Exodos International Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts

Launched in 1995, Exodos was the first international festival of performing arts to be organised in independent Slovenia. Numerous performances by foreign artists such as Saburo Teshigawara, Josef Nadj, DV8, Enrique Vargas, Emunitas Nekrošius, Wim Vandekeybus, Jan Fabre, Nigel Charnock, Maguy Marin, Needcompany were presented during the 1990s, followed in more recent years by Robert Lepage, Lydia Lunch, Mark Tompkins, Gilles Jobin, Daniel Leveille, Rabih Mroue, Mihaj Mihalceaa and Jan Decorte. Over the years Exodos has discovered several new talented performers, including Vera Mantero, Francisco Camacho, the Holly Body Tattoo, Lili Abadijeva and John Jaspers, as well as offering a platform for work by leading Slovene artists such as Maja Delak and Ivica Buljan. Exodos has always emphasised the educational and theoretical aspects of its work by organising lectures and workshops, eg by the group Ulima vez and Wim Vandekeybus, or workshops on criticism. In 2006 the theoretical part of the festival ran under the theme 'Art and Freedom', discussing the role of art in contemporary society, its freedom and relations to politics and the economy. It featured a round-table debate involving domestic artists and four lectures by theoreticians from Belgrade, Frankfurt, Zagreb and Ljubljana.

In recent years, with Cankarjev dom ceasing to be the main festival venue and the withdrawal of Ministry of Culture support, the Festival has had to be temporarily transformed - its current art educational projects and international co-productions are presented at the website.

The concept has evolved with time. The 9th Exodos festival in 2003 was, for instance, split into three components: a drama threesome, a postdrama threesome and a body and disembodiment threesome, thus creating the Triptych '03 programme.

The 11th annual Exodos festival in 2005 featured stars such as Robert Lepage with 'The Busker's Opera'. Performed by the group Ex Machina, the show was co-produced by Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre. Another highlight was a performance by all-around artist Lydia Lunch, who presented her latest album 'Smoke in the Shadows'. Ljubljana audiences had a chance to see Mark Tompkins and his dance monologue 'Song and Dance', choreographer Gilles Jobin of Switzerland and his 'Steak House', Daniel Leveille's 'Love, Acid and Nuts', and 'Bad Moves' by acclaimed French hip hop and breakdance group Wanted Posse. The festival showcased also 'Looking for a Missing Employee', a show by Lebanese director Rabih Mroue, the six-hour show 'Quizoola!' by Forced Entertainment of the UK, and 'Stars High in Amnesia's Sky', a collection of memories of the Communist past by Romanian director Mihai Mihalcea. The theoretical part of the festival ran under the theme 'Art and Freedom', discussing the role of art in contemporary society, its freedom and relations to politics and the economy. It featured a round-table debate involving domestic artists and four lectures by theoreticians from Belgrade, Frankfurt, Zagreb and Ljubljana. Slovenia's off-theatre production was represented by the trilogy of director Ivica Buljan of the Ljubljana-based Mini Theatre: 'Schneewittchen After Party', 'Medea Material' and 'The Day of Murders in the Story of Hamlet'. 'Dear Elena Sergeevna' was produced by the Ljubljana-based Škuc Theatre. Exodos in 2005 provided also an opportunity to professional dancers to take part in a workshop by the group Ultima vez and its leader Wim Vandekeybus or try their luck in a DANCE audition.

The 12th Exodos Festival of 2006 presented a selection of well-known international groups and choreographers: Koninklijk Ballet van Vlaanderen presented the William Forsythe choreography 'Impressing the Czar'; Louise Lecavalier presented her 'Cobalt rouge Remix "I" is Memory'; the Japanese theatre company Dumb Type performed 'Voyage'; Mark Ravenhill and Paines Plough performed 'Product'; Compagnie Marie Chouinard broght their dance 'Body Remix - Goldberg Variations'; Jan Decorte/BLOET vzw and Kaaitheater performed 'dieu & les esprits vivants'; and Storm and Discípulos do Rítmo presented 'Geometronomics'. A group from the UK called dreamthinkspeak created 'Don't Look Back', a visual theatre site-specific installation at Kodeljevo Castle. The music programme featured the Musicians of the Nile. Two workshops took place: Viviane Muynuck with acting and dancing and Mark Ravenhill with playwriting. The panel discussion focused on Festivals In Transition (FIT), while Robyn Archer delivered the lecture 'Rebel Capital'. Performances by Slovene groups included Prinzesinnendramen by Prešeren Theatre Kranj, directed by Ivica Buljan, HI-RES by Maja Delak, Mala Kline, Quartet by EPI Centre and Ljubljana City Theatre (MGL), Pasjansa Solitaire by En-Knap Dance Group and Zagreb Dance Ensemble, Untitled by Ljubljana Dance Theatre (PTL) and a children's performance Martin Krpan by KUD Nor. An accompanying programme was a Break Dance Event.

Exodos International Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts

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