PRAGUE, Czech Republic – After four years, the largest world exhibition of performance design is set to flood the center of Prague. The event spans 11 days and will feature 64 national expositions and more than 500 live events at more than 100 locations in the center of Prague, drawing an expected 50,000 visitors.
More details from the Prague Quadrennial (www.pq.cz):
The only event of its kind in the world will for the first time ever take place in the very historical city centre. Besides the expositions of Countries and Regions, the exhibition of theatre architecture and art schools from around the globe, the program also offers lectures, workshops, and a diverse range of live performance in public spaces. Moreover PQ 2015 will bring together as many as 5,000 international theatre professionals, including legends such as Robert Lepage and the founders of the Rimini Protokoll and Gob Squad ensembles. The main theme of the 13th Prague Quadrennial is “SharedSpace: Music Weather Politics”.
Since 1967, the Prague Quadrennial has been following and presenting the latest trends in scenography and the architecture of performance space. PQ is the world’s largest event to explore the field of scenography in its full breadth: stage, costume, lighting and sound design, but also new scenographic approaches such as site-specific work, street performances, and much more. The festival’s main attraction is an exhibition of national expositions from 64 countries. Visitors can thus take a virtual journey across a map of the entire world while exploring the latest examples of international theatre art. Another important part of PQ are its live events – discussions, workshops, lectures, and live performances where thousands of professionals, ordinary festival-goers, and students can meet and interact. PQ also offers a special program for its youngest visitors, youth, and families with children.
PQ presents world-class stars
Besides around 70 countries and their national expositions, other highlights of PQ are the lectures and discussions in the programme’s professional section. One of the main events of PQ 2015 will be a lecture by Canadian theatre guru Robert Lepage. This multifaceted artist, director, scenographer, and actor is renowned primarily for his multimedia productions. Many people consider him the most talented theatre artist today. Other leading theatre personalities scheduled to appear at PQ either as workshop leaders or speakers in the talks include Sean Patten (Gob Squad), Stefan Kaegi (Rimini Protokoll),, Philippe Quesne (Vivarium Studio),, Numen / For Use, Adrianne Lobel (The Metropolitan Opera, Peter Sellars), Jim Clayburgh (formerly of The Wooster Group / JOJI INC), Mike Pearson (National Theatre Wales, Aberystwyth University), and many more!
Location: PQ 2015 takes over central Prague
Unlike the previous editions, the upcoming Prague Quadrennial will be for the first time spread out among multiple unique locations in Prague’s historical city centre, between the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge. The exhibition spaces include the baroque Clam-Gallas and Collorado-Mansfeld Palaces, Kafka’s House, the Gothic St. Anne’s Church, the Gallery at the Bethlehem Chapel, and the tunnels beneath the National Theatre. One big new attraction for general audience will be touring expositions in the public space.
SharedSpace: Music Weather Politics
The theme of the scenographic festival’s 13th edition is SharedSpace: Music Weather Politics. This theme reflects developments in contemporary scenography, as well as the latest trends in theatre today: “We talk about the space that influences relationships among people and that creates a platform for sharing… for sharing ideas, stories, and social responsibility. The aim of PQ ’15 is to study theatricality – imaginary, visionary, and invisible – as a socio-political creative force. Through the proposed topics of Music Weather Politics, we plan to make invisible scenography visible; scenographic environments profoundly influence us even though they are intangible,” says PQ’s artistic director Sodja Lotker.
