Final Report 2013/2014
Following the biennial New Europe Festival (an event that supports mostly young choreographers at the outset of their career coming from the ‚new‘, ‚other‘, Central-Eastern, post-totalitarian Europe), which awards the Jarmila Jeřábková Award, an international tour of the winners took place, visiting Banská Bystrica, Budapest, and Prague. The tour brought together Hungarian, Slovak, and Czech partners active in the area of independent dance, namely the founding civic association Cena Jarmily Jeřábkové (Jarmila Jeřábková Award), the highly active cultural centre Záhrada from Banská Bystrica, and the independent, Hungarian creative laboratory L1. A similar tour of the winners will from now on take place regularly between two competition years. Thanks to the tour, the first prize winner, Eszter Herold and Marketa Kuttnerová have gained the invitation to present her three new choreographies (which she had prepared for the Festival) in the renowned Pina Bausch theatre in Wuppertal.
Our Polish partners were not able to participate in this year’s Festival, nevertheless, negotiations are already on the way to secure their participation in the 2015 event.
Description of participation of “Visegrad partners” at the project
The decision to organize the New Europe Festival alongside with the award of the Jarmila Jeřábková Award as a biennial event, while linking it to activities of partners from the other Visegrad 4 countries has proven a positive one for a number of reasons:
- Within a one-year break it is possible to find a larger choice of good-quality competition entries.
- The Visegrad partners are permanent jury members, who co-decide on the choice of finalists, as well as on the winners. Evaluation analyses represent an excellent opportunity for discussions and allow one’s opinions to crystallize.
- The tour organized in partner countries in the year following the competition was a success. It gave young artists – winners the opportunity to present their work abroad.
- The official programme is usually complemented by other activities in cooperation with local actors (e.g. performance of the students from Banská Bystrica conservatory, and the performance of Dora Hoštová – the Jarmila Jeřábková Award 2008 laureate – in Prague, etc.).
- The partners from Visegrad 4 countries contribute their expert know-how in the matters of organisation, and they also become natural promoters of the New Europe Festival.
Description of media coverage
- Press conference in Prague following the end of the competition.
- Hungarian radio interview with the Hungarian member of the jury and partner of the festival, Marta Ladjanski.
- A number of accompanying events – screenings, workshops, a performance of the Banská Bystrica conservatory, debates and analyses in which not only the competitors, but also the participating musicians, as well as the official composer of the year 2013, Mr. Lukáš Matoušek, participate.
- Invitation of Eszter Herold, and Markéta Kutnarová the winners of the Jarmila Jeřábková Award to perform in the theatre in German Wuppertal.