SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER Brno 2002

12^th International Festival of Theatre Schools, Brno, Czech Republic

Brno – 9^th - 13^th April 2002

The representatives of these institutions form the Festival Board, who is lead by the Dean of DIFA JAMU professor Václav Cejpek and the director of the Festival professor Petr Oslzlý. The Festival Board controls the preparation as well as all festival activities and determines its contents in general.

To organise the Festival Setkání/Encounter, is one of the basic methods and forms of education at DIFA JAMU. That is why it becomes the unique bridge connecting theory, training and professional life.

Setkání/Encounter 2002 is the 12th year of the International Festival of Theatre Schools of university type. The main organiser of the festival is DIFA JAMU. The idea to organise an encounter of all three-theatre schools of university type from the former Czechoslovakia was born here in Brno, in 1990.

The teachers and students from DIFA JAMU in Brno, DAMU in Prague and VŠMU in Bratislava met one weekend in February 1991. They performed their creation and methods of work.

Since its 1st year the festival has been developing and the number of participants has been growing. The festival is international because there are participating the schools from abroad.

Originally the festival was shorter, now it takes 5 days. Nowadays the programme also includes many accompanying events.

The importance of the festival is confirmed by the patronage of the Rector of JAMU, the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Mayor of the city of Brno, the Hetman of the Southmoravian region as well as the Czech Commission for UNESCO.

13 Czech schools and schools from abroad visited the Setkání/Encounter festival 2001 and the number of participants was over 250. 3000 theatregoers saw festival performances on 4 stages.

• Thanks to its advantageous location in the centre of Europe the Festival has became a link between eastern and western cultures and enables students from all over the world to understand one another through theatre as a means of communication. The Festival has attracted even students from South Africa.
• Teachers and students can find inspiration in mutual confrontation of modern and traditional acting methods exchange of different theatre methods between both teachers and students.
• Thanks to the Festival, DIFA JAMU has been involved in international networks and projects (SCART, PROSPERO, Socrates / Erasmus etc.)
• Mobilities of students and teachers between DIFA JAMU and partner schools ( e.g. GITIS - Moscow, Utrecht - Holland, Dartington – United Kingdom)
• Participation of foreign students in DIFA´s Street Theatre projects.
• Instant development and improvement of the work of theatre management and dramaturgy students within the festival organisation.
• DIFA students can practise foreign language when interpreting and translating during the preparation of the Setkání/Encounter festival as well as informally communicate with their friends from abroad.
• Regular exchange of students performances between JAMU and VSMU

Today the Setkání/Encounter festival is the largest international festival of theatre schools of university level in the Czech Republic.

The festival enriches the cultural life not only in Brno and its surroundings but also in the whole Moravian region. The festival promotes the region abroad and helps its participants to get in contact. The festival contributes to the development of the tourist industry in the region as well.

• The Setkání/Encounter is a part of the annual projects ”Brno – City in the Centre of Europe” and ”Brno – University City” as well.

• Thanks to its prestige and media publicity, the festival partners are effectively presented at all festival activities.
• In the year 2000 fundraising activities with the aim to get financial support from commercial and business subjects have started. 20 firms supported the Setkání/Encounter festival 2000. Since then cultural, commercial and business sphere has been actively involved. One half of those who sponsored the Setkání/Encouter festival 2000 were involved in the Setkání/Encounter festival 2001.

• The 11^th year of the festival get closer to inhabitants and visitors to Brno because it expanded from stone buildings, brought life to the streets and squares of Brno and address even the audiences who otherwise wouldn´t visit any performances. Through Street Theatre productions DIFA JAMU has completed one part of its study programme and has as well, continued this tradition.

The festival is running for five days (from Tuesday to Saturday) in first two week of April (after eight weeks of summer semester) and is finished by the Marta Award ceremony. For these five days the festival programme scheme is drawn up: every day three performances on various venues, they don´t coincide with each other and discussions “ Students for students”.

Traditional off programme productions include a mini-festival “Something in Addition” meetings of teachers within international networks, encounter of festival supporters and teachers with the mayor of the city Brno and the festival ball. Another social event is “A glass of wine” that takes place in the “Marta” theatre studio before festival and the partners how the festival is prepared and organised.

The festival board and students of dramaturgy will choose 13 theatre schools from the received application, photos and videotapes.

The deadline for application is 20^th December. In the first round a limited number of schools will be chosen from the received applications. Applications sent after the 20the December will not be taken into consideration.

Each of the invited school can be represented by 15 persons – students and teachers. The organisers try to provide accommodation, board and informational materials for all participants. Participants pay travel costs themselves. However, the organisers help find financial support

The festival is situated in the centre of Brno that enables to take advantage of following:

Martas are awarded to outstanding performances at the end of the festival week. The international jury is responsible for the prices awarding. The jury consists of students of theatre theory and independent theatre professionals. The “Marta Award” has won its tradition since 1993 and has become the symbol of the Setkání/Encounter festival. The “Marta Award” has become a European prestige award and has been very important for the evaluation reports of many theatre schools of university level.

The balance sheet is based on preliminary plan of festival Setkání - Encounter 2002 as it was defined by festival council during preparation negotiations. Within processing and checking the budget is based on optimal costs in relation to qarantee standard conditions and services during the project.

Organisers and co-organisers take part in the process of costs defray. We also use opportunities and supports from the state administration, non-profit organisations, internal funds and business organisations, Ministry of culture, The city of Brno, private investors etc.

Theatre faculty is taking part in the budget by covering all operating and administrative costs connected with the organisation of festival. The aim of organisers is to keep the equal budget.