Creative Europe
Desk UK
for Culture

The project “Discovering Theatrelands” aims to reflect the idea of culture as a tool for social change and offers innovative, interactive activities which invite various social and age groups to participate in culture. We strongly believe that through art and theatre in particular we can broaden our knowledge and appreciation of different cultures and different traditions.

Building on this idea, a series of artistic and educational activities were developed by 5 EU co-organisers from Gdańsk (PL), Gyula (HU), Neuss (DE), Ostrava (CZ), London (UK), and associated partner from Craiova (RO). All partners are highly experienced cultural operators and 5 are organisers of international Shakespeare festivals. They will ensure excellence of proposed activities by selecting high quality European Shakespeare performances to circulate in the cooperating countries.

The programme will be combined with rich and diverse educational programme reaching the outskirts of the city and the region. Theatre and production workshops are planned, lectures, Q&A sessions, discussions to provoke active learning. There is also a multinational community play, based on Shakespeare’s Winter Tale, being prepared by UK Parrabbola group in Poland and Czech Republic. The aim of this is to bring together different generations living in a specific location, focus will be placed on integrating elderly community participants in a creative environment of artistic exchange.

The objective of this project is also to involve a wider cross section of the public and so a regional programme of workshops and interactive theatre presentations will be elaborated in cooperation with Hamletscenen (DK) and additionally presented in Gdańsk and Ostrava, where also an alternative fringe scene called ShakespeareOFF will be developed. The project applies to all specific objectives of the Culture Programme and relates to the theme of European Year 2012. The project will be promoted on local, national and international level.