Over the course of four intense days the Teatro Nacional São João (Porto, Portugal) and the UTE presented an International Conference on Dramaturgy and hosted the second UTE General Assembly of 2024, an event held in Porto for the fourth time since 2003, the year in which the TNSJ joined the UTE. The International Dramaturgy Conference (5th to 7th of December) focused on dramaturgy as a concept in permanent expansion, which currently encompasses manifold ways and means for structuring a stage show. A diversified group of speakers – from theorists to creators, from theatre directors to dramaturgy centre coordinators – analysed the collaborative nature of theatrical creation, gauged the limitations and potencies of dramaturgy in terms of intervention in present-day politics, examined globalisation’s impact in dramatic narratives. The discussion yielded a wealth of ideas and ways of creating and questioning dramaturgy, thus further affirming UTE as a key reference in European stage arts. The UTE General Assembly (8th of December) brought major changes in the network and offered new opportunities to discuss future projects. During the process of electing a new president and board, which take place every two years, the Assembly decided to re-elect the current UTE president Gábor Tompa, general manager of the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj, Romania, renewing their confidence in this vision and proved leadership. Together with Mr Tompa the Assembly decided to renew the mandate as board members of Francisca Carneiro Fernandes, cultural manager, Tamara Vuckovic Manojlovic, general manager of Yugoslav Drama Theatre and Florian Hirsch, head dramaturg of Théâtre National de Luxembourg. The UTE welcomes three new board members: Carme Portaceli, artistic director of Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, Silvia Cabasino, head of Education and International Relations of Teatro di Roma and Stefan Ivanov, head dramaturg of Theatre Laboratory Sfumato, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Program: 5 December | 7pm Opening Session speakers Gabor Tompa, Pedro Sobrado
6 December | 10am Dramaturgy: Practices and Processes speakers Katalin Trencsényi, Maaike Bleeker, Synne K. Behrndt Katalin Trencsényi An experiment in democracy Maaike Bleeker “A Quest for Provisional or Possible Arrangements”: Dramaturgy as (Un)making Sense Synne K. Behrndt Dramaturgy and the changing conditions for collaboration and creation host Rui Pina Coelho
6 December | 3pm Dramaturgy: Institutional speakers Claudio Longhi, Fernando Matos Oliveira, Line Rosvoll, Vincent Romain Claudio Longhi New Dramaturgy and Theatrical Institutions: The Italian Situation Fernando Matos Oliveira Beauty as a deviation. What future for Theatre-Art? Line Rosvoll In the shadow and light of Henrik Ibsen: Norwegian Drama Now Vincent Romain Supporting Theatrical writing host Mónica Guerreiro
7 December | 10am Dramaturgy: Creation speakers Andras Dömötör, Ricardo Pais, Sarah Grochala, Seda Ilter Andras Dömötör Personal and Mythical Dramaturgy Ricardo Pais Nomenclature of Dramaturgy Sarah Grochala Politics of Dramatic Form Seda Ilter Creating Work for a Mediatized Audience: Dramaturgy of Technological Absence host Nuno M Cardoso
7 December | 3pm Dramaturgy: Collaborative Procedures round table Carme Portaceli, Gabor Tompa, Ivan Dobchev, Margarita Mladenova, Vesna Radovanović host Florian Hirsch
coordination Nuno M Cardoso organization Teatro Nacional São João | Union of the Theatres of Europe
Photo credits by TUNA_TNSJ
