Festival „Van okvira“ / “Off Frame” Vol 8

Group “Let’s…” is organizing the eighth edition of the socially engaged theater festival titled “Off Frame.” This year, the festival will be dedicated to marking ten years of the group’s inclusive work in the performing arts. The inclusive programs of Group “Let’s…” emerged from a search for answers to whether people with disabilities and members of other vulnerable groups can be equal participants in artistic and creative processes — and whether society will perceive them differently if it sees them as active agents in the field of culture and the arts.

As one of the outcomes in the field of activist artistic work, the festival was launched in 2011 with the idea of gathering organizations and authors involved in socially engaged performing practices from Serbia, the region, and beyond, and primarily to promote the inclusion of those marginalized in a given social context into theater work and performances. At first, the format of the festival was fairly “traditional” — the festival organizers also acted as curators, collaboratively designing the entire program for the year through mutual dialogue. Over time, the festival shifted its approach and structure. In 2016, the audience was invited on the opening day to propose elements of the program for all the following days and to take responsibility for their realization. The 2017 edition of the festival did not receive support from any governmental or city cultural bodies, so we opened and closed the festival on the same evening — thereby expressing our reaction to the stance of institutions toward independent (non-institutional) artistic work.

This year, the festival will focus on the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the field of culture. It will be an opportunity to reflect on the fact that around 700 people have taken part in our inclusive workshops in contemporary dance and physical theater (held so far), including people both with and without disabilities (Deaf and hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired, wheelchair users), young people with developmental challenges, war veterans, members of the LGBTQ community, people with mental health challenges, as well as artists of various backgrounds. All workshops were free for participants. More than 2,000 people have seen the workshop presentations. Several inclusive productions were created — The Curve for Gauss, Reset, Hegel and a Long List of Deceptions, Thanatos. The methodology and examples of the work were published in the book The Frame of the Body, and numerous discussions and round tables on inclusion in contemporary performing arts were organized.

This year’s festival program consists of three parts:

Mapping – November 26 at 8 PM, Magacin Cultural Center (Kraljevića Marka 4)

Mapping will bring together various stakeholders in the field of inclusion in culture and the arts, and encourage dialogue on what has “happened” in this area over the past ten years (as well as what preceded that decade and what is planned moving forward). Participants will primarily include individuals who have collaborated with Group “Let’s…” over the years, but the event is open to all who wish to highlight other initiatives and accomplishments in this field.

Presentation and discussion on video research on inclusion in education and the arts – November 27 at 8 PM, Ostavinska Gallery (Kraljevića Marka 8)

Attitudes of artists and staff in art schools and faculties in Belgrade on inclusion in education and the arts is a video-based research project composed of 40 interviews with artists and professors from art schools and faculties. The result is a kind of video-publication, segments of which will be shown during this presentation, and the audience will be invited to discuss the views of professors documented in the research.

Research author and interviewer: Marko Pejović
Collaborator in topic selection and videographer: Jovana Rakić
Serbian sign language interpreters: Vera Jovanović
Editor: Nataša Pavlović
Narrated by: Jelena Stojiljković Rhynes
Production: Group “Let’s…”

Inclusion in performance – November 28 at 8 PM, Little Theater “Duško Radović” (Aberdareva 1)

Inclusion in performance is part of the festival program during which interested participants will have the opportunity to present performative material inspired by inclusive artistic work that left a strong impression on them. This will be a showcase of various references from the field of inclusive art.

As with previous years, Group “Let’s…” has not received funding for this year’s festival from any city, state, or international body or foundation. The festival is being realized solely through the volunteer work of the team and collaborators, as well as partnering organizations and institutions.

We thank the following for their support in the realization: Magacin Cultural Center at Kraljevića Marka, Little Theater “Duško Radović,” SEEcult, and the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia.