TESZT

Publications

2017

Border Roads 2017

TESZT 2017

It is the fourth year when the Border Roads volume accompanies the TESZT festival aiming to provide a survey – from a wider or more limited perspective – of the regional theatrical culture. This was assisted by different thematic areas that derived from the identity of the festival: the previous volumes had approached the communal and participative aspects of the theatre, the societal role of theatres and questions regarding the acceptance of roles; we also conceived a series of drama translations and comprehensive essays, a permanent and multilingual discourse regarding the contemporary theatre phenomenon.

It is the fourth year when the Border Roads volume accompanies the TESZT festival aiming to provide a survey – from a wider or more limited perspective – of the regional theatrical culture. This was assisted by different thematic areas that derived from the identity of the festival: the previous volumes had approached the communal and participative aspects of the theatre, the societal role of theatres and questions regarding the acceptance of roles; we also conceived a series of drama translations and comprehensive essays, a permanent and multilingual discourse regarding the contemporary theatre phenomenon.

The present volume, given its structure and viewpoint, is a continuation of this series yet this year it focuses much more on the TESZT festival programme. It comprises interviews with artists and essays which hopefully will complete the theatrical experiences while also emphasising the artistic, aesthetic and cultural perspectives, hence contributing to the processing of all that one has seen. From this viewpoint, the volume like other platforms connected to the festival – the encounters with the public after the performance, the playful and interactive album of memories, the spontaneous writings on the festival’s “wall” and on-line or the incidental personal conversations –: provide,albeit in a different form, a
place for reflexion, the possibility to connect.
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The Border Roads can be downloaded from here.

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2016

Border Roads 2016

Border Roads 2016

TESZT 2016

The volume consists of three parts. In the first part one can read theatrical essays mapping the community/participatory theatre in a certain country. In Hungary its history is closely related to the activity of the TIE companies, in Romania to political and documentary theatre, while in Serbia, besides all this, to the numerous artistic performative initiatives derived from a complex avant-garde tradition. An essay also portrays the Scandinavian community culture and art in the form of analysing the work of a conceptual artistic based on performative perspectives – this writing is exciting for how it understands the notion of participation.

The volume consists of three parts. In the first part one can read theatrical essays mapping the community/participatory theatre in a certain country. In Hungary its history is closely related to the activity of the TIE companies, in Romania to political and documentary theatre, while in Serbia, besides all this, to the numerous artistic performative initiatives derived from a complex avant-garde tradition. An essay also portrays the Scandinavian community culture and art in the form of analysing the work of a conceptual artistic based on performative perspectives – this writing is exciting for how it understands the notion of participation. We can definitely state that, when referring to the Hungarian and Romanian community/participatory theatre, we can hardly find specialised literature, there is only a limited amount of comprehensive work concerning its historical and theoretical viewpoints; it is no mere chance that these companies invest a lot of energy in this research, in the mediation of the related literature or in training. That is why we considered it important to address such people in the second part of the volume who can share with us their ideas regarding their longer or shorter yet direct experience: details illustrating their productions, projects, organisations, or the social and cultural contexts influencing their work. We addressed not only theatre makers but also project managers, cultural managers, directors of institutions, whose goals consist in the creation and activation of free and independent platforms. This kind of work copes with a lot of difficulties: the uncertain financing, the cessation of associations, the closure of cultures, the conflicts occurring in institutions, which are at once different and similar in these post-communist social and cultural settings. Besides all these failures one may also notice a certain level of success. Both of these represent relevant experiences. The third part of the volume is a list by these three countries. Here we present those organisations, companies, centres, projects which are mostly related to participatory/community theatre – not a complete one but still, a compilation providing a certain course.

2015

Border Roads 2015

Border Roads 2015

TESZT 2015

All the three plays in the present volume – Péter Kárpáti’s Ultonia; Tanja Šljivar’s Scratching or How My Grandmother Killed Herself; Gianina Cărbunariu’s Asparagus – focus on the phenomenon of emigration. Their selection was justified not only by the nature of texts, or the theatrical format, but also by the intricate process in which the editorial process is actually not a selection, but a reply to the questions formulated by these texts; the same way these plays can be regarded as answers to the world’s phenomena.

All the three plays in the present volume – Péter Kárpáti’s Ultonia; Tanja Šljivar’s Scratching or How My Grandmother Killed Herself; Gianina Cărbunariu’s Asparagus – focus on the phenomenon of emigration. Their selection was justified not only by the nature of texts, or the theatrical format, but also by the intricate process in which the editorial process is actually not a selection, but a reply to the questions formulated by these texts; the same way these plays can be regarded as answers to the world’s phenomena.




Download the publication here.

2014

Border Roads 2014

Border Roads 2014

TESZT 2014

The idea of a multilingual festival publication came from the TESZT`s international trait and orientation. From the thought to present the participant countrie`s theatres, culture and artisits. The publication conains Hungarian, Romanian and Serbian theatre critic`s essays, interviews with different artists, theatre directors and translators. Beside this intellectual panorama the goal of this volume would be to map the region`s theatrical institutions. The Hungarian State Theatre Timisoara intents with this publication to help the communication between the region`s theatres and to support all kind of artistic partnerships, for the sake of a broader perspective, which leads to more and more coproductions.

The idea of a multilingual festival publication came from the TESZT`s international trait and orientation. From the thought to present the participant countrie`s theatres, culture and artisits. The publication conains Hungarian, Romanian and Serbian theatre critic`s essays, interviews with different artists, theatre directors and translators. Beside this intellectual panorama the goal of this volume would be to map the region`s theatrical institutions. The Hungarian State Theatre Timisoara intents with this publication to help the communication between the region`s theatres and to support all kind of artistic partnerships, for the sake of a broader perspective, which leads to more and more coproductions.

Download thea publication here.