The end of the year 2010

Well, I was not really busy writing the Blog here on the English pages of Theatre Epicentre. I was better with the Blog on Croatian pages, what is maybe understandable. It is hard to cover the topics that are of "global" interest. We are making theater that is deeply related to the country in which we are producing. I will try better in 2011. Now it is time to finish this year and start the new one, to close one page and start another one.

I hope you read the Newsletter I sent. If not, you can find it here In it I invited you to join Theatre Eicentre and with your membership support our activity. Indeed, it is very hard time in which we are living. Economical crisis is destroying all serious efforts to produce art and all the activities of theatre practitioners are limited to survival.

But in this struggle for survival we vey often sacrifice children offering them cheep entertainment, simple and not really inventive performances for the sake of our own survival. Isn't that abuse of children? Now at the end of the year when hundreds of actors are transforming themselves into Santa Clauses, when hundreds of theaters are producing special programs for Christmas, I am asking myself "Can we do it better"? I am sure we can and I am sure we should, for the sake of the children and their spiritual living. I suggest that we do that together, in Theatre Epicentre. Come and join us!

I will stop now and finish the year with simple greeting to all of you!

 

Theatre for Young Audiences World Day

This is my first Blog. I am starting it in a week when we celebrate Theatre for Young Audiences World DayASSITEJ International, the global association of theaters for young audiences initiated this celebration 2001. Our wish was to promote theatre for young audiences (TYA) worldwide and to give it the dignity that it deserves.

This Blog has only one goal - to start discussion on the different themes and topics from the life of TYA. I will try to make it provokative and inspiring and I invite you to discuss with me all the themes or to propose the topics that are of your interest. I am looking forward to exchange thoughts with all of you who are interested in TYA whether you are the artists, pedagogues, teachers, or the audience that like TYA.

There are to many open questions and dilemas and very few opportunities to talk about theater for young audiences. Let this Blog be a contribution to the discussion on TYA.

I also invite you to become a member of Theatre Epicentre. With your membership you will be a part of the exchange and cooperation in the region, but you will also support the work of the center.

I wish you HAPPY THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES WORLD DAY, the 20th of March!

Ivica Šimić

founder of Theatre Epicentre; Secretary General of ASSITEJ International; Artistic Director of Theatre Mala scena