silvija jestrovic - festival as intervention

8/13/2019 Silvija Jestrovic - Festival as Intervention

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Festival and critical

intervention


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Cultural Public

Sphere

Uncritical Populism Radical Subversion

Critical Intervention


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Arts Festivals

Trigger genuine experience bothemotional and intellectual

As local events, they often transformeveryday settings into unique places

Imply a specific way of consumingculture: not just as spectators, but alsoas participants


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Our case studies

Avignon Theatre Festival

Cannes Film Festival (1968) Sarajevo Film Festival (1992) Days of Sarajevo in Belgrade (since

2007)

Festival as regeneration project


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Avignon

Avignon is also a state of mind: the cityis an open air form where festival-goersdiscuss the shows and share

experiences as spectators. For a

month, every one can have access to a

contemporary and living cultures (thefestival website)


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How does it work in

practice?


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French National

Cultural Policy Focused on democratising access to art(since 1950s and General de Gaulle) 1980s-- Jack Lang followed with

campaigns that promoted art

Still, high-brow art remained elitist

Sarkozy seem to favour popular culturalforms and seems more inclined to fundthem


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Festival Born out of a

utopian dream Avignon festival: founded by Jean Vilar

Vision/ belief: Public service is anessential component of public life

Festival as a space of debate Spectator/ participant


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n que s a us nFrench cultural

history

strong association between state policyof democratising art and theartistic/curatorial vision of

theatre/festival as a vehicle of public

discourse


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Avignon

perceived as a European event, ratherthan a world event

attracts educated audience


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Curators/ artistic

directors Board appoints a new artistic directoreach year -- a leading international

theatre artists (in 2012 Simon

Mcburney)

The artistic director has a completefreedom and autonomy in making the

selection

paradox between audience loyalty andartistic autonomy


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Audiences

professionals, highly educated, upper-middle class

celebrate common values: hostility tothe entertainment business, scorn of

the star system, belief in democraticeffects of theatre experience


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Concept

Leading works Debates, post show talks, and other

forms of discourse between theatre

makers and audience as important as

the shows


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Paradoxes and

transgressions Living Theatre in Avignon 1968

Cancellation of the festival due to thestrike of actors and technicians inFrance (2003)

Jan Fabers selection for the 2005Festival


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Audience loyalty

spectator as pilgrim spectator as critic


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Cannes Film Festival

Started in 1940

World event Attended by approx. 5000 journalist French stage for the presentation of the

entire world cinema

Transgression: May 1968


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Sarajevo Film

Festival 1993

Founded by director Haris Pasovic Context: downfall of Yugoslavia and the

Sarajevo siege (1992-1995)


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General conditions


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Vision

MESS = umbrella organisation (filmfestival + theatre production)

aim: to maintain the cultural life of thecity and to foster international cultural

relationships


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To think about:

Why was it politically and culturallyimportant to stop the Cannes filmfestival in 1968, and way was it

important to found and maintain the

Sarajevo Film Festival in 1993?


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Reconciliations

Days of Sarajevo in Belgrade: Started in 2007 in May in

commemoration of the beginning of the

Sarajevo siege

Initiated by the Youth Initiative forHuman Rights

Supported financially by both cities


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Aims and features To foster reconciliation through culture,

dialogue and cultural co-operations

theatre, film, music, visual art fromSarajevo

Discussions and debates (includeparticipants from other regions of

former Yugoslavia)

Topics: Identity? What was Yugoslaviancollective identity


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Questions for

discussion:

How do festivals contribute to shapingof local and national identities?

How do they contribute in developing apost-national form of cultural

citizenship?

silvija jestrovic - festival as intervention

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