ITTA Director Dr. Levan Khetaguri, Professor, Director of Arts Research Institute of Georgia，Member of EC UNESCO/ITI Performing Arts Education network, Secretary General of ITI GeorgianCenter, International expert in Higher Education (QA, Assessment); Author and translator more than 100 scientific articles, books (German, French, Austrian, UK etc theaters, Grotowski, Kantor, Avant-Garde, Shakespeare, Gurdjieff etc).
《Cultural Opportunities under the Background of the Silk Road》
Performing Arts in Urban Space
In modern context theater mostly presented as performing arts, UNESCO International Theatre Institute already officially changed his name and now ITI described himself as “world performing arts organization”, which on 27th March will celebrate its 70 year anniversary during the world theatre day.
This is our common new reality – performing arts fully identified as big range of the theatre forms and so call theatrical culture included.
When we talk today about theatre we have in mind all forms: drama, music theatre, mime, dance, traditional and contemporary theatre forms, indoor and outdoor productions, performative art, circus, flash mobs, etc.
Our understanding of theatre/PA is vide mix of traditional forms of expression and new technologies, Which make already possible to bring very close to each other Film and Theatre too. Today we could follow a lot of PA in Film and Film in PA. Even the traditional character of the theatre presenting well-known plays by different theatres or directors through the centuries, nowadays used by Film industry and call this process remakes, which I think in coming years will became more intensive regular and typical.
I mention film industries and need to explain that theatre/pa is a part of cultural industries. And it was already always in close relation with economy even from the time when Greek theatre were created and theatre ticket system were implemented in Athens V century BC.
What is the role of culture for Silk Road?
I’m presented Georgia, capital city Tbilisi, one of the important countries and cities for a transit between East and west, crossroad of Silk road from historical roots until now, during its reconstructing.
But now I’m not talking about the Georgia, I’m focused on the role of Performing Arts/Theatre in urban space development and stimulating intercultural dialogue.
Any city is crossroad
I would like to share with you my short reflection about crossroad in General.
Cross-road
According to classic fairy tales (however, we must seek for mythological-sacral basis) human being involved in the journey (on the other hand, for the lovers of travel and adventure, so ventures) will surely meet the cross-road during his trip, where, as a rule, in front of you is 3 options and wherever you go, you can no longer get back, though from the fourth direction you came yourself in this cross-road and fell under the center of the universe.
Mythological cross-road is opportunity to start initiation, to make a choice. Starting a journey, in all cases, is starting initiation and the warning that you may no longer return or die – has esoteric significance, so after the initiation person is dying in its primary form and you can never go back in old form of yourself. Movement starting at the crossroads is your opportunity for “transformation”.
My city Tbilisi is already crossroad.
Tbilisi is on the way of the Silk Road.
The Silk Road started in the Chinese Empire also crossed Tbilisi and among many other cities, Tbilisi in the same way was the conductor of Asian and European trade, culture, News, science, etc. an intensive exchange in current understanding – transit city.
The less on the Silk Road is explored cultural mutual influence; otherwise this had a direct impact on artistic, musical, theatrical and etc. cultural dialogue and mutual enrichment.
Silk road itself was network of countries, through their cities.
Historical mission of the Theatre/Performing Arts is to create mediation between citizens and establishment/government and Theatre/Performing Arts is urban phenomena. We count keep or develop it in rural environment. Its part of urban life and urban culture with citizens and not villagers.
Having Theatre as cultural spot/institution is one of the main differences between city and country side.
Historical silk road became real crossroad between West and East civilizations, importing and exporting not only goods but culture, thoughts, ideas, traditions, gastronomy. It was hub for total exchange through the generations and creating unique space for cultural dialogue.
It is important, for PA/Theatre relation with cultural policy.
Performing Arts is a very good tool for cultural dialogue.
Development of Performing Arts always needs few sources:
Figure 1.
Creativity – without daily development of exist forms or implementing new ones will be difficult to keep your audience for long time.
Investment – funding coming through state, this is indirect funding of citizens, or by citizens through box office or by the private sponsors
Higher Education - Responsible for Human Resources and development of PA in country, without professional HR impossible stabile PA development in the country
Talking about PA we need to have in mind 2 pillars:
ARTISTIC and MANAGERIAL, today impossible artistic creation without strong cooperation with producer and managers.
Both related with education system now, systematic methodology, experience of generations and best practices worldwide.
Both pillars have his specific tasks:
Artistic – looking for the artistic level of PA, and its will include:
Figure 3.
Performing Arts
Figure 4. Administration
PA in Urban space need all of this duties, to be performed in a very high and intelligent way.
PA needs to take care on traditional, experimental and well developed theater.
Today we all belong to the market, artistic world as well its not exception and through market we belong already to our main target group – audience, citizens to serve them.
But same time we need to keep in mind audience development policy, which means that when we talk about serving audience its mean audience development through high arts, which are daily, work of PA artistic and managerial teams.
Contemporary theatre needs research, which is not only part of education or afterwards duty for academics, but this is necessary duties for all theatre representatives practitioners and theoretics.
With all development of arts and culture we could underline that nowadays performing arts and theatre still stay as only live arts. Live arts, which is always in relation with human, artist, performer, creator – HOMO LUDENS.
What kind of theatre forms are mostly developed in urban spaces?
All forms are there in connection of artistic development.
And mostly it is 3 layers:
Figure 5.
These 3 pillows reflected a lot on a development and some time on content of PA/Theatre like what should follow narrative or forms of expression.
Theoretically we are in the times of dramatic and post dramatic forms of the theatre simultaneously.
Drama theatre still communicates with text based theatre through classical texts or modern texts with audience.
But on another hand we have post dramatic theatre, where traditional expression of drama theatre changed and Directors/theatres expression became more one hand multilingual (in sense of using different forms of expression together – post dramatic operas like Bob Wilson, Fabre etc) and on another hand very universal like Casteluci and others.
In the history of ancient theatre in Athens we could find very interesting facts regarding the funding policy for the theatre. In this process we could follow 3 phases.
Figure 6. 3 phases of Theatre Festivals funding history:
This process shows how the civil initiative and how the citizens activity turned into the state policy. If at the beginning it was in the citizens hands and related with their will how to decided spending for the festival, after some time this process at the end changed and funding were coming from the state, was based on citizens taxes, but size of the spending and planning was decided by the government. The decision of state subsidy should be considered as one of the first examples when ‘state recognized needs in culture for society development. I think this is a very important moment in the history of the western civilization. This decision at the phase III is equal to the contemporary system of the subsidies in different countries.
We should underline 3 main forms how look performing arts in most of the countries:
Table 1.Three main forms in PA
|
State Theatre |
Private Company |
Venues |
|
|
State Theatre (repertory theatre, full stuff, permanent stuff)
|
Independent company, private with venues
|
Registered company without venue |
Venues (producing team, just space for rent etc
|
-
State Theatre, based on state subsidy, and could focus on artistic issues, management focused on spending and not on fundraising.
-
Independent company:
a/ private registered company with venue;
b/ private registered company without venue (looking for a good management team or HR included, for fundraising).
-
Venues: performing arts spaces producing team, space for rent with technical staff, business how to sell performing arts, space with profit, possible full state owned or by private owner – different leadership, and strategies.
-
So far we could look at 4th opportunity, this is project based production. Everything is in the hands of producers and managers for one project with short term contracts and outcomes, as well opening or closing dates.
I will focus now on education, which is a very important tool to improve a level of cultural stability in the country.
There should be short term and long term planning and policy in Performing Arts.
In short term it is necessary to create training and retraining programs of stuff or individuals who like to know more in cultural policy and cultural management issues and with qualifications at the universities as part of higher education.
On a long term agenda there is absolutely necessity to have cultural management qualification at the art universities.
What are the needs from market Economy for performing arts?
As I mention before, it is important have research results to identify the needs of the region, city or concrete country, but now we could talk about very general issues.
For Performing Arts sector is important very good understanding of local and international markets. Sometimes theatre companies need to have two different products for local and international markets. Local markets need to be served for local audience and international market more focused on international arts Excellencies.
To think about development of the Chinese theatre important to look on external market activities and internationalization of PA and cultural market
Figure 7.
Case of the international and local markets needs more often business for managers and producers. More and more managers and producers are needed for independent theatre companies, free venues, project based activities. For the development of independent theatre it is important to develop a generation of well trained managers – producers (or include a special modules for artists at the universities), with skills of project-proposal writing and fundraising from local, private and international sources.
If local market needs from the managers very good skills in local regulation and fundraising, for international markets managers need networking skills, international cooperation and funding through international institutions.
University MA programs should give chance for students to get new qualification – as like cultural management or contemporary dance, physical theatre actor etc.
Who will teach? In case of cultural management very important to have professors from the practical field, because Cultural Management is applied science, it’s why practitioners required, because this qualification is combination of academic and practical skills and experience, personal cases are very important.
Which experience better to share? Those countries experience which already pass from different models (for example soviet and eastern European countries) to market economy, from state owned system to independent companies or free market.
What to teach? Modern theatre needs artists and managers-producers together. Created production of Performing Arts needs to find his own way to the audience and managers and producers should became guides, shortest and smartest ways to reach markets and audiences.
Theatre managers need to take care not only for a quality of artistic work, but they need to know audience needs too. There is important audience development skills, which is part of marketing research, analyze and daily activities. Development of state, private or independent theatres/companies will need to improve the management of independent venues as multifunctional cultural centers, include video libraries, public meeting spaces, and exhibition halls.
Because Performing Arts is one of the unique interdisciplinary arts form which is already a best example of cultural diplomacy, it should became one of the main tools for Silk Road new development as part of the stimulation of economical projects. It’s a big opportunity for co-productions, festivals, education, research and regional projects through Silk Road countries.
Silk Road project is economical agenda and need for sure to find its soul, through culture and PA, because only culture keeps life through the centuries.
Mr. Levan Khetaguri Interviewed with Chinese Media
(These contents are from the tape recordings of the speaker.)