The IV BRICS International Festival of Theatre Schools, held in Moscow on 12-23 November, concluded with Bertolt Brecht's “Mother Courage and Her Children”. The play was shown simultaneously on seven stages and in seven languages.
The Festival, attended by the representatives of theatre schools from the five countries, as well as special guests from Belarus and Armenia, was organized by the Iosif Kobzon Institute of Theatre Art with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
This year the event was held both in-person and via videoconference. “The pandemic has made some adjustments to the format of the Festival, and most the events are now held online. We divided the programme into an educational and a creative part. During the educational week, students and theatre professionals from the BRICS countries delivered and attended lectures and workshops, and shared their unique national skills in theatrical art with their colleagues and spectators,” said Dmitry Tomilin, Festival Director, Rector of the Institute of Theatre Art.
“The final production was performed simultaneously on seven stages in seven countries: each country presented its part of the show at home; each show was streamed live, bringing the actors together in one grand international production. Each theatre school produced its own original adaptation of Brecht’s play from a unique directorial angle,” Natalya Gromushkina, director and actress, said.
In 2020, to honour of the “Year of Memory and Glory” announced by President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the Festival is dedicated to bringing the peoples of different countries together in the fight against war and violence.
The BRICS International Festival of Theatre Schools, held since 2017, is a platform for intercultural exchange between leading theatre schools in the BRICS countries.
The concert and the production is available here.