REPORT: "Intercriticism" in Slovenia

From PRIMOZ JESENKO, Association of Slovenian Theatre Critics and Researchers (AICT-IATC)

Primoz Jesenko

The "Intercriticism" conference attempted a recontextualization and re-organization of critical writing about theatre and the performing arts, examining the situation of critical writing from various viewpoints and considering its professional position within particular social contexts. The initial presentation by Rok Vevar established "Intercriticism" as a notion that has yet to be given a full definition. It is hoped that in the course of the upcoming debate such a definition may emerge. As proposed in the call of the Slovenian section, critical writing has become just one of the roles fulfilled by theatre and performing arts critics. How do the various positions held by critics affect analysis, description, evaluation, and social position of the observer. And how do these positions influence the critic's relationship to the subject of observation?

More than coming to a common denominator in dealing with intercriticism, the discussion pointed out the heterogeneous ways of reflecting criticism and its roles in the countries of presenters. Apart from the more theoretical discourse of a couple of papers (i.e., on transfigurations of critical judgment of the "new" criticism), the conference presented many individual experiences. Although some presentations contradicted others in mild ways—which was anticipated in the dramaturgy of the selection process—papers pointed to other possible understandings of the proposed term with the "inter" prefix: the intervention of criticism in society, the intervention of the critic in the artistic event, a form of collaboration among critics.



Observing "Intercriticism" (Photo: Katayoun Salmasi)



Issues surrounding conflict of interest, critical engagement in society, the myth of critical distance and objectivity, and the Code of Practice of the AICT-IATC were discussed as well. The moderator of the concluding session, Kristof Jacek Kozak, noted that the debated notion became ever more elusive as the conference evolved. The variety of perceptions of contemporary theatre and performing arts criticism needs to be acknowledged in order to reach a fruitful debate on common phenomena of criticism.

The conference filled the auditorium on both days and produced a lively debate after every presented paper, which confirmed AICT-IATC as a highly responsive organism. This proved that reflecting and discussing the state of theatre criticism is a necessary intellectual discipline at any given moment. Hope persists that the term of intercriticism will pass into the general use and will in time gain a recognizable theoretical meaning. The notion managed to arouse constructive responses at the Maribor conference but its persistence still needs to be tried.

FESTIVAL: 45th Maribor Theatre Festival

From MARK BROWN (UK), member of the AICT-IATC Executive Committee

Slovene National Theatre

Members of IATC were in the beautiful city of Maribor, Slovenia (October 20-24, 2010) as guests of the annual Borštnik festival of Slovene theatre, which celebrated its 45th edition. Delegates saw a wide array of performances in the splendid Slovene National Theatre. In addition, IATC colleagues from Slovenia and around the world participated in an excellent international symposium at Maribor University on the subject of “Intercriticism.” Many rich papers were given and an energetic debate was held.
 


What He Does for Art:
Marko Mandic in Viva Mandic



The festival kindly hosted the meeting of the IATC Executive Committee at the Slovene National Theatre. IATC President, Professor Yun-Cheol Kim, and the entire excom offer their warmest thanks to Alja Predan, artistic director of the Borštnik festival, Mojca Planšak, guest manager of the festival, and the festival team for their tremendous organization and hospitality.



Alja Predan, Artistic Director

 



CONFERENCE: Criticism Reflecting Nations’ Theater?


From JEAN-PIERRE HAN, Vice President of AICT-IATC

Abbazia aux Hommes, Caen



Does your country’s dramatic criticism reflect your national theatre?

La Comédie de Caen

(the National Center for Drama, Normandy)

and

the International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT-IATC)

present

An International Conference

December 14 and 15, 2010

Organizers of this conference invite presentations, of up to 15 minutes in length, that discuss the state of drama criticism and theatrical production in the presenter’s home country. What are the links—or interferences—between dramatic criticism and the development of theatrical production? Does dramatic criticism participate in the chain of theatrical creation? If criticism has a role, how does that interaction occur?

The conference, including a series of roundtable discussions, will be held December 14 and 15 at the Theater of Caen. Ten contributions by critics are planned. Roundtable discussions will focus on shows seen locally and on dramatic criticism from the Internet (blogs, etc.).

La Comédie de Caen

International guests are invited from Monday, December 13 until Friday, December 17. 

During the stay in Caen, guest critics will have the opportunity to attend two plays presented in the official programming of the Avignon Festival :

• La Mort d’Adam, by Jean Lambert-wild, director of the National Center for Drama in Normandy. Patrice Pavis wrote of the productions that “in spite of the complexity [of its] device, of the multitude of tracks and interpretations, this play gives an impression of lightness, harmony and humor. An impression certainly engendered by the very mastered configuration of each of the components (read text, high-definition video, music, magic, photography) and their combination in the production.”
• Wolfstunde, by Silke Mansholt. Performer Mansholt raises questions, in Wolfstunde (Wolflesson), on the wolf that is inside each of us, on the dark part of each individual and the battle between the dark part and the lighter, human part. Based on Mansholt’s personal experience, the work questions the power and impotence of art. Is art free? Are we? If there are, in our contemporary world, wolves and scapegoats, are we wolves or scapegoats? If we are trying to be what we do not want to be, is the wolf transformed into a scapegoat—or is the scapegoat transformed into a wolf? (Adapted from the Festival d’Avignon website)

Participants may also become familiar with the IMEC (Memory Institute of the Contemporary Edition) which possesses archives of such writers and artists as Jean Genet, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Kateb Yacine, Michel Vinaver, Jerzy Grotowski, Antoine Vitez, Alain Françon, and many others.

Deadline for application is 16 November 2010.

Jean Lambert-wild,
Director, National Center for Drama in Normandy

Jean-Pierre Han
Vice President, AICT-IATC
jp.han@free.fr

INTERCRITICISM CONFERENCE: Slovenia in October

From PRIMOZ JESENKO in Maribor, Slovenia

Intercriticism

21–22 October 2010

Trstenjak Hall, University of Maribor, Slovenia

The Maribor Theatre Festival and the Association of Slovenian Theatre Critics and Researchers (a national section of the AICT/IATC) present an international conference on "Intercriticism," a re-contextualization and reorganization of critical writing about theatre and the performing arts.

In addition to their primary task, i.e. critical writing, contemporary critics have become interactively involved in parallel activities that pertain only indirectly to their area of work while, more importantly, engaging their field of vision as critical observers and judges. Usually, a freelance critic is also a member of various juries and panels, a dramaturge, a producer, a university teacher, a program adviser co-shaping a program, a selector of performances or a (co)creator of festival programs, a moderator of panel discussions, an editor of professional publications, a copy-editor, and sometimes even a performer. Critical writing has therefore become just one of the roles fulfilled by theatre and performing arts critics.

Over the past decades, the aesthetic, cultural, social, political and productional realities have placed the theatre critic into an area of intermediate interest, a location which has undermined the presence and the role of a critical position. "Theatre criticism" or "theatre journalism" has suffused virtually all segments of social life dealt with in the print and broadcast media. This raises the question of how much room is left for the critic's basic task within this network of interests, and how privileged this position is. How does this affect the analysis, description, evaluation and social position of the observer and his/her relation to the subject of observation? What happens when a critic no longer observes a performance from a privileged, detached position but becomes part of the performance itself as a result of these circumstances?

The inter-criticism debate will examine the current situation of critical writing from various viewpoints as well as its professional position within the context described above.

The deadline for sending completed contributions: 15 September 2010.

IATC-AICT NEWS: Minutes of Executive Committee Posted

Minutes of the Executive Committee meetings in Yerevan, Armenia, have been posted on the AICT-IATC website. The documents are in PDF format and may be accessed by clicking here.

Members with interest in international issues or upcoming meetings and seminars may peruse these minutes to see how the process evolves for developing international programs within the International Association of Theatre Critics.

IN MEMORIAM: Ian Hill

Ian Hill

From IAN HERBERT, Honorary President of IATC

Ian Hill, a longstanding friend of IATC and for many years its Irish representative on ExCom, died suddenly at the age of 73. Ian trained in dentistry at Queen's University, Belfast, where he got a taste for journalism, becoming editor of student magazine The Gown. He went on to work for the Belfast Telegraph before turning freelance, where he built up a reputation for being one of Northern Ireland's leading arts writers and critics. As well as writing about the arts—theatre was his great love, and he also reviewed exhibitions—he was a presenter of arts programs on Radio Ulster. In recent years he contributed an arts gossip column to the Belfast Telegraph as "Man About Town," while continuing to review, for the British Theatre Guide among others.

He contributed a major essay on Arts Administration to Stepping Stones, the Arts in Ulster, 1971–2001 (Blackstaff Press, 2001), the third volume in the Arts in Ulster series, covering the development of Arts Council policy and practice.

He was also a travel writer and spent ten years working for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. He wrote or contributed to many books about Northern Ireland and also on his other love, fishing.

He was the theatre reviewer for the Belfast Telegraph for many years. His reviews showed a wide and deep knowledge and love of Irish theatre and he was always able to place the productions he reviewed in context. He was not afraid to be totally honest, so that praise from Ian was praise indeed and criticism was always constructive.

He died at home on Friday, 16 July 2010. He leaves a wife, Helena, and two daughters, to whom the Association extends its deepest sympathies.

NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR CRITICAL STAGES EDITOR

Maria Helena Serôdio, editor of Critical Stages, informs us that her correct e-mail address for queries from prospective writers is m.h.serodio48@gmail.com. We have attempted to correct all uses of her incorrect address. Let us know if you find an error.