silvija jestrovic - festival as intervention
TRANSCRIPT
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Festival and critical
intervention
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Cultural Public
Sphere
Uncritical Populism Radical Subversion
Critical Intervention
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Arts Festivals
Trigger genuine experience bothemotional and intellectual
As local events, they often transformeveryday settings into unique places
Imply a specific way of consumingculture: not just as spectators, but alsoas participants
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Our case studies
Avignon Theatre Festival
Cannes Film Festival (1968) Sarajevo Film Festival (1992) Days of Sarajevo in Belgrade (since
2007)
Festival as regeneration project
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Avignon
Avignon is also a state of mind: the cityis an open air form where festival-goersdiscuss the shows and share
experiences as spectators. For a
month, every one can have access to a
contemporary and living cultures (thefestival website)
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How does it work in
practice?
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French National
Cultural Policy Focused on democratising access to art(since 1950s and General de Gaulle) 1980s-- Jack Lang followed with
campaigns that promoted art
Still, high-brow art remained elitist
Sarkozy seem to favour popular culturalforms and seems more inclined to fundthem
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Festival Born out of a
utopian dream Avignon festival: founded by Jean Vilar
Vision/ belief: Public service is anessential component of public life
Festival as a space of debate Spectator/ participant
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n que s a us nFrench cultural
history
strong association between state policyof democratising art and theartistic/curatorial vision of
theatre/festival as a vehicle of public
discourse
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Avignon
perceived as a European event, ratherthan a world event
attracts educated audience
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Curators/ artistic
directors Board appoints a new artistic directoreach year -- a leading international
theatre artists (in 2012 Simon
Mcburney)
The artistic director has a completefreedom and autonomy in making the
selection
paradox between audience loyalty andartistic autonomy
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Audiences
professionals, highly educated, upper-middle class
celebrate common values: hostility tothe entertainment business, scorn of
the star system, belief in democraticeffects of theatre experience
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Concept
Leading works Debates, post show talks, and other
forms of discourse between theatre
makers and audience as important as
the shows
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Paradoxes and
transgressions Living Theatre in Avignon 1968
Cancellation of the festival due to thestrike of actors and technicians inFrance (2003)
Jan Fabers selection for the 2005Festival
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Audience loyalty
spectator as pilgrim spectator as critic
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Cannes Film Festival
Started in 1940
World event Attended by approx. 5000 journalist French stage for the presentation of the
entire world cinema
Transgression: May 1968
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Sarajevo Film
Festival 1993
Founded by director Haris Pasovic Context: downfall of Yugoslavia and the
Sarajevo siege (1992-1995)
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General conditions
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Vision
MESS = umbrella organisation (filmfestival + theatre production)
aim: to maintain the cultural life of thecity and to foster international cultural
relationships
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To think about:
Why was it politically and culturallyimportant to stop the Cannes filmfestival in 1968, and way was it
important to found and maintain the
Sarajevo Film Festival in 1993?
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Reconciliations
Days of Sarajevo in Belgrade: Started in 2007 in May in
commemoration of the beginning of the
Sarajevo siege
Initiated by the Youth Initiative forHuman Rights
Supported financially by both cities
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Aims and features To foster reconciliation through culture,
dialogue and cultural co-operations
theatre, film, music, visual art fromSarajevo
Discussions and debates (includeparticipants from other regions of
former Yugoslavia)
Topics: Identity? What was Yugoslaviancollective identity
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Questions for
discussion:
How do festivals contribute to shapingof local and national identities?
How do they contribute in developing apost-national form of cultural
citizenship?