Schulz: Scraps

DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFORMANCE:

"Matter has been given infinite fertility, inexhaustible vitality, and, at the same time, a seductive power of temptation which invites us to create as well."

“There is no dead matter (…) lifelessness is only a disguise behind which hide unknown forms of life. The range of these forms is infinite and their shades and nuances limitless.”

The diagnosed need to create visual, metaphorical and philosophical events finds its outlet in the poetic prose of Bruno Schulz. Based on a selection of subjects and stories by this author, we are creating a performative installation directed by Konrad Dworakowski. The theme of the performers' activities will be the creation of an internal space focused on the act of creation, freeing dreams and struggling with the elusiveness of concepts. We want to focus on the philosophical approach to the act of creation, releasing imperfect memory, explore the concepts of beauty, ugliness, death, creativity.

By searching and crossing the boundaries between human body and matter, we enter the creative process suggested by Jacob - the hero of Schulz's stories. We want to create a metaphor of the world, aiming together with the characters for an idyllic vision that is a longing for a world composed of the notions of phantasmagoria and desires. The goal of this process is the mythical republic of dreams from Schulz's short story. We will try metaphorically to enter into the competence of the Creator to create on the stage a man "in the image and likeness of a dummy" with all the consequences of this abuse. The usurper vision of creators will lead us through experiences that will examine the consequences of this act, thus referring to the contemporary vision of the world where corporality and spirituality re-evaluate their meanings.
  

INFORMATION ABUT THE ARTISTS:

Konrad Dworakowski - director and actor, graduate and teacher of the Białystok Department of Puppet - Theatre Arts at The Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. Teacher at the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music in Lodz, and of the Theatre Education at the Institute of Polish Culture of University of Warsaw. In 2003-2005 he was the artistic director of Guliwer Puppet Theatre in Warsaw. He has directed in puppet and dramatic theatres in Poland and abroad. The most important productions: "Mikrokosmos / Microcosm", "Hydrokosmos / Hydrocosm" of the Pantomime Theatre in Wroclaw, ”Balladyny i romance / Balladynas and Romances", ”Historia występnej wyobraźni / History of Immoral Imagination", ”Chłopcy z Place Broni / The Paul Street Boys”, „Don Kichot” of Pinokio Theatre in Łódź, ”Król Maciuś I / King Matt the First” of Banialuka Theatre] in Bielsko-Biała and ”Dumanowski side A” of Stary Theatre in Kraków. Konrad Dworakowski is the author of scenarios and lyrics, he writes both for children and adults. He also conducts his own workshops on the theatre of form. He was the director of Teatr Pinokio in Łódź in the years 2009-2019. The originator of projects related to social and cultural revitalization in Łódź, Wałbrzych and Katowice (including "Punkty Kultury / Culture Points", "Wjeżdżamy w bramy / We enter the gates", "Bramogranie / Playing at the gates"). The originator and artistic director of the International Festival "Teatralna Karuzela / Theatrical Merry-go-round”.

CHOREA Theatre - was founded in 2004 in Lublin, as a result of collaboration between two groups of performers. First group, 'The Ancient Orchestra', was developing musical and rhythmical work. Second group, 'Dances of the Labyrinth', was experimenting on movement and dance. Since 2004, before they found their residence in Lodz in 2007, they have been working in several locations. The company was first based in Naleczow, Srebrna Gora and Warsaw, they cooperated with Erthfall Dance Theatre in Cardiff (Wales). Since 2007 they established a permanent base in the city of Lodz, co-founding with Lodz Art Centre a cultural institution named Fabryka Sztuki (Art Factory) and they own an amazing industrial theatre spaces (for rehearsals, performances and workshops) situated in the 19th Century factories, named Art_Inkubator in Fabryka Sztuki in Lodz.
During 15 years of activity CHOREA Theatre fully developed its educational and artistic work. CHOREA artists organized many international workshop sessions, transnational artistic projects, several editions of their own International Theatre Festival Retroperspektywy and nationwide Theatre Festival Perspektywy, and created more than 40 theatre productions, performances, and concerts. In 2015 CHOREA artists recorded a musical album 'Lullabies' and published actors training handbook 'Actors phisical training. From individual to group actions'. CHOREA group collaborates with artists from all over the world: USA, Great Britain, Israel, Spain, India, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Syria, Japan, Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Georgia, Moldova, etc.
During last years CHOREA Theatre presented their performances, concerts and intensive workshop sessions all over the world. In 2009 CHOREA performed on International Meeting on Ancient Drama Festival in Delphi, (Greece). In 2010 we cooperated with Rosanna Gamson Worldwide Theatre in Los Angeles (USA). In 2011 we presented our work in Escena Contemporanea Festival in Madrid (Spain) and in Mayerhold Theatre Centre in Moscow (Russia). In 2012 we visited Stage Centre in Tel Aviv (Israel). In 2011, 2012 and 2013 we performed on Bharat Rang Mahotsav - the biggest international Theatre Festival in India. In 2014 and 2015 we showed our performances in Art Carnuntum Verein für Kunst Geschichte Theater Kultur Festival in Art Carnuntum (Austria). In 2015 we presented our work in Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and in Chisnau (Moldova). In 2015 and 2016 we performed in Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre (Georgia). In 2017 we performed in Berlin (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden) and in St.Petersburg (Russia). In 2018 we visited Baerum Kulturhus and sandvika Teater in Oslo (Norway), we leaded an intensive workshop session, in terms of "Polish Theatre Days” during II International Theatre Festival TheATRIUM 2018 in Drama Theatre in Klaipeda (Lithuania), performed in Danube Bend Theatre in Vac (Hungary) in terms of V4 Festival and Theatre Meeting 2018, and performed on Festivalul International de Teatru Pentru Publicul Tanar in Iasi (Romania).

Dofinansowano ze środków Ministra Kultury i DziedzictwaNarodowego pochodzących z Funduszu Promocji Kultury, uzyskanych z dopłat ustanowionych w grach objętychmonopolem państwa, zgodnie z art. 80 ust. 1 ustawy z dnia 19 listopada 2009 r. o grach hazardowych.

Dofinansowano ze środków Urzędu Miasta Łodzi.