TOKtheatre starts accepting applications for participation in the Ready-Made World creative lab dedicated to working with the ready-made technique in theatre. The laboratory will be held in April – June 2020. The curator of the project is Elena Malchevskaya, a theater critic, dramatic theorist and teacher.
“We continue to please ourselves and everyone who wants to join us in our new forms of work on theatre performances. In addition to the joy of learning new things, the format of the laboratory will allow authors to create new productions that will possibly become a part of the theater’s repertoire,” the stage and artistic director of TOKtheatre Alexander Marchenko commented.
Ready-made is a technique applied in various forms of art that uses ready-made objects from our everyday life to create art works. The participants of the laboratory will focus on theatre productions that can be created with help of ready-made technique.
Elena Malchevskaya: “The main thing that should be conceived during the laboratory is the participants’ understanding of the role of real household items on stage. What story can be brought with this item? What form can be found in order to tell this story? Is an item always a document? And what other functions can it perform and what impressions and experiences can it bring out in the audience? The participants and I will look for answers during the work.”
Laboratory participants will be selected on the basis of applications:
– Applications are accepted from creative teams, which are headed by a director or stage designer and which work in the sphere of the theatre in Belarus.
– The laboratory participants guarantee the possibility to dive in work completely. The work will include the participation in a two-day installation seminar (2 days, 3–4 hours long – the first decade of April 2020), independent expeditionary work in search for items necessary for the implementation of the plan, and independent team-building (April – May 2020), rehearsal process (May – June 2020); presentation of performances in public (June 2020).
Please note: participation in the creative laboratory does not imply full-time employment during the project.
– Laboratory participants will be provided a work site and a small fixed amount of funding for production expenses.
The application must include:
– An autobiography of the team leader (education, professional experience).
– A brief concept of future work and/or a short motivational letter on the topic “Why do I want to work with the ready-made in the theatre?”
A few questions that you definitely want to ask us:
Is it possible to apply for the laboratory if we do not have a well-defined idea and material selected/collected for our work?
Yes, it is possible. The first step of the laboratory will be specifically dedicated to making final decisions on your idea and to a clear understanding of how you’ll work with objects and what dramatic material you’ll need. If you still find it difficult to answer all these questions, write in the application, why you are attracted by the idea to work with the ready-made in the theatre.
How many people should every team include at the time of application?
At least two people – a director and a set designer. The team may also include representatives of any creative and non-creative professions, whose participation is necessary in the work on the sketch. During the work the number of participants in the team may increase or decrease (for example, in the application you do not have to list the actors, if you are not yet sure, who exactly you want to invite for the project). But do not forget that by submitting an application, the director and set designer take responsibility for the creation of the performance, and should assemble a team of actors and undertake a profound expedition in order to create ready-made scenography.
What is the deadline to submit an application and where to send it?
You can apply for participation in the laboratory through March 20. The applications are to be sent by e-mail to [email protected].