Apollon Kutateladze Academy of Fine Arts
Discussions focused on student and lecturer exchanges and the mutual presentation of student work. Rector Karaman Kutateladze invited the delegation to visit the university’s historic rooms.
"Open Doors" - the study visit to Georgia
The Polish Theatre Artists Foundation “Plac Teatralny” with Young Ambassador of Gorgia in Poland Mr. Tornike Tsirekidze are organizing a study visit to Georgia, titled “Open Doors,” from November 13 to November 23, 2023. The purpose of this visit is to facilitate meetings aimed at fostering cultural cooperation between Poland and Georgia.
The Polish delegation includes:
- Mr. Beniamin Bukowski – Director of the National Stary Theatre named after Helena Modrzejewska
- Jan Tomaszewicz – Director of the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Gorzów Wielkopolski
- Beata Szczucińska – Chancellor of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz Theatre Academy in Warsaw
- Agnieszka Zajk-Tworkowska – Vice-Chancellor of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz Theatre Academy in Warsaw
- Anna Albinger – Coordinator of artistic events at the Shakespeare Theatre in Gdańsk
- Paweł Dobrzycki – Dean of the Scenography Faculty at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
- Tornike Tsirekidze – Young Ambassador of Georgia in Poland
- Filip Frątczak – President of the Board of the “Plac Teatralny” Foundation. Scheduled meetings include discussions with the management of the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre in Tbilisi, the leadership of the International Theatre Festival in Tbilisi, the rector of the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University in Tbilisi, and the Apollon Kutateladze Academy of Fine Arts. Representatives from Polish artistic institutions will engage in conversations with their Georgian counterparts about future collaborative artistic projects. The delegation will also visit the Theatre in Telavi to discuss collaboration with the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Gorzów Wielkopolski. The Telavi Theatre will present “The Merchant of Venice,” which is hoped to be featured in the Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival. The culmination of the visit will be a meeting at the Shota Rustaveli National Theatre, attended by the Georgian Minister of Culture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Polish side will be represented by the Director of the Polish Institute in Tbilisi, Ms. Magdalena Wojdasiewicz. The morning session will be dedicated to discussing collaboration plans between the National Stary Theatre in Krakow and the Shota Rustaveli National Theatre in Tbilisi. Mr. Robert Sturua and Mr. Beniamin Maria Bukowski will plan future joint artistic initiatives for the Polish and Georgian national stages. The afternoon session will host all Georgian cultural institutions interested in cooperation with Poland. The significance of collaboration between our countries is confirmed by the announced visits of Georgian ministers
Apolon Kutateladze Academy of Arts - Tbilisi
“On Friday, November 24th, at 1:30 PM, we met with the leadership of the Academy of Arts in Tbilisi. The Dean of the Stage Design Department at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts presented areas in which the institution, which they represent, is interested in collaborating with the Georgian university. Student exchange programs, faculty exchange, and mutual presentation of student works were the extensively discussed topics. Immediately after the discussions at the Academy of Arts in Tbilisi, Rector Karaman Kutateladze invited us to visit the most beautiful halls of the Academy
Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University
The next meeting during the ‘Open Doors’ study visit in Georgia involved a meeting between the chancellors Ms. Beata Szczucińska and Ms. Agnieszka Zajk-Tworkowska from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw and the leadership of the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University in Tbilisi. (During the staging of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at the Telavi Theatre, directed by him, we had a meeting with the Rector of the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University, Mr. Giorgi Shalutashvili). The discussions encompassed the principles of student and faculty exchange, opportunities for the exchange of performances, and student works based on festivals organized by the respective institutions.
Marjanishvili Theater Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre
In the evening, we attended a meeting with the management of the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre and the International Theatre Festival in Tbilisi, where we engaged in discussions about potential collaboration between this theater and Polish theaters. The artistic director of the theater, Ms. Tinatin Kalatozishvili, expressed readiness for cooperation, emphasizing the strong bonds that connect this theater with the International Theatre Festival in Tbilisi, organized by them. Following the discussions, we watched the performance of ‘The Marriage of Figaro,’ directed by Levan Tsuladze.
Drama theater of Telavi
During the following day of the study visit, we went to the Telavi Theatre, where Anna Albinger watched ‘The Merchant of Venice’ directed by Giorgi Shalutashvili. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the decisions of the curators of the Shakespeare Festival, of which Anna Albinger is a representative. We hope that our Georgian colleagues will attend the Shakespeare Festival. We also held discussions with the theater management regarding collaboration between the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Gorzów Wielkopolski and the Telavi Theatre. The Georgian theater management expressed interest in colaboration, and we will keep everyone updated on the progress. After watching ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ the Telavi Theatre’s management and actors invited us to a ceremonial banquet. The hosts at the table included the Rector of the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University and the director of ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ Mr. Giorgi Shalutashvili. We thank them for a wonderful evening; we are immensely impressed by Georgian hospitality.
Rustaveli National Theatre
On the next day of the study visit on September 26, 2023, we engaged in discussions at the Shota Rustaveli National Theatre regarding new projects associated with Witold Gombrowicz’s ‘The Marriage.’ We talked about Gombrowicz workshops that we intended to organize jointly with the National Stary Theatre named after Helena Modrzejewska in Georgia, along with a potential staging of ‘The Marriage.’ The conversation involved a representative from the Georgian Ministry of Culture, Mr. Zaza Sopromadze. Following this, we proceeded to a meeting with cultural institutions interested in collaboration with Poland. Ms. Tamuna Kobkhidze, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Zaza Sopromadze from the Ministry of Culture participated in the meeting. IMEDI television was also present, preparing coverage of the meeting
The project funded by the 1st “Otwarty Konkurs”
of the Mieroszewski Center in Warsaw.”
POLISH STAGE ARTISTS FOUNDATION
PLAC TEATRALNY
Cultural diplomacy · International art projects
POLAND · GEORGIA · CULTURAL DIPLOMACY · 2023
“Open Doors” —
a Study Visit to Georgia
Meetings between Polish cultural institutions and Georgian arts universities, theatres, festivals and public institutions.
23–27 November 2023 · Tbilisi and Telavi
Cultural cooperation between Poland and Georgia
The Polish Stage Artists Foundation “Plac Teatralny” and Tornike Tsirekidze, the Young Ambassador of Georgia in Poland, organised a study visit to build long-term relationships between institutions in both countries.
Discussions covered student and lecturer exchanges, performance presentations, cooperation between theatres and festivals, and future joint projects.
The Polish delegation
Beniamin BukowskiDirector of the Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Kraków
Jan TomaszewiczDirector of the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Gorzów Wielkopolski
Beata SzczucińskaChancellor of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw
Agnieszka Zajk-TworkowskaVice-Chancellor of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw
Anna AlbingerArtistic Events Coordinator at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre
Paweł DobrzyckiDean of the Faculty of Scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
Tornike TsirekidzeYoung Ambassador of Georgia in Poland
Filip FrątczakPresident of the Board of the Plac Teatralny Foundation
Visit programme
Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University
A meeting devoted to academic exchanges, presentations of performances and student work, and cooperation at festivals organised by both universities.
Kote Marjanishvili Theatre and the theatre festival
Discussions explored cooperation between the Georgian theatre, the Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre and Polish theatres. The delegation watched “The Marriage of Figaro”, directed by Levan Tsuladze.
Telavi Theatre
The meeting after “The Merchant of Venice” concerned presenting the production at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival and cooperation with the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre.
Shota Rustaveli National Theatre
Discussions covered further projects based on Witold Gombrowicz’s “The Marriage”, workshops with the National Stary Theatre in Kraków and a possible staging of the play. Representatives of Georgia’s ministries of culture and foreign affairs attended the meeting.
Visit gallery
Project funding
The project was funded through the 1st Open Competition of the Mieroszewski Centre in Warsaw.
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