Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, Ontario… Producer Derrick Chua and Theatre Passe Muraille are pleased to welcome Belarus Free Theatre’s Co-Founders and Artistic Directors NATALIA KALIADA and NICOLAI KHALEZIN for a special event - In Conversation With BELARUS FREE THEATRE, Thursday November 7, 2013 at 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm (doors at 3:30 pm), at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Avenue, Toronto. Admission is by donation at the door - pay what you will, with all proceeds going directly to Belarus Free Theatre (BFT).
This is the first time that BFT has ever visited Canada, and this event will provide a rare and intimate opportunity to meet and speak with its co-founders and artistic directors. Following a moderated “In Conversation” portion, the audience will be provided the opportunity for a Question & Answer session.
BFT is a company of 25 people - some in Minsk, some in London - who are one of the very few hopes for the intellectual and artistic freedom of the 10 million people of Belarus. Founded by Natalia Kaliada, Nicolai Khalezin in 2005 and lead by them as Artistic Directors and by BFT co-creator and theatre director Vladimir Shcherban, BFT is the only independent theatre company in Belarus. Of the 28 theatre companies in Belarus, 27 are controlled by the state. Only BFT stands for freedom of speech and expression. As a result, if you work for the BFT, you will never be employed by a state theatre again. BFT run an internationally famous ensemble and theatre school in Minsk. Their performances are frequently raided by the secret police and their audiences and actors are under constant threat of intimidation. As well as the work they do to promote freedom of expression within Belarus, they seek to effect change for others around the world. In this way they connect European issues to the predicament of repressed people everywhere.
After the 2010 Belarus presidential election, Natalia was arrested and, together with Nicolai, were forced to flee the country. Three artistic leaders of the company were granted political asylum in the UK. The Young Vic took BFT under its wing and they have made many friends in the UK. Living on a shoestring in borrowed accommodation, they continue to make extraordinary, inspiring work in exile, touring the UK and visiting festivals across the world.
BFT continue as a two-headed beast, in one capacity doing plays in the UK with British, Belarusian and international actors, and in the other, continuing the work of their permanent ensemble in Minsk where plays are continually developed rehearsed and performed and where students continue to train in their theatre laboratory. While the company is an associate of the Young Vic theatre and works from their London offices, it continues to operate from Minsk where performances are held secretly in small private apartments or houses. BFT has performed in over 42 countries around the world and is recognized for its unique role in theatre as well as for its denial of the narrow options offered it by a contemporary world.
Update from BFT directly: “In the last 4 months Belarus Free Theatre has become stronger and more established in the UK. We have begun to live stream our performances in the UK to Belarus, as well as the world, as a symbol of our support for the Belarusian people who continue to come to our performances in Minsk despite threats, intimidation and raids. Since Christmas there have been 7 raids on our underground venue in Minsk. At the latest one, which occurred in mid-September 2013, the performance was stopped and all passport details of audience members and actors were taken down by the police. The landlord of the property has also been threatened and it appears that BFT may lose our performance space in Belarus. However, the company will continue to perform - in the street, in the woods, wherever we can. Always in hiding but never stopping, Belarus Free Theatre will continue to produce real theatre for the real world.”
BFT website for more info: www.belarusfreetheatre.com
Photo: Natalia Kalida and Nicolai Khalezin.
2013-10-16
Toronto: Meet the Artistic Directors of the Belarus Free Theatre on November 7