatre Centre in Moscow (Russia). In 2012 we visited Stage Centre in Tel Aviv (Israel). In 2011, 2012 and 2013 we performed on Bharat Rang Mahotsav - the biggest international Theatre Festival in India. In 2014 and 2015 we showed our performances in Art Carnuntum Verein für Kunst Geschichte Theater Kultur Festival in Art Carnuntum (Austria). In 2015 we presented our work in Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and in Chisinau (Moldova). In 2015 and 2016 we performed in Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre (Georgia). In 2017 we performed in Berlin (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden) and in St.Petersburg (Russia). In 2018 we visited Baerum Kulturhus and sandvika Teater in Oslo (Norway), we leaded an intensive workshop session, in terms of "Polish Theatre Days” during II International Theatre Festival TheATRIUM 2018 in Drama Theatre in Klaipeda (Lithuania), performed in Danube Bend Theatre in Vac (Hungary) in terms of V4 Festival and Theatre Meeting 2018, and performed on Festivalul International de Teatru Pentru Publicul Tanar in Iasi (Romania). In 2019 we visited NUKU Theatre in Tallinn (Estonia), where we performed on Visual Theatre Festival NuQ Treff, and again performed in Danube Bend Theatre in Vac (Hungary) in terms of V4 Festival and Theatre Meeting 2019. In 2020 we leaded intensive workshop session in Akademija za umjetnost i kulturu, in Osijek (Croatia), and leaded a big international online project 'Ukraine - Poland: The borderland of theatre cultures' in Lviv and Kiev (Ukraine). In 2021 we leaded intensive workshop sessions at the Akademija za umjetnost i kulturu / The Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek and at the Academy of Dramatic Art / Academy of Fine Arts / Academy of Music in Zagreb (Croatia). We also leaded big international project 'Schulz-Grotowski: przekraczanie granic', in terms of which we leaded workshops and performed in Lviv (Ukraine).
Carte Blanche - The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance. Established in Bergen in 1989 and with its home base in Studio Bergen, which is the company’s production facility and home stage, Carte Blanche tours in Norway and internationally throughout the year. The ensemble consists of 14 dancers from all over the world. Each season, two to three new performances are produced in collaboration with new talents, well-known, and relevant choreographers. These and previously produced performances make up the company’s repertoire. Carte Blanche gives artists the opportunity to grow. The Norwegian National Company for Contemporary Dance creates an exciting and unique repertoire, which supports the company’s goal of being a forerunner for innovation, presentation and development of contemporary dance, both in Norway and abroad. Carte Blanche AS is owned and funded by the Ministry of Culture, Vestland County Council and the City of Bergen.
LINKS:
http://www.fabrykasztuki.org/pl/
https://www.facebook.com/actinoutproject
Performance created and presented in terms of „ACT IN_OUT” Project, organized by Art Factory in Lodz, in cooperation with CHOREA Theatre from Lodz and Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance - Carte Blanche form Bergen, thanks to a grant from Norway Grants and EEA. Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.
Project co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Project co-financed by the City of Łódź.
