Eastern Line

Eastern Line is a showcase of young, independent theatre from Central and Eastern Europe, bringing together diverse theatrical languages and companies. The festival builds on the idea of ‘third theatre’, put forth by Eugenio Barba, which is critical of both institutional theatre and the avant-gardes of the past. Eastern Line is intended to act as a bulwark against a culture focused on shallow spectacle. Performers will include: Studium Teatralne, CHOREA Theatre, Teatr Porywacze Ciał, Kana Theatre, Song of the Goat Theatre, Teatr ZAR (Poland), Nini Julia Bang (Denmark), Farm in the Cave (Czech Republic), ProFitArt (Czech Republic), Zero Point Theatre Group (Greece), PLAVO Theatre (Serbia).

The first Eastern Line gathering was held at the Centre for Study of Jerzy Grotowski’s work and for Cultural and Theatrical Research in Wrocław in 2005 during the 14th session of the International School of Theatre Anthropology. Since then the Grotowski Institute has been collaborating with artists for whom the tradition of the Laboratory Theatre and Jerzy Grotowski’s work is an important reference point, hosting residencies, demonstrations and workshops. In September 2015, the Grotowski Institute, the Kana Theatre and the Brama Theatre founded the Alternative Theatre Academy, which serves as a platform for growth, experience sharing and dialogue with masters representing different generations of independent Polish theatre-makes.