2021–2023 | Lifelong Art in V4 countries

2021–2023 | Lifelong Art in V4 countries

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Project duration: 

1 September 2021 – 31 January 2023

Short description:

The project aims to increase the representation of senior citizens in contemporary performing arts communities in Visegrad countries. The collaboration of a Czech and a Polish cultural center and a Hungarian foundation creates programs for seniors and thus makes the cultural offering of the regions better fit the population. 

The central element of the project is a 14-week program where local artists co-create with seniors. It runs parallely in the three countries in Olomouc, Budapest and Krakow, and includes artistic coaching, creation and sharing of experiences. The program participants experience artistic creation through various disciplines such as contemporary dance, acting, music, voice and experimental practices, which can contribute to well-being and personal fulfilment. In addition, having a more diverse community around each organization fosters intergenerational dialogue and understanding. 

Project Coordinator:

  • OFF Foundation (Budapest, HU)
    Webpage: www. offalapitvany.hu
    Contact: assistance.hodworks@gmail.com

 

Partners:

 

Visegrad Fund:

https://www.visegradfund.org/

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

 


 

ABOUT THE PROJECTS

 

Nowa Huta Cultural Centre

THE VOICE OF SENIORS

 

 

The voice of seniors

 

Nowa Huta Cultural Centre has been active since 1983 and engages the public in a multifaceted way. Apart from theatre, dance, photography, ceramics and musical workshops they organise concerts, art exhibitions and festivals. In 2014, Krakow Choreographic Centre (KCC), a department dedicated to work in the field of contemporary dance was established. The centre took part in a two-year production project, co-financed by Creative Europe Programme, under the name of International Contemporary Dance Company 2018-2020 (iCoDaCo). KCC also conducts regular classes of contemporary dance for children, adolescents and adults at various levels: https://nck.krakow.pl/kcc/en/education/

 

Artists involved in the project:

  • Barbara Bujakowska – Dancer, studied at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität in Linz, Austria and completed a foundation course of SEAD in Salzburg. Barbara has experience in working with seniors. She worked for several years with a permanent group, running regular movement classes, organising social meetings and cultural activities. She also worked in a nursing home with people with dementia (physical activities).
  • Karol Miękina – Actor, dancer, choreographer, studied at the National Academy of Theatre Arts in Krakow and the Dance Theatre Department in Bytom. Karol has performed at dance and theater festivals in Poland and abroad and created two pieces. In 2014, Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage awarded Karol with the „Young Poland” scholarship prize.
  • Lukasz Laxy – Cellist, conductor, countertenor, teacher of voice emission, graduated from the Academy of Music in Krakow, majoring in cello and conducting. He runs the Krakow Revolutionary Choir. He co-creates Autonomous Educational Space, increasing access to free education.

 


 

DW7, o.p.s. – Divadlo na cucky

GENETIKA 

https://www.divadlonacucky.cz/studio-sen-genetika

 

Divadlo na cucky is a professional independent theatre in the centre of Olomouc, with a contemporary dramaturgy dedicated to civic engagement and current social issues. They have a rich experience working with elderly people. They open drama courses every year and try to raise their quality each time.

Their senior program is described at https://www.nacucky.cz/kurz-senior

 

Artists involved in the project:

  • Dominika Bartosova – Dramatherapist. Dominika is the main leader and coach of the activities and courses for the elderly at Divadlo na cucky.
  • Eva Lietavova – Director. Eva is focusing on innovative and experimental projects with various target groups, exploring various forms of performance such as happening, site-specific performances and digital technologies.
  • Adam Steinbauer Director. Adam graduated JAMU: The Faculty of Performing Arts of Brno as a theatre director. He works with several Czech theatres: A Studio Rubín, Prague City Theatres, Divadlo na cucky theatre, Theatre Letí and others. 

 


 

OFF Foundation – Hodworks Company

“This is how I can play at my age!”

 

 

OFF Foundation was established in 2002 to support progressive performing artists and performers, with a special focus on the work of Adrienn Hód in this field. The Foundation also implements and supports, to the best of its ability, educational, cultural, artistic and talent development programmes and research in line with the above objectives.

 

Artists involved in the project:

  • Adrienn Tóth (Hód) – Choreographer, artistic director of Hodworks. Adrienn’s pieces, Basse danse in 2012, Dawn in 2014 and Conditions of Being a Mortal in 2015, have been selected into the 20 most outstanding contemporary dance pieces by Aerowaves European dance network. Her company, Hodworks regularly appears at international festivals and theatres.
  •  Júlia Garai – Dance artist, dance teacher. After studying ballet and folk dance, she studied contemporary dance at the Budapest Dance School. She graduated as a classical ballet teacher at the Hungarian Dance Academy and as a contemporary dance teacher at the Budapest Contemporary Dance Academy. In 2007, she started teaching ballet technique and creative dance to disabled people (Baltazár Theatre). Since 2012, she has been giving weekly dance classes for seniors (MU Theatre 60+ programme). Since 2012, she has taught creative dance and ballet classes for children in several kindergartens. From 2023, she also holds dance classes for several senior groups. 
  •  Tamara Zsófia Vadas – Contemporary dance teacher, dancer and choreographer, graduated from the Hungarian Contemporary Dance Academy. Besides being an artist, Tamara participated in theater pedagogy projects, e.g. Nibiru in which she was working and creating a performance with children aged 11-18. Tamara also gave warm-up events before Hodworks’ performances. She was one of the artists in our Erasmus+ collaboration.

 

Feedback of the participants on the creational period is available here.

The project was supported by: EMMI, MU Theatre, Virág Benedek Ház, Art Quarter Budapest
Project coordinator: OFF Foundation
Coproduction partner: Katlan Group

 


 

Project events and outputs:

Closing performances and video documentations:

 

The voice of seniors

Nowa Huta Cultural Centre / Nowohuckie Centrum Kultury (Kraków, PL) 2nd August 2022

 

Genetika

DW7, o.p.s. / DW7, o.p.s. – Divadlo na cucky (Olomouc, CZ) 26th June 2022

 

This is how I can play at my age!

MU Theatre (Budapest, HU) 25th of September 2022


 

Artistic and educational programmes with senior participants

Database

Submit a programme here!

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

The project is supported with 24.180 euros by VisegradFund.