On three successive nights, from 11 to 13 July 2014, at 8pm, Komuna//Warszawa (ul. Lubelska 30/32) will be presenting Europa. Śledztwo [Europe: An Investigation], a premiering piece conceived by Magdalena Jędra, Weronika Pelczyńska and Iza Szostak (choreography and performance) and Agata Szczęśniak (dramaturge). The premiere is part of the series Przyszłość Europy [Europe?s Future]. After the performance on 11 July the piece?s creators will meet the audience. The meeting is going to be hosted by Grzegorz Laszuk.
About the piece:
with the detective working to fill the gap created by someone?s disappearance. Here, three dancers will conduct an investigation concerning Europe?s future. They will go step by step, from one lead to another: from symbolism, utopian projects and high hopes to catastrophic diagnoses and new conflicts.
Is it a criminal investigation? Or a search for a follow-up? Who?s looking for whom? Maybe a director is all that?s missing?
Europe?s looking for a director.
Is it a piece on European identity? Or about the identity of the dancers? Why, instead of drafting treaties and holding talks, do the dancers switch from outfit to outfit, get dressed and undressed? Are they trying to lead us on?
Come and take part in the experiment. Four women, no director. Three dancers and a dramaturge investigating Europe?s future and looking for ways to cooperate.
The leads they follow are the writings of Peter Sloterdijk, Boris Buden, Ágnes Heller, Oleksij Radynski, Marcin Król, Przemysław Czapliński, Stieg Larsson, and authors of the labels sewn to our clothes.
chreography: Magda Jędra, Weronika Pelczyńska, Iza Szostak
dramaturgy: Agata Szczęśniak
lighting: Karolina Gębska
stage design: Wojciech Pustoła
Come to meet the piece?s creators on 11 July. The meeting will be hosted by: Grzegorz Laszuk.
EUROPE?S FUTURE ? About the series:
Europe is a special place: its culture and values are a reference point the world over. Regardless of geographical location or historical traditions, the modernising power of ideas born in ancient and modern Europe, such as democracy, personal freedoms, human and social rights, still holds.
In 2014 Poland is commemorating 10 years of its EU membership, which provides an occasion to reflect on the concept of European community, especially now when the continent is deep in crisis and pan-European enthusiasm is at a long-time low. Together with our guest artists we will debate the future of Europe, ridden with a crisis of democracy and economic problems, pondering where might frustration lead those pushed to the margins of society. We will try to investigate both scenarios foreseeing the breakdown of the European Union and pragmatic plans of its reconstruction and revival.
Agata Szczęśniak is a co-founder and former deputy editor-in-chief of the Krytyka Polityczna magazine and website (until 2012). In 2005-8 she was an editor at Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland?s leading daily (Comments section and the Sunday edition). She graduated is sociology from the University of Warsaw. She also studied philosophy and was awarded a Yale University scholarship.
The project was supported by the Burdąg Foundation, Centrum w Ruchu, and Warsaw?s Wawer District.
The project received funding from the City Hall of Warsaw and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland.