PLAVO theatre is a theatre laboratory which ideology is based on principles established by reformers of XX century theatre – Constantin Stanislavsky, Antonin Artaud, Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba and Odin Teatret, as well as Italian director Massimo Giannetti. Theatre which exists with the idea to serve theatre, not to be its servant, theatre which explores deeper levels of human communication, theatre which has the idea of moving boundaries of human perception, theatre which lives the utopia of reconciliation of anthropology and society, and theatre which presents a critical attitude – these are our basic premises. We are a group of people who, cherishing a seed of anarchism in ourselves, use theatre as the place which has credibility and in which some serious things about the world that surrounds us could be said. In the middle of our attention is man as a human being. Even the actor is a man, human being, and afterwards an actor. Theatre is the place of human touch with life, not with its imitation.
PLAVO pozoriste in Serbian language or PLAVO theatre means Blue Theatre.
Activities of PLAVO theatre:
- Creation of theatre productions and presentations based on a laboratory work and their performing in the country and abroad;
- Education of all interested in researching approach to theatrical work through theatrical workshops, seminars or longer continuous pedagogical processes. Special emphasis is put on educational work with the youth and children with the aim of opening of their horizons for new prospective about arts and culture in general. Other important aspect is using of possibilities of laboratory theatre in development of civil society in work with vulnerable groups where revitalizing power of theatre could be felt in the wider community;
- Organisation of international theatrical meetings and festivals.
Status of PLAVO theatre:
PLAVO theatre is a professional independent theatre company, non-government and non-profit organization.
Donors of PLAVO theatre:
From 1995 our donors have been: Open Society Fund, Swiss Cultural Program Pro Helvetia, European Union (Delegation of European Commission to Serbia), European Cultural Foundation, City Council of Belgrade, Ministry of Culture of Serbia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Italian Institute for Culture, Goethe Institute Belgrade, Polish Embassy in Belgrade, German Embassy in Belgrade, Central European Initiative and various sponsors.
PEDAGOGY
Regular activities of PLAVO theatre include education of all interested in research approach to work in theatre through theatre workshops, seminars and longer continuous pedagogy processes. Special emphasis is on educational work with the youth and children with the aim of opening of their horizons for new views of arts and culture in general. Other important aspect is using of possibilities of laboratory theatre in development of civil society when theatre becomes an active power which could revitalize community.
Regular activities of PLAVO theatre include education of youth through theatre workshops and professional seminars. PLAVO theatre so far realised many different kinds of educational projects in which we tried to bring closer the idea of contemporary theatre to people in our country and abroad.
Current activities:
CONTEMPORARY THEATRE STUDIO
Contemporary theatre studio is created for young people who wish to learn more about contemporary theatre through specific principle of work of PLAVO theatre in the area of acting and directing. Workshop participants are introduced with PLAVO theatre work in theoretical and practical sense through series of creative exercises during continuous work of eight months.
The project started in 1995 and it was called Plavo theatre group 2, and developed through years in projects Play Against Violence, The School of Contemporary Theatre and Contemporary Theatre Workshop. Starting from the season 2010/2011 project Contemporary theatre studio is being realised in new space of PLAVO theatre, in BIGZ building in Belgrade, in two groups of participants. The work is held from October till end of June twice a week.
TWO OPEN WEEKS OF PLAVO THEATRE
Each summer PLAVO theatre opens its doors to professional and semiprofessional actors, directors and other theatre artists as well as theatre students and other people who are interested in theatre worldwide, to participate in the program. This program is an opportunity to meet with PLAVO theatre work through series of events: theatre workshops, meetings, performances, discussions, video presentations.
The project has been realized since 2004, each year in summer, each year its program has been developed and enriched with new contents. Due to the important support of Central European Initiative the number of artists involved with the project substancially increased, allowing us to establish new partnerships with independent artists and theatrical organizations through out central Europe.
So far the project has gathered participants from Serbia (Beograd, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Leskovac, Nis, Vranje, Bujanovac, Baljevac) and abroad (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, Montenegro, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine).
WORKSHOPS WITH SOCIAL FUNCTION
Workshops are created with the idea to apply methods and potentials of contemporary theatre in empowering of the youth and socially marginalised people, encouraging them to participate in advancement of conditions they live in.
Most important projects in the past are:
Workshops of Humanistic Theatre, 1999, Belgrade BITEF Theatre, 4 workshops realized during bombing of Belgrade with almost 150 young people as participants and more than 1000 spectators who saw public presentations of the work. Workshops did not have bombing for a theme, they were serving as a safe place for mind and spirit of many young people who were in a hopeless position.
Workshops Dictatorship, Revolution, Democracy, realized in 2001/2002 in Cultural Centre REX in Belgrade, and workshops Identity, Communication, Responsibility, realized in 2002 in Youth Centre in Pancevo, supported by EIDHR program of the EU. Workshops dealt with historical heritage of nineties of 20th century in Serbia and the issue of open minded society and freedom of thought. Workshops were attended by more than 100 young people and public work presentations which ended each workshop were seen by more than 1000 spectators.
In 2005 on the invitation of Resource Centre Leskovac, a workshop was realized in Serbian city of Leskovac, South Serbia, with young people of Leskovac as participants. Theme of work was fight against discrimination of HIV positive and people with AIDS.
INDIVIDUAL WORKSHOPS OF PLAVO THEATRE MEMBERS
Through time Plavo theatre director and actors developed their own individual workshops: From Myself towards Theatre, led by director Nenad Colic, Dance of Memory, Workshop of physical and vocal training, led by actress Masa Jelic, Play of Existence, led by actress Jelena Martinovic, The World of the Performer, led by musician and actor Marko Potkonjak.
WORKSHOPS WITH SPECIALIZED FOCUS
Work with different groups on their empowerment where theatre is used as a tool. In 2014 a workshop was organized with slam poets society Poezin, helping slam poets to present their poetry in a more provocative and efficient way to attract the audience.
INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
International theatre events organized by PLAVO theatre:
- Contemporary Theatre – New Generation
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, PLAVO theatre organized in 2005 in Belgrade an international theatre meeting titled Contemporary Theatre – New Generation, Reasons for Existing and Ways of Existence. Participants of the meeting were numerous guests from Serbia (Dah teatar, Ister teatar, POD teatar, many theatrologists, representatives of media and institutions) and abroad (The Grotowski centre and ZAR theatre from Wroclaw, Poland, Theatre Specchi e memorie from Italy, Theaterlabor Im Tor 6 from Bielefeld, Germany and Büro für Off-Theater from Leipzig, Germany). The meeting was consisted of discussions, theatre performances, presentations, concerts.
- Composing of Theatre – Theatre of Composing
In 2007 PLAVO theatre organised another international meeting called Composing of Theatre – Theatre of Composing. Beside PLAVO theatre, participants were: ZAR theatre from Wroclaw, Poland, with performance Gospels of Childhood and Theaterlabor Im TOR 6 from Bielefeld, Germany with performance Body Fragments.
- Meetings, theatre festival
In 2008, 2009 and 2010 PLAVO theatre realised the international theatre festival titled Meetings.
Participants of the festival in 2008:
Theaterlabor Im TOR 6 from Bielefeld, Germany, performance Absurdesque PLAVO theatre, performances The Wizard or Harmonic Cacophony, I Sing Like a Bird.
Theatre company Specchi e memorie from Milan, Italy, performance Relative Absolute and lecture by Specchi e memorie director Massimo Giannetti, Theatre and Man – Actor Between Thought and Communication.
Participants of the festival in 2009:
Theaterlabor Im TOR 6 from Bielefeld, Germany and PLAVO theatre with their experimental coproduction Bizarre Cioncidence.
Participants of the festival in 2010:
Theatre company Specchi e memorie from Milan, Italy, performance The Last Sky and lecture by Specchi e memorie director Massimo Giannetti, How long will the night last?,
Ensemlbe Mirage from Belgrade, Serbia, performance Islands Greener than a Dream.