9th International Research College of Theatre Arts for Children and Young People
„Henryk Jurkowski“
Dear theatre experts!
It is our pleasure to inform you that Subotica International Children’s Theatre Festival, in co-operation with the Theatre Museum of Vojvodina from Novi Sad (Serbia), is organizing an INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLEGE OF THEATRE ARTS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE conference for the ninth time, now under the title: Directors’ Interpretations of Literary/Dramatic Text for Children and Youth: Problem of Interpretation Boundaries.
The proposed subject reflects the main goal of the organizers which is to address the ever present issue concerning the relationship between the director/dramatist and the proto-text (i.e. the original text) that actually, in its widest meaning, represents groundwork for the creation of theatre play. So, sensu stricto, we are considering the plays derived from the literary (i.e. dramatic, narrative, poetic, fairytale, mythical…) foundation.This issue is particularly relevant when one takes the age of the spectators and the psychological/pedagogical meanings the plays impart on children into consideration.
Consequently, we should focus our attention to several questions:
• To what extent are the authors of the play (director, dramatist) bound by the proto-text, that is, the basis for the realization of their ideas?
• Is the play in its final realization an autonomous aesthetic phenomenon, not really required to correspond to the proto-text which is its starting point?
• Is the play an interpretation of the original work or is it, for the most part, free of its limitations? In other words, are there boundaries to the interpretation (U. Eco) which unavoidably restrict the directing process or the freedom of interpretations basically knows no limits?
• The problem of the truth of the proto-text. How are we to determine the truth as an inter-subjective meaning of the text or perhaps is it simply a traditional illusion? Is the truth a conditional interpretation (and not a fact), shaped entirely by the person who interprets it (intentio lectoris)?
• Or, on the contrary, could we justifiably refer, in analogy to the archetypal (i.e. collective) meanings (myth, comparative religion, deep psychology) embedded in the important literary works, to the propositions of the original texts which are generally speaking mandatory?
The questions related to this discussion are primarily for the directors, dramatists, theatrologists, dramatologists etc; that is, for those whose interests, at the practical or theoretical level, unavoidably include such issues. We encourage all those interested to present the videos of the examples for the argumentation in their deliberations on these matters.
We have the honour to invite you to contribute by your presence and participation to success of this meeting which is going to be held within the framework of the 24th International Children’s Theatre Festival in Subotica, Serbia, over two or three days between 24 – 30 September 2017.
Sessions will be held in Serbian and English with simultaneous interpretation provided.
The author of this project is Mr Henryk Jurkowski, PhD, from Poland, who also led it from its inception until 2014. In agreement with Prof. Jurkowski, starting from 2014 the College is led by Siniša Jelušić, PhD from Montenegro, who is assisted by Miroslav Radonjić, MA from Serbia.
Papers presented during the conference will be published in full as a collection of papers, bilingually, in Serbian and in English language.
All interested researchers and artists are kindly requested to submit their application with the short summary of their paper (no more than one page) and their short biography by 1 April 2017 to let organizers make selection timely.
Each author will be informed of acceptance or non-acceptance of his or her paper by 1 June 2017. The authors whose proposals are accepted will be expected to submit their full papers (2000-4000 words) in English or in Serbian by 1 September 2017 at the latest.
Please send your proposals to the following address: lutfestsubotica@gmail.com or by regular mail to:
OPEN UNIVERSITY SUBOTICA
Subotica International Children’s Theatre Festival
TRG CARA JOVANA NENADA 15
24000 SUBOTICA
SERBIA
Contact person:
Ms Olivera Mudrinić, Executive Director of the Festival and Conference Coordinator.
Participants in the conference (chosen to present their papers) will be guests of the 24th Subotica International Children’s Theatre Festival 24 – 30 September 2017. The organizer will provide transportation from the airport to Subotica and back (for those arriving by plane), free entrance to all Festival events, and cover accommodation costs for the duration of the conference (hotel, full board).
We look forward to receiving your applications.
Festival Head Office