History

“The main aim and purpose of the new festival is the opportunity to see the outcome as well as process of creative work of other schools, the chance to hear our colleagues from other countries, talk and discuss the common questions and problems and naturally also inspire each other.”

Josef Kovalčuk

The history of the International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER dates back to the early 1990s. The Velvet Revolution and gradual democratisation of our society had an influence also on the development of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, namely on reopening of the Theatre Faculty (instead of being part of one faculty as before 1989) and on large reconstruction of Marta Theatre.

It was the opening of the reconstructed theatre hall in 1991 that stimulated the realization of the first “SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER” of theatre schools of the former Czechoslovakia – besides JAMU, there was also the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Academy of Performing Arts from Bratislava. These schools have created the firm core of the festival participants since then. This very inspiring meeting in 1991 gave birth to a thought to continue in this action and gradually expand behind the borders of one country (at that time).

The first years of the festival were focused mainly on the participants from European theatre schools but from the last third of the 90s, organizers' attention has aimed also to other continents and this trend of presenting always new and not yet participating schools (preferably from countries that have not been represented yet) has continued up until now.

As the main programme expanded, the number of festival days logically grew bigger and since 1999, it has settled on five days during which 12 to 15 participating schools present their production.

Apart from the main programme, there was a progressive development also in the formation of side events: first discussions started to appear, then seminars, workshops, productions of JAMU students and so on – these activities have created the off programme since that time but the actual form is different each year.

During the years, the festival has also changed its status – from a competitive to non-competitive festival that appreciates (awards) the most extraordinary artistic achievements in order to support their further artistic production. By this act, the organizers underlined the main message of the festival: the aim is not to “compete” but cooperate, pass the experience on and inspire each other.

Regarding the above mentioned, as well as the aim of the festival – to be a platform for meeting of theatre schools, teachers and students together with eminent personages of the professional theatre world – and the variety of participating schools, we can describe the SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER festival as a unique international project of its kind in the contemporary Europe.

Anniversary Publications

20th Anniversary

25th Anniversary

The festival has already hosted theatre schools from 38 countries

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Croatia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • The Czech Republic
  • The Netherlands
  • The Republic of South Africa
  • The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • The United States of America
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
TOPlist