Mnemosyne theatre of memories

www.theatreofmemories.org

Mnemosyne - Theatre of Memories (Phase 1: Getting together) project is aimed to re-activate remembrance of 20th century among elderly citizens (60 – 95) of EU cities, and to convey some dramatical moments of these people's lives to younger EU audiences (19 – 45), but also worldwide. Though it is immensely difficult task to accomplish, the author of this text strongly believes that the inspiration for all participants can be drawn from two extraordinary written testimonies: 'Memoirs' by Eva Grlić (Croatia) and 'A Coffeehouse in a Prague-woman's Dreams' by Eva Reinerova (Czech Republic).
These texts will be the base for ‘libretto’, which then will form the basis for artistic, story-telling, story-writing and theatre-workshops, both for the younger and elderly population.

This project has already started its implementation in Belgrade (cooperation with the organisation AUROPOLIS, led by Manja Ristic, both Belgrade, Serbia and Island of Korcula, Croatia citizen), Prague (KC Zahrada, Jiri Skala, Post Bellum, and more), and Zagreb (thanks to the support of City Council for Culture) and Buenos Aires (cooperation with Flor Fernandez Frank – memories of the family which left Germany for Argentina at the ond of 30’ of the 2oth Century, implementation of the text of Lenka Reinerova).

Though it is a European project, and in the final phase the links of active EU remembrance should be established and maintained among Croatian younger population and their coevals in Czech Republic and all over Europe, with the emphasis on the shared painful moments of their relatives and ancestors, promoting the microhistorical methodologies to build more cohesive but still pluralistic and multilingual EU society is of global importance. The operational languages of the project will be Croatian, Czech and English, but other EU languages are warmly welcomed both in open discussions and operative formats.

Mnemosyne – Theatre of Memories is a project conceived and carried out by Association for Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Research.
Mnemosyne – Theatre of Memories got initial support by City of Zagreb – Council for Education, Culture and Sport and City of Belgrade – Council for Education.
Mnemosyne – Theatre of Memories is being supported by Europe for Citizens Programme – Active European Remembrance.

The first micro-conferential format will be held in Zagreb in April under the title

Active European Remembrance: What does it stand for?
MNEMOPOLITICS.MNEMOTOPIAS.MNEMOPOETICS.

www.theatreofmemories.org

All the events in this year within the frame of Mnemosyne – Theatre of Memories will also emphasise that there we have a 65 anniversary of the end of the WWII in 2010. In the most EU countries that is (mostly) long time past, except on Balkan where the wounds have not been healed, and are still being inflected on young people by simplifying history and blurring the evil deeds from Croatian camps in the WWII in history textbooks and political theatre of public rhetorics.


Mnemosyne utters: ‘NEVER MORE’.

The author of the text and the initiator of the project: Sonja Leboš
Contact:
ASSOCIATION FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERCULTURAL RESEARCH
OLIBSKA 25, 10000 ZAGREB, CROATIA