ANNUAL REPORT 2010
Our main mission is to work with marginalized communities of citizens in a non-traditional artistic form using the means of theatre, performing arts, dancing or singing. Divadlo bez domova (Theatre with no Home; herein after referred to as DBD) provides a platform for presenting social topics which are being overlooked in the commercial artistic sphere. We combine the artistic with the social in order to help tear down stereotypes that marginalized communities in the society face.
DBD was informally founded in 2005 in the course of work on theatrical projects with people without a home and on 12.5.2006 it became registered with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic under the registration number VVS/1-900/90-28231. Members of the organization are people who, in the long term, engage in social, pedagogic or artistic practice; economy, management and advertising.
We are based in Bratislava. Currently, we have nine members, several volunteers and many supporters.
Our community of actors is made up of people without homes, physically disabled, people from socially underprivileged communities, social workers, theatre artists and anyone who is interested in our theatre. Our actors and actresses receive financial compensation for performing in our theatre plays.
Projects in 2010
Social theatre – a tool against social exclusion and poverty
The main objective of the project: to inform citizens in regions with high unemployment about the cause of homelessness and its risks in the form of a social theatre.
The project was supported as part of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
Duration of the project: March to November 2010
The project created an attractive platform (theatre) to meet homeless people and people who are under the threat of becoming homeless. It informed the public about the life of homeless people and people with physical disabilities; actively integrated the homeless and physically disabled into life; served as a means of prevention and increased the social status of the homeless and physically disabled that took part in the project.
The main activities of the project were:
1.A Haiku performance followed by a discussion in regions with high unemployment rates.
During the duration of the project we managed to present this performance for free in these towns:
- Košice (Kasárne kulturpark, Tabačka)
-Rožňava (Divadlo Actores)
-Levoča (Mestské divadlo)
-Žilina (Stanica Žilina-Záriečie)
-Banská Bystrica (Divadlo I.Palúcha)
-Trenčín (Festival Pohoda 2010)
-Nitrica (Kultúrny dom)
A discussion with the audience followed after each performance with the actors/actresses during which they responded to questions about art, homeless topics, social issues and the exclusion from society. Prior to each performance we distributed information leaflets. During our two-day tour we were accommodated in hotels and took our meals at restaurants. We held altogether 8 performances which were viewed by 1000 people.
2. Production of an information leaflet
We produced 1000 leaflets containing information about the risks that people face when moving to large cities because of work; facts about homeless life and contacts to organizations providing support. The information leaflet was distributed prior to the theatre performances. We handed out 950 leaflets to our audience.
3.Haiku performance followed by a discussion in Bratislava.
Once per month we presented our performance for free at Štúdio 12 at Jakubovo námestie 12. Prior to each performance we distributed leaflets. A discussion with the audience followed after each performance with the actors/actresses. They responded to questions about art, homeless topics, social issues and the exclusion from society. We held altogether 8 performances which were viewed by 400 people.
4.Production of a documentary film.
During our theatre tours, rehearsals and performances we gained more than 100 hours of film material. Benjamin Richards, a member of our theatre, cut the film into a 90 min document which chronologically captures the whole project, its atmosphere, successes but also obstacles. The Haiku film is an intimate artistic portrait of Divadlo bez domova (Theatre without a home) which reveals the lives of the members of the team.
Divadlo bez domova participated at the final conference of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in Brussels. Our project was the only one representing the Slovak Republic.
Total project costs: 32.140 Euro
Main project donor: Fond sociálneho rozvoja (Fund for Social Development) - 18.864 Euro
Slovenské elektrárne - 5.000 Euro
Own resources: 2.140 Euro
The project was also supported by: Štúdio12, Nota bene, Drift advertising, Apothecary Films, Impa, Redivivo, Vertex Creation.
Intensive acting course for the homeless (DBD actors)
The main objective of the project: to organize fortnight intensive acting courses for the homeless; to rehearse a short performance which would reflect the personal experience of the homeless and to present it. The project discovered suppressed skills and talent of people from socially disadvantaged settings.
Duration of the project: May to December 2010
Project results:
- Cultural and social empowerment of a disadvantaged community of citizens (actors and actresses of DBD)
- Positive experience of DBD actors and actresses
- Artistic presentation of the social experience of the marginalized community to the public
- Production of a 30 min. promo performance titled Kuca Paca
The Kuca Paca Performance naturally expands with the participation of other actors and actresses. It’s a production that is technically undemanding and suitable as a program at various events. Kuca Paca was viewed by 350 people so far.
Opening night: November 3, 2010 at Štúdio12 in Bratislava
Other viewing times: 4.12.2010 Festival ERROR Bratislava, 11.12. 2010 Divadlo Komedie Praha, 14.12.2010 FSR conference Bratislava
Main project donor: Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic
Total project costs: 6.750 Euro
Own resources: 750 Euro
Grant: 5.000 Euro
The project was also supported by: Štúdio12, Nota bene, Drift advertising, Apothecary Films, SRS design light.
Dunajdráma, alebo hnusná kava, lacné cigarety
(Danube drama or horrible coffee, cheap cigarettes)
The main objective of the project: Present contemporary Europe through an original theatre play offering a new angle and leveraging the phenomena of Europe’s second largest river, Danube. The play presented contemporary, but also, in part, the past life of these countries through an artistic form not by means of political proclamations.
Project duration: June to November 2010
Within the project, directed by Anna Gruskova, we creatively interlinked the work of professional actors and socially excluded people – actors from Divadlo bez domova (homeless people, Nota bene magazine vendors). This cooperation provided a platform for socially-cultural interaction that helped present important societal-social topics in an artistic form.
The interconnection between the created visual-musical concept of the play and the actors’ acting within the scenic environment belonged to the most interesting moments of the project’s realization. The emphasis was on the diversity of their acting and on the logical subject that interlinked the various components of the scenic form with the text part and the visual. Dunajdráma was viewed by 220 people so far.
Opening night: 17.10. 2010 at Štúdio12 in Bratislava
Other viewing times: 21.10. and 21.11.2010 at Štúdio12 in Bratislava
Main project donor: Slovak Telekom Fund - 3.500 Euro and Orange Foundation - 3.000 Euro
Total project costs: 11.900 Euro
Own resources: 1.000 Euro
Other resources: Goethe-Institut Bratislava - 1.200 euro, Wiener Wortstaetten - 1.500 Euro, Österreichisches Kulturforum - 1.000 Euro, Institul Cultural Román - 700 Euro.
The project was also supported by: Štúdio12, Slovak Film Institute and Drift advertising.
The international festival of homeless theatres ERROR 2010
In the dates 3rd to 4th December 2010 we traditionally organized the IV. year of the ERROR festival. Participation was accepted by theatres working with the homeless, hearing impaired and physically disabled. To be concrete: Divadlo neslyším (CZ), Divadlo Ježek a Čížek (CZ), Dryada (CZ), Sanal (India), Len tak tak (SK), Divadlo AHA (HUN), Teatr Grodzki (PL), Divadlo bez domova (SK).
A conference for drama therapists and theatre managers took part during the festival at the Ganéš restaurant where we exchanged important information, .e.g. on the strategy of the theatres’ survival during the financial crisis, future plans, experience in working with handicapped homeless people, issues and motivation in working with the socially excluded communities. The festival is captured in the program about Divadlo bez domova that was created by STV (program Cesty nádeje [Roads of hope], premier 18.12. at Dvojka, repetitions 20. and 21.12. 2010, http://www.stv.sk/online/archiv/cesty-nadeje).
The festival was attended by more than 200 visitors.
Main project donors: International Visegrad Fund; Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic
Total project costs: 16.000 Euro
Own resources: 1.000 Euro
Grants:
International Visegrad Fund - 8.000 Euro
Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic - 3.500 Euro
The project was also supported by: Štúdio12, Nota bene, Drift advertising, Polish Institute, Redivivo, Apothecary Films, Hostel Blues, Vertex Creation, Ganesh Utsav.
International project ARTERY
In October 2010 we became partners of the international project ARTERY(art-education-therapy) within the European education program Grundtvig. The initiator and main coordinator of the project is Bielskie Stowarzyscenie Artystyczne Teatr Grodzki (Poland).
The main objectives of the project:
- To create a virtual on-line platform for education and communication: Virtual Learning and Communication Environment (VLCE)
- To create an on-line communication channel for artists, lectors and therapists to foster cooperation and to achieve the best results possible in social skills trainings
- To develop so called learning paths which would be a practical showcase of training methods and creative workshops
- To publish a book + DVD (in the languages of all the participating countries and in English) that would be an accompanying material for the ARTERY performance
- To organize a pilot workshop ARTERY for wide public of experts and amateurs at a pan-European level in Italy
Our civil organization is responsible in this consortium for the coordination of the
„Learning paths“. Our priority is set on their functionality and usability for the broad public. Our strongest tool in tackling this task is to organize a meeting of all the participants at the ERROR festival in Bratislava in the dates 2nd to 3rd December 2011.
Other project partners are Key&Key communications (Italy), Koulutuskeskus Agricola (Finland), Fundación Intras (Spain).
The ARTERY project will conclude in 2012.
Other activities
Drama therapy rehearsals
During 2010 we met once per week (for 2 hours) on Sundays at drama therapy rehearsals. We held 40 rehearsals that were participated by 10 to 15 actors and actresses. The contents of the rehearsals were vocal and physical exercises; activities focused on discovering acting capacities, creativity; and development of the actors’ and actresses’ individuality.
Drama therapy rehearsals were financed from our own financial resources.
Total costs: 2.000 Euro
AMI AWARDS 2010
The documentary film Divadlo bez domova, that was shot by a member of our theatre, Benjamin Richards, during the rehearsal and opening night of the play Día de muertos was awarded at the prestigious AMI AWARDS 2010 on 21.11.2010 in London. The document won in the “Future focus international award” category.
2% of the income tax
Our organization account received financial donations in the amount of 1.189,39 Euro. These were used to co-fund projects and as rewards for DBD actors and actresses.
Divadlo bez domova would like to thank all who have supported our activities in any form and who kept their fingers crossed.
In Bratislava on January 10, 2011
Uršula Kovalyk DBD principal
Patrik Krebs DBD principal
