3pm > Weronika Szczawińska and Mohammad Al Attar | Performing Diversity

PERFORMING DIVERSITY. PERSPECTIVES AND LIMITATIONS
Weronika Szczawińska and Mohammad Al Attar
moderator Paweł Sztarbowski

20 June – 3 pm CET
dialogue | English language
in collaboration with Powszechny Theatre | Warsaw

How can we build spaces for the “diversity” within the framework of the growing nationalism and populism? What are the possibilities and the limits of the performing arts in this regard? What has to be done for imagining cultural diversity not only as a demand but as a core element of our reality across ideological lines and social divisions? During the talk, the Polish theatre director Weronika Szczawińska and the Syrian playwright Mohammad Al Attar will discuss these and other questions, moderated by Paweł Sztarbowski, playwright and artistic director of the Powszechny Theater in Warsaw. The artists will share their experiences and the artistic strategies based on performances with multicultural background.

Come possiamo costruire spazi per la “diversità” nel quadro dei crescenti nazionalismi e populismi? Quali sono le possibilità di azione e i limiti delle arti performative? E’ possibile immaginare la diversità non solo come una pretesa? Performare la diversità può diventare un elemento centrale della nostra realtà al di là delle frontiere ideologiche e delle divisioni sociali? Il talk, moderato da Paweł Sztarbowski, drammaturgo e direttore artistico del Teatro Powszechny di Varsavia, vede la partecipazione della regista polacca Weronika Szczawińska e del drammaturgo siriano Mohammad Al Attar. Rispondendo a queste e altre domande, gli artisti condivideranno le loro esperienze e strategie artistiche basate su performance definite da background multiculturali.

Weronika Szczawińska

Weronika Szczawińska is a Polish theatre director, dramaturge, culture theorist and performer. She was born in 1981.  Graduate of the College of Inter-Area Individual Studies In the Humanities and Social Sciences (MISH) at Warsaw University, PhD from the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). Studied directing at the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. Has worked with a number of theatres around Poland (including Narodowy Stary Teatr in Cracow, Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw, Komuna Warszawa, Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny) and Slovensko mladinsko gledališče in Ljubljana. Assistant professor at the Theatre Studies Department of the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. Member of the Performing Arts Institute (InSzPer) collective. Awarded the prestigious “Passport” of the Polityka weekly in 2020. Her latest works include: Genialna przyjaciółka (My Brilliant Friend) based on Elena Ferrante (Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny, 2018), Lawrence z Arabii (Lawrence of Arabia, Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw, 2018), Nigdy więcej wojny (No More War, Komuna Warszawa, 2018), Rozmowa o drzewach (A Talk About Trees, Komuna Warszawa, 2019), Po Prostu (Performing Arts Institute).

Weronika Szczawińska è una regista polacca, drammaturga, teorica della cultura e performer. Nata nel 1981, si è laureata presso il College of Inter-Area Individual Studies In Humanities and Social Sciences (MISH) presso l’Università di Varsavia, PhD presso l’Istituto di Arte dell’Accademia polacca delle scienze (PAN). Ha studiato regia alla National Academy of Dramatic Art di Varsavia. Ha collaborato con numerosi teatri in Polonia (tra cui Narodowy Stary Teatr a Cracovia, Teatr Powszechny a Varsavia, Komuna Warszawa, Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny) e Slovensko mladinsko gledališče a Lubiana. Docente assistente presso il Dipartimento di Studi teatrali dell’Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica di Varsavia e  membro del collettivo Performing Arts Institute (InSzPer). Premiata con il prestigioso “Passaport” del settimanale Polityka nel 2020, i suoi ultimi lavori includono: Genialna przyjaciółka (My Brilliant Friend) basato su Elena Ferrante (Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny, 2018), Lawrence z Arabii (Lawrence of Arabia, Teatr Powszechny a Varsavia, 2018), Nigdy więcej wojny (No More War, Komuna Warszawa, 2018), Rozmowa o drzewach (A Talk About Trees, Komuna Warszawa, 2019), Po Prostu (Performing Arts Institute).

Mohammad Al Attar

Mohammad Al Attar is a Syrian playwright. He has been dealing with the Syrian Revolution and the resulting conflicts since 2011. Born in Damascus, he completed a university degree in English literature, followed by a degree in Theatrical Studies from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, Damascus and a master in Applied Theatre at London’s Goldsmiths University. Today, he is considered to be an important chronicler of war-torn Syria. Plays like Look at the street…this is what hope looks like, Could You Please Look into the Camera? and While I was waiting were staged all around the world. For most of his plays, he joined forces with a Syrian director Omar Abusaada. Between 2013 and 2017 they adapted Greek tragedies dedicated to the lives of women seeking refuge from war, staging their trilogy Trojan Women in Jordan, Antigone of Shatila in Lebanon, Iphigenia  at Volksbühne. In 2017 Al Attar has premiered Aleppo, a Portrait of Absence at HKW (Berlin) and in 2018 The Factory, a co-production of Ruhrtriennale Festival and Volksbünhe. His last play Damascus 2045 was staged in Teatr Powszechny, Warsaw in September 2019. Besides his writings for the stage, Al Attar has written for numerous magazines and newspapers, with a special focus on the Syrian Uprising.

Mohammad Al Attar è un drammaturgo siriano. Si occupa della rivoluzione siriana e dei conflitti che ne derivano dal 2011. Nato a Damasco, si è laureato in letteratura inglese, ha poi conseguito un diploma in studi teatrali presso l’Istituto Superiore di Arti Drammatiche di Damasco e un master in teatro applicato alla Goldsmiths University di Londra. Oggi è considerato una delle voci importanti della Siria dilaniata dalla guerra. Suoi lavori come Look at the street…this is what hope looks like, Could You Please Look into the Camera? e While I was waiting sono stati messi in scena in tutto il mondo. Ha spesso condiviso le nìmessinscene dei suoi testi con il regista siriano Omar Abusaada. Tra il 2013 e il 2017 insieme hanno adattato le tragedie greche dedicate alla vita delle donne in cerca di rifugio dalla guerra, realizzando la loro trilogia Trojan Women in Giordania, Antigone of Shatila in Libano, Iphigenia alla Volksbühne. Nel 2017 Al Attar ha presentato per la prima volta Aleppo, a Portrait of Absence alla HKW (Berlino) e nel 2018 The Factory, una coproduzione tra Ruhrtriennale Festival e Volksbünhe. La sua ultima opera teatrale Damasco 2045 è stata messa in scena a Teatr Powszechny a Varsavia nel settembre 2019. Oltre alle opere per il palcoscenico, Al Attar ha scritto per numerose riviste e giornali, con particolare attenzione alla rivolta siriana.

Paweł Sztarbowski, moderator

Paweł Sztarbowski is dramaturg, publicist and teacher at Theater Academy in Warsaw, Deputy Director of Powszechny Theater in Warsaw since 2014. He was the founder of Nowa Siła Krytyczna – a group of young reviewers writing for the Polish Theater Vortal e.teatr.pl.  As reviewer and publicist, he has co-operated with an abundance of polish and foreign magazines focused on the topic of theater  (Theater der Zeit, Svet e Divadlo and Theater Seasons, Didaskalia, Dialog). He is the author of numerous scientific texts on theater declaimed on both all-Polish and international conferences and published in collective works. He is the editor of books Liberated Energy (Warsaw 2011) and Teatr wspólny (Bydgoszcz 2013).

Paweł Sztarbowski è dramaturg, giornalista e insegnante presso la Theatre Academy di Varsavia, vicedirettore del Teatro Powszechny di Varsavia dal 2014. È il fondatore di Nowa Siła Krytyczna, un gruppo di giovani critici che scrivono per il polacco Theater Vortal  e.teatr.pl. Come critico e pubblicista, ha collaborato con numerose riviste polacche e straniere in ambito teatrale (Theater der Zeit, Svet e Divadlo e Theater Seasons, Didaskalia, Dialog). È autore di numerosi testi scientifici sul teatro pubblicati in opere collettive e illustrati in interventi in diversi contesti sia in Polonia che internazionali. Ha curato i volumi Liberated Energy (Varsavia 2011) e Teatr wspólny (Bydgoszcz 2013).