How is ENCOUNTER seen by students of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno
Sadness
23rd March 2021, 14:05: I am sitting down behind my laptop and turning on the live stream of the opening ceremony. A little too late, but still. And just like that, nostalgia kicks in. I am going back in my memories to my first year at JAMU. Back then I had no clue what Encounter was when we were assigned a task to be a part of the opening parade. With that started a circle full of rehearsals, learning new things, preparations, chaos… and at the end of all that, the festival. Five days full of culture, running from theatre to theatre at the last minute, buying tickets fast, chill-zone in the gymnastics classroom, sunshine in our academy halls, freshly prepared coffee in the cafeteria, pretty smiling people everywhere, who spoke various languages, afterparties till sunshine, wake up and repeat. And when it all came to an end, we were anxiously waiting for the next year. But it never came.
Now, when I was remembering it all during writing, I got teary-eyed. Though it might be true that I am somewhat feeling like sitting in a theatre while watching online performances, all of the rest is missing, mainly the sense of belonging and sharing. Encounter is not only about the theatre, it’s about friendship, love, sharing emotions, getting to know each other, and mainly – meeting (encountering). And for us, JAMU students, Encounter is even more important. We are the ones who get to host artists from all over the world for a few days. Take them between us and create one big theatre family for a moment. A family that is hard to say goodbye to. And for a year we were totally separated. Alone amidst the unknown and hoping for better times. This year we feel that there is a will, that Encounter is alive. It was never really gone, just as our theatre heart, it was sleeping under the burden of restrictions. And I believe that next year we’ll get to relive it in its full glory as we know it.
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