Song In-Between
This project was initiated by Agnieszka Pietkiewicz and Grzegorz Ziółkowski in April 2005 during the 14th session of the International School of Theatre Anthropology (ISTA) in Krzyżowa. Between 2007 and 2009, the work – which was primarily of a training nature – took place in Brzezinka near Oleśnica, the Grotowski Institute’s forest retreat.
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The public part of the project consisted of the dramatic miniature The Leaden Ball: work-in-promise, the outline of which was created at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in 2007. In 2008, Maciej Zakrzewski joined the project. The Leaden Ball: work-in-promise (2007–09) was staged in Brzezinka, including as part of the Otwarcia / Openings (2008) and Linia Wschodnia / Eastern Line (2009) festivals.
As part of the project, workshop sessions were held: in England (at the invitation of Paul Allain from the University of Kent, 2005), South Korea (on the initiative of the Nottle Theatre, 2006, 2007), in Malta (at the invitation of Frank Camilleri, 2007), in Armenia (during the Yerevan International Shakespeare Festival, 2008) and in Austria (at the invitation of Lalish Theaterlabor, 2009). We also ran a series of workshops for Polish students.
“Ray Day” (Dzień Promień)
In October 2008, we organised the “Ray Day” project in Brzezinka, aimed at young people interested in acting. In addition to the work sessions, the event featured theatre sketches by students from Adam Mickiewicz University and a production of Three Sisters and a Brother – inspired by Anton Chekhov – created by Agnieszka Pietkiewicz, with: Magdalena Mróz (later working at the Polish Theatre in Warsaw), Paulina Pacia (later associated with Marta Górnicka’s Women’s Choir), Adrianna Szczepkowska and Maciej Zakrzewski (actors), under the guidance of Grzegorz Ziółkowski. Our special guest at the performance in Brzezinka was Tadeusz Kornaś.
“We work using acting and theatrical tools so that our faces may light up, so that a ray of light may pierce our hearts. So that we may experience a flow in our breath, movement and songs. When this succeeds (and it does not always succeed), we perceive ourselves and others in harmony with the turn of events. When such a day comes (and it does not come often – one might say: it happens only on special occasions), WE ARE – we hear and see, rather than merely listening and looking. We are MORE.” (2008)
