DFKH 2024

The 10th anniversary edition of the Kutná Hora Theatre Festival, held from 19 to 21 September 2024, revolved around themes such as manipulation, power, war, community, and rest. Once again, the festival aimed to reflect current social issues. The situation in nearby Slovakia, currently shaken by cultural oppression, was represented by two Slovak ensembles. City Theatre Žilina presented Manifest, directed by Pavol Viecha, a study on the radicalisation of youth leading to violent crimes. Divadlo Ludus deconstructed the heroic myth of Odysseus in Odyssey, directed by David Paška, exposing the glorified men's aggression and dark side, in both history and the present. Filoktétés. Last Minute by Theatre X10 and directed by Ondřej Štefaňák explored frustration caused by war. The themes of manipulation and power dynamics were examined through physical and dance performance in Making of Man and The Power Game.

Yet the programme didn’t focus solely on the darker aspects of human existence – it also explored possibilities for healing and joy. The Y: Restful Garden installation, curated by Anna Chrtková and Petr Dlouhý, created a space for calm encounters on the border between theatre, visual art, and music. Visual artist Lenka Bondorová and musician/visual artist Ester Grohová offered a delicate performance Washaway / Before You Pierce the Ground. The relaxed atmosphere was enhanced by Munich-based musician Kalas Liebfried with his concert Fragments of Sonic Extinction.

The youngest visitors were not forgotten either – they could enjoy the evening puppet procession Visitors by V.O.S.A. Theatre, or the award-winning playful performance Microsvěty by Jazmína Piktorová and Sabina Bočková.

Companies and performing artists

Městské divadlo Žilina (Manifest), V.O.SA. Theatre (Návštěvníci), OLDstars on the ROAD (Marie Stuartovna), Quindell Orton (Making of Man), Divadlo X10 (Filoktétés. Last minute), Jazmína Piktorová a Sabina Bočková (Mikrosvěty), Andrea Miltnerová, Sofía Mayorga a Jan Komárek (The Power Game), Divadlo Ludus (Odysea)

Debates

Informal networking meetings at Café 21
Curated dramaturgy discussion (moderated by Tereza Pašková, Kutná Hora Library)
Presentation of the Playwright Residency Programme for authors from former Soviet Bloc countries, 12–22 Sept 2024 (moderated by Tereza Pašková)
Debate: Slovak culture under the rule of Robert Fico (hosted by Deník N, moderated by Vítek Svoboda, Tyl Theatre – small stage)

Foreign guests: Kristóf Kelemen (HU), Julia Opitz (DE), Freja Alexandra Hallberg (SE), Michael Schramm (DE), René Reinhardt (DE), Jennifer Krebs (DE), Yevhenii Yaniev (UA), Andrzej Pakula (PL), Urs Humpenöder (DE), Hannes Köpke (DE), Miroslav Hristov (BGR)