Conference “Change – now!”

• Does violence have to be part of artistic training?
• How, in the context of education, should we understand responsibility for power?
• How to maintain the right for artistic exploration and readiness to cross boundaries not violating the work safety of artistic creation?
• How to build relations which allow subjectivity of each side?
• How does the #MeToo movement change the theatre?
• What skills do emancipated actors and actresses need?
• How to negotiate principles of artistic creation at school and theatre?

All these questions will be posed during the conference. We will be looking into education in the domain of theatre and performative arts in the light of changes, which have taken place within theatre in recent years. We can observe an intensified discussion on the change within the model of work and production, which is connected with actors’ emancipation, empowerment of theatre companies and revision of relations with power. The theatre is struggling with its own hierarchical structure, including its economic, gender, class or ethic dimension. A special context of this process is the theatre’s relation to the #MeToo movement, which raised questions about sexual abuse, including the model of a master – genius artist, whose limitless freedom used to be treated as an ultimate value of the creative process.

How do drama schools respond to these changes? Are they ready to critically look into their own mechanisms and power relations? Can they, while still bonding with tradition, transform their policies and work methods to open up to the occurring processes? Do they support subjectivity and emancipation of male and female artists in the learning process, making space for the so significant democratisation of social life?

You are welcome to join a debate among international group of representatives of European drama schools, which will enable us to diagnose the situation and reflect on how to create effective system solutions. How to shape anti-discrimination and anti-violence policy in order to encourage creative and subjective relations, simultaneously preparing for a theatre career? We will open a platform for the exchange of experiences; discuss specific solutions, needs and direction of change. We will try to design further joint actions.

We are breaking the silence. Change – now!