Jerzy Grotowski in Opole

30 artists from Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Iran, Jamaica, Ukraine and the United States will come to the Opole international symposium on Jerzy Grotowski. From 25 November to 3 December there will be organised numerous theatre workshops, performances and screenings devoted to this outstanding director and creator of the "Theatre of 13 Rows."

- It's fantastic that the Mayor of Opole saw the potential that lies in Grotowski for the city,- says Agnieszka Wójtowicz, theatre specialist from the Institute of Polish and Cultural Studies at the University of Opole. - Not many people know that hundreds of foreign tourists visit our city to see places connected with Grotowski, - she adds.

- Now it is time to use his work and relationship with our city, and, above all, to spread this knowledge among Poles and Opole citizens, “ says the Mayor of Opole.

-The sad thing is that we have to fight to restore the memory of Grotowski for Opole, while Wroclaw has been doing it for years, - noted Prof. Marek Masnyk , Rector of UO.

Therefore, the symposium is to draw attention of Opole inhabitants and the rest of Poland to Grotowski’s work in our city. To achieve it, Opole invited an international group of actors from Subpoetics International and the Gershom Theatre Laboratory in Lviv led by Professor Seth Baumrina, head of the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts of the City University in New York. Subpoetics International theatre focuses on human rights. It was founded in Paris thanks to the cooperation of artists and scientists from all over the world. It is a group of 50 actors, scientists and students dealing with anthropology, dance, music, sociology and theatre. The group, which is to visit Opole, has run numerous theatre workshops in Paris, Vienna, Ljubljana, Pakistan and Lviv. The Gershom Theatre in Lviv is the first theatre laboratory in Ukraine to be founded after 1993.

The event has been organised by: The Department of Communication and Theatre Arts of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, Opole Theatre of Puppet and Actor, and the Chair of Theatre, Film and New Media of the UO. The patronage is held by the Mayor of Opole.

Programme:

26 Nov. - OPOLE THEATRE OF PUPPET AND ACTOR

10.00 - 12.00 - films about Jerzy Grotowski

Grotowski - Flaszen (Małgorzata Dziewulska)

Playing with Memory. Grotowski in Opole (Teresa Kudyba and Agnieszka Wójtowicz)

29 Nov. - STUDENT ACTIVTY CENTRE (SCK)

16.30 - 18.00 Panel discussion with invited guests – Grotowski and politics

01 Dec. - Collegium Maius of the University of Opole

14:00 - lecture by Professor Seth Baumrin

02 Dec. - OPOLE THEATRE OF PUPPET AND ACTOR

18.00 - performances:

Stranger in a Stranger Land (Gershom Theatre Laboratory, Lviv)