the cover for the first issue of the PTP
The Polish Theatre Perspectives Project is a major publishing initiative prepared by the Grotowski Institute in Wrocław. It is designed to bring closer Polish theatre research to English speaking audience
Poland has for many years enjoyed a worldwide reputation for producing outstanding theatre innovators and literary and performance work. Renowned directors such as
Jerzy Grotowski and
Tadeusz Kantor, ensembles such as the Centre for Theatre Practices 'Gardzienice' and Theatre of the Eighth Day, and dramatists such as
Witold Gombrowicz,
Tadeusz Różewicz, and
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), among others, all occupy prominent positions in world theatre histories.
Meanwhile the Polish Romantic tradition and key strands of Polish 'alternative' and political performance have also been the subject of widespread critical attention outside Poland. Indeed, Polish practitioners have exerted considerable influence on the study and practice of their respective disciplines, with figures such as Grotowski - through his transcultural research projects - contributing significantly to global narratives about performance and to the development of performance studies.
Despite substantial international interest and a number of excellent publications abroad, widely accessible source materials about Polish theatre and performance remain relatively limited, and little information in translation exists about the successive generations of writers, practitioners, and ensembles who have established themselves in post-communist Poland. Those who have come to prominence during the transitional period after 1989 have often received critical acclaim abroad, but international audiences have had few opportunities to encounter written materials and documentation about their work. Such figures and ensembles include
Anna Augustynowicz, Theatre Association Chorea,
Grzegorz Jarzyna,
Jan Klata, Maja Kleczewska, Komuna Otwock, Krystian Lupa,
Tadeusz Słobodzianek, Song of the Goat Theatre, Studium Teatralne,
Krzysztof Warlikowski, Theatre Węgajty, Theatre ZAR, and many others.
Furthermore, cross-cultural dialogue has been even more limited in academic and research-based contexts; while Polish theatre has often been a prominent ‘object' of international study, the great majority of Polish researchers and critics have not had their voices heard outside Poland.
Polish Theatre Perspectives (PTP) aims to address this situation by providing unprecedented access to both new and archival Polish materials in English translation, and by facilitating sustained cross-cultural dialogue between Polish and international researchers, practitioners, and students. The PTP project is comprised of a new, peer-reviewed journal and research forum hosted by the Grotowski Institute in Wrocław and run by an international team based both in Poland and abroad. The impetus for these initiatives comes from a recognition of the potential for broad and in-depth exchange between Polish and international researchers and practitioners about drama, theatre, and performance, in all their complexity.
Polish Theatre Perspectives journal is published twice yearly in English, with accompanying audio-visual materials (DVD or DVD-ROM). The primary focus of the PTP journal is on the theory and practice of contemporary theatre, performance, and dramatic literature. It also seeks to apply new critical perspectives in addressing the broader contexts and historical developments relating to Polish theatre, especially where coverage of these areas has previously been limited in English.
PTP Collections series will be published alongside the journal and comprised of edited collections of primary materials in translation. Contents include written reflections and interviews, artistic statements, working notes, and journal entries by directors, dramatists, performers, technicians, and others involved in performance practice. The PTP Collections are published in connection with major research and performance events and programmes, allowing readers to delve into the histories and backgrounds of developments in Polish theatre that are the focus of current activities and debates within the field.
For more information about the Polish Theatre Perspective visit www.ptpjournal.com
Source:
www.polishculture.org.uk