DunaPart, platform of contemporary performing arts will start next Thursday, and will last for 4+1 days. At the press conference held on Tuesday, the under-secretary of our main sponsor the Ministry of Culture and Education stressed that the event organised by Trafó and Krétakör, and which presents some thirty performances of the Hungarian theatre and dance scene, fits into the conscious development plan of the independent sphere. The Hungarian Parliament will vote on the performing arts law in December. It promises the independent artists an increasing amount of mobility and resources. They also plan to develop the provincial receiving house network over the next few years, which will hopefully change the current over-centralized situation of the performing arts. DunaPart wishes to contribute to this prosperous process by providing opportunities for international cooperations and encouraging the communication between Hungarian and professionals of other theatre cultures. We are aware that the success of the event resides in the quality of these encounters, it is up to the participants. Our task, as organisers, is only to provide the optimal conditions. Judged by the number of registrations there’s a significant interest in our event. It seems we managed to activate the Hungarian scene as well, so those of you who will visit Budapest will get the chance to meet a wide circle of colleagues, not only those participating. It’s never too late to register, dunaPart awaits you!
Program
There’s been one change in the program. Instead of Czukorshow, which we advertised in the previous newsletter, we will present Woyzeck by the Maladype Theatre. The recently premiered performance was directed by an Italian guest artist in collaboration with the company.
Let us inform you of the programme of day one in detail: Those who arrive during the day, we will welcome at Trafó from 5pm onwards. They will be able to collect their passes and pre-ordered tickets there. At 6pm we will hold a welcome reception, where members of the press, our sponsors and the participants themselves will be present. The preview of Pál Frenák’s new show, InTimE, will start at 7pm. There will follow two more programs: Love and Money by Dennis Kelly at the Merlin Theatre, performed by the first private Hungarian theatre in Romania, while in the meantime a trio of female choreographers will present their work at the MU Theatre under the title 3x Women.
Later that night, once the performances are over, we will invite our guests for a welcome drink at the AKKU, the dunaPart club.
AKKU (a cultural centre created in an old electric power station) will be a true refill station for our guests. We will hold the morning discussions here, where you will get a chance to discuss the performances of the previous day with the creators. We will analyse the movement-based and text-based productions in two different groups each moderated by international experts. Our guests are welcome to attend both the talks and the following complimentary lunch.
In the evenings AKKU will turn into a nightclub to host special concerts by Hungarian ensembles who are, in some way or another, connected to theatre. The musical program, the dinner offers and the bar will hopefully create a suitable atmosphere for informal meetings.
We will also set up an information desk in AKKU, where our guests can collect their passes and pre-ordered tickets anytime during the day. Promotional material of the independent Hungarian performing art scene will also be available here and in the screening room you will have the opportunity to watch dvd recordings of performances.
Practical
You can find information and recommendations on airport transfers and public transport under transportation on our website. In case you have any problems call the dunaPart hotline on +36 20 241 8030. You can collect your welcome pack at the reception desk in your hotel. It includes a bilingual programme guide and other useful material. Your personal passes for the dunaPart club and the tickets you pre-ordered will be available to collect between 5pm-7pm on the 13th November at the Trafó, or after 9pm and from 10am the next day at the AKKU. DunaPart volunteers will be at your service at each venue, also helping you get from one performance to the next. Following the mild weather we have in Budapest right now, we expect it to turn cold for the next weekend. Prepare for cold nights and rain. The best protection against these, however, is to take part in the programs of dunaPart.
Looking forward to meeting you soon.