Discussion panels “Seedbed for playwrights” at the festival DRAAMA 2011 (in English, interpretation into Estonian)

During the daytime discussion panels “Seedbed for playwrights” taking place from September 6 to September 8, Nordic and Estonian playwrights, directors and theatre researchers will have a say on topical issues. The audience is also more than welcome to join the discussion!
The topic of the discussion panel of September 6 is taboos and values on theatre stage. Who breaks taboos and who establishes them? How are taboos connected to values – does the attitude of the surrounding world as well as one’s attitude towards the surrounding force the artists to avoid certain subjects or deal with them in an approved way? Does common sense, that is taking into account the circumstances, including theatre traditions, hinder being free and honest in our creation?

The discussion of September 7 is about the role of a playwright and the changing of this role in modern times. They say that an author dies when he puts the final full stop to a work. In a way, the playwright is a god, creating people and the world around them. In our changing world, the position of this god has shifted – the theatre is moving towards ever larger physical expression and form. Does this mean that the bell tolls to drama and with that, to the playwright, in the classical sense of the word? How do different means of creative work such as group work, new adaptations of classics and synthesis of several works influence the creative artist and his creation? Do we need original drama in today’s world at all or is it enough to have a dramaturge, who would put the vision of the troupe on paper?

The discussion of September 8 is about theatre for young spectators. The topic is dealt with from the aspects of both training, research as well as what can be seen on the stage. What is the place of theatre meant for young people in today’s theatre – a marginal periphery or does it have a full standing? Does the young audience need to be addressed differently from the way adults are addressed? Should we train and research theatre for young spectators separately and if so, what would the “curriculum” be like?
The discussions take place at the conference hall of the Tartu Public Library (Kompanii 3/5).

The discussion panels of September 6 and 7 start at 14:00, but the one of September 8 at 14:30.

“Seedbed for playwrights” is a cooperation project of Estonia and the Nordic countries. Information about the entire project is available at http://www.kultuur.edu.ee/1044576.

“Seedbed for playwrights” takes place with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers who finances the training project of dramaturges. The activities of the programme are led by the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. Different training courses have taken place in the past few years, bringing together several writers, poets and playwrights, dramaturges, actors and students of both the Drama School and Drakadeemia.

Katrin Nielsen
Programme Manager of the project “Seedbed for playwrights”
Lecturer of Drama studies, UT VCA
katrin.nielsen@kultuur.edu.ee

Keiu Org
Training Coordinator at the Viljandi Culture Academy
keiu.org@kultuur.edu.ee

Additional questions and answers:
Marite Butkaite
Project Manager in Tartu
marite.butkaite@gmail.com
+372 555 118 44