Fantastic success of Belarusians in Sweden (Photo)

2.03.2009, 9:40

In the Swedish city of Lund a world premiere of “Eurepica.Challenge” has taken place.

The Belarus Free Theatre has created it in cooperation with the city council of Lund which can become the “Cultural capital of Europe-2014”.

Other participants of “Eurepica.Challenge” coproduction are Mantearten, responsible for technical support of the play; the European Cultural Foundation which has financed the project, and Trans Europe Halles, a network of Europe’s cultural centres.

“Eurepica.Challenge” has been created by 14 writers from 13 European countries and the US. The brilliant team of authors has created a forceful range of plays united by one common idea – main challenges these countries face. The wide variety of plays of different genres has set a difficult task for the production group, to combine plays ranging from comedy to tragedy, from blank verse to documentary materials in one performance.

The period of production lasted 5 weeks in sum: the first two-week cycle took place in September 2008, and the final stage of three weeks took place in February. Another rehearsal cycle was thwarted by Belarusian authorities in October, when actresses of Belarus Free Theatre, Stephanie Pan (the US) and Esther Mugambi (Australia) were deported from Belarus.

Belarus Free Theatre had free range of the entire building, Folkparken. Swedish artist Morgan Schagerberg was involved in its reconstruction into an air terminal. He managed to recreate all details of an airport including a boarding “sleeve”, a check-in point, luggage compartment and metals detector.

The entire budget of the project was about a few hundred thousand Euro. It included expenses for re-equipment of the hall, buying equipment, wardrobe and props, payment for personnel, receiving of the Belarusian company and advertising of the project. The city council of Lund has been responsible for the majority of expenses. They viewed “Eurepica.Challenge” as a leading project which supports the application of Lund for the nomination as the Cultural capital of Europe-2014”.

Preparation of the 3-hour performance within an extremely short time period of time had put the stage director Uladzimir Shcherban in a difficult situation, when the day of premiere cannot be shifted considering the number of rehearsal days. “We always stage a play according to European standards, in 3-5 weeks. Our actors have been accustomed to such a regime, so we had no problems in that, even considering that the play is mostly in English. We had more problems with technical equipment for the performance. We spent most of our time for studying it,” Uladzimir Shcherban, the stage director, comments the last stage of the rehearsals cycle. Over the rehearsal period the troupe has managed to learn how to use an arsenal of microphones, video cameras, beamers and equipment for special effects.

Sharing impressions about the work done, the theatre’s art director and producer Nikolai Khalezin, couldn’t keen in his satisfaction: “We have received precious experience, as the practice of co-production is a difficult path when all participants of the process should have any kind of benefits from it. It was a rather difficult process which lasted a year and a half, and its result has exceeded all expectations. Judging by the first comments and proposals I see that this project can have a very interesting future”.

The first shows are accompanied by a number of other events. In the same place, in Folkparken, an exhibition “Belarus today/Belarus always” is taking place. Photos made in the streets of Minsk in recent years and paintings by Belarusian artist Alyaksei Fiodarau, are exhibited there. Alyaksei Fiodarau offers a gallery of portraits of outstanding Belarusians who make the country famous all around the world. Beside the exhibition, a film by Yury Khashchavatski “The Square” can be seen on monitors, as well as news items about Belarus and the Belarus Free Theatre. Every performance includes a fire-show and demonstration of video installations.

Besides, seminars, conferences and public discussions on Belarus, relations of European states and search for a new ways in art are held in Folkparken in these days. One of the important topics discussed there is a search of the “Fifth freedom”, offered by Lund as a humanitarian idea of the united Europe, which supplement for the traditional four economic Euroepan freedoms. First shows and public discussions attract to Folkparken not only theatre goers but Swedish politicians as well. Leila Freivalds, a former Foreign Minister of Sweden, who takes an active part in discussions on Belarusian issues, has spent two days there.

The theatre’s director and “Eurepica.Challenge” producer Natallia Kolyada believes that this project can give Belarus chances for fulfilling its potential: “I think that “Eurepica.Challenge” project is unprecedented and significant for Belarus. Belarusian artistic teams haven’t taken part in co-productions of such a level, and certainly they have never presented a European city for a nomination of “Cultural Capital of Europe”. We have created an important precedent, and have opened the “window to Europe” wider. Now we are simply to turn its window into a door and enter it”.