International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People Association

Mezinárodní asociace divadel Pro děti a mládež


Association Internationale du Theatre pour l´Enfance et la Jeunesse

ASSITEJ

Activities of the Czech ASSITEJ Centre in years 2010-2014

The Czech ASSITEJ Centre activities are derived from the amount of funds it may raise for its operations.

The Centre is focused in last few years on respectable celebration of the World Theatre Day for Children and Youth. It supplies information on this event media, theatres, culture centres and schools country-wise. Each year it distributes messages of the theatre world personalities to children related to this feast day.

However to the World Theatre Day for Children and Youth celebration the Centre holds each year show of inspiring performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010 –  the jubilee 10th year presented 23 performing ensembles in 28 performances  with number of visitors at almost 3000 viewers.

2011 –  there were presented 15  performances of local ensembles and 3 foreign guests ( Red the      Nose Paper from Sweden and especially Teatr Lalka Warszawa from Poland a Nitra Old  Theatre of Karol Spišák from Slovakia presenting with the theatre DRAK (Dragon) joint project Jánošík, Janosik, Jánošík! That show was seen by about 2 080 visitors.

2012 – the 12th year brought 12 performances with number of visitors at 1 800.

2013 –  there were 19 festival performances seen by 2 040 visitors.

2014 – this festival year introduced 15 productions seen by  2 450 visitors. We gladly accepted 4 foreign guests – observers.

 

 

 

 

Such festival can be organised even due to support of the Art Institute – Theatre Institute and of the capital city Prague municipality.

The Czech Centre at the occasion of the World Theatre Day for Children and Youth grants the ASSITEJ Prize, which means symbolic award  of the Czech theatre that significantly contributed to development of the theatre for children and youth.

2010 – that year there was awarded poet and writer Pavel ŠRUT the author of many books for children becoming masters for theatre performances. After graduating in 1967 from the Charles University in Prague where he studied English and Spanish, Šrut worked as an editor in a publishing house. Since 1972, he is a freelance writer and translator. Together with poets such as Ivan Wernisch and Petr Kabeš, Šrut belongs to the famous generation of Czech poets who published their first books in the 1960s. Like so many of his contemporaries, he was not allowed to publish books of his poems during the Soviet occupation, except for books for children. His work is often done together with an award-winning Czech painter and illustrator Galina Miklínová (e. g. Verunka a kokosový dědek (2004) which is included on the IBBY list, as is his 1992 book Kočičí král which is a collection of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh fairy-tales) and lyrics for Czech musicians like Petr Skoumal, and Framus Five. Apart from his celebrated poetry and books for children, he is also a translator from English and Spanish. His translations include books of Dylan Thomas, Robert Graves, D. H. Lawrence, Leonard Cohen, John Updike, Federico García Lorca, and others.

2011 – the prize was awarded to the key personality of the Czech modern dramatic education and children theatre Mrs. Eva MACHKOVÁ.

2012 – there was awarded the founder of amateur Theatre C Svitavy, director, composer and puppeteer MUDR.  Karel ŠEFRNA The Céčko Svitavy ensemble has great merit in amateur puppetry; it is a permanent first class fixed star the light of which influenced directly or iindirectly the majority of top ensembles. And it brings pleasure into our lives.The Céčko Svitavy ensemble has great merit in amateur puppetry; it is a permanent first class fixed star the light of which influenced directly or iindirectly the majority of top ensembles. And it brings pleasure into our lives.

2013 – the prize was received by Mr. Marek BEČKA, the founder of the ensemble Cakes and Puppets (Buchty a loutky) – for a systematic and innovative work for children and youth in all theatre branches – authorial, dramaturgic, production and acting.Marek Bečka  is a graduate of the Prague Academy of Performing Arts in Puppetry.  He is also a skilled director and writer. He is the founder of Buchty a Loutky puppet company (“Cakes and Puppets”) in 1991, which has presented over many years a great range of offerings including Rocky IX and Tibet. Buchty a Loutky is famous all over Europe through its tours.Marek Bečka is lecturer in puppetry at Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre of the Theatre Faculty of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic.He has been invited to give master classes in Hong Kong and the Netherlands ect

2014 –  actually the last ASSITEJ prize has been awarded to Prof. Josef KROFTA, puppet theatre director and university teacher who is worldwide recognised and appreciated artist. The ASSISTEJ National Centre Award is given for the life work – not only for the focus of the Drak Theatre but also for the continuous work with activation of young audience and significant lecturing as he has educated a number of followers, who are engaged in theatre for children. His work abroad must not be neglected because it has contributed to mutual knowledge and enrichment of national theatre cultures in the field of theatre for children.

The Czech ASSITEJ Centre supports each year Festival of one-man production for children.

In conformity with the financial possibilities the Centre supports trips of experts to foreign events.