Music and theatre as a joint creative process, improvisation in music and movement with a dramatic end, describe the ‘Plovidba’ stage-music performance by Aleksandra Ilić, which audience will have a chance to follow via Facebook page of the Egység Cultural Station on Tuesday, 11 August from 7 p.m.

Young artists usually continue to work in their field of art, either alone or in a group, without any cooperation during the creation and development of the artistic work. The ‘Plovidba’ project erases those borders and allows the art to develop in all its forms at more complex levels.

– During the creative process of stage-music performance ‘Plovidba’, we used the method of ‘devising theatre’, i.e. the process of collective creative work. Dramaturgy was created on the basis of perception of music, and composer, inspired by dramatic improvisation, created variations on the already existing music pattern. Therefore, the composer, actors and director created a completely new work during the joint process of improvisation. The title ‘Plovidba’ (Serb. Sailing) that was given to the cycle by the composer, remains unchanged, as a metaphor for our life’s journey. We connected water with life since the water is of great importance for a human being. Based on the improvisation, we begun with a birth, continue with a memory by connecting ourselves with a theory that water remembers, and end up with purification, by showing the nothingness of a contemporary human, who has to find his/her path – Aleksandra Ilić.

‘Devising theatre’ is a method of creative process in theatre, within which actors and artists who work in different fields of art, create a work together, until its final act. The work that has been made with this method is created by the improvisation during the process. There is the initial idea that still has been shaped, with abstract presentation of the plot and it is primarily, but not necessarily, related to physical theatre.

– Historically, this type of process is similar to the one used in ‘comedia dell arte’ and mime. Later, directors such as Vsevolod Meyerhold and Yevgeny Vakhtangov worked on the principle of improvisation with members of their ensembles, and after World War II, Bertolt Brecht with ‘Berliner Ensemble’, Judith Malina and ‘The Living Theatre’, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook and many others, included the research process and improvisation in their work. The process of ‘devising theatre’, with its true definition, was created in England, in 1970s of 20th century and it lasts until today – explains Aleksandra.

Music cycle Plovidba by Dimitrije Beljanski was created in 2015 and had its première in 2018. Jovana Filipović and Lazar Rakić performed it. However, the première in the form of stage-music performance, within which both groups have improvisational cooperation, will be held within the ‘Artists. Now!’ project of the ‘Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital of Culture’.

– European Capital of Culture is of great importance for artists, especially for the ones whose ideas introduce innovation. Connection of artists is of great importance, since in that manner, a completely new, unknown genres, methods, forms, can be created, and in addition to this, nurture old ones during the creative process of work, where each artistic side has something to offer. Due to the unenviable situation for the culture, and in addition to the one regarding the global pandemic, we have to stick together – stresses the artist Aleksandra Ilić.

The troupe of contemporary and immersive theatre TITE, including Aleksandra Ilić, Ivana Antić, Lara Knežević, Jelena Majstorović, Kristina Milenković, Olivera Marić, Branko Milošev, director Vladislav Velkovski, and composer Dimitrije Beljanski, participated in the joint creation of stage-music performance ‘Plovidba’. Marija Feldeši, a student of acting, participated with her choreography in the opening scene, Nataša Stojšin contributed to video editing and Hristina Borović gave costume ideas.

The ‘Plovidba’ stage-music performance is one of the 22 projects that received funds within the ‘Artists. Now!’ public call of the ‘Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital of Culture’, aimed at strengthening local cultural scene, raising its capacities through a network of cultural stations, decentralisation of culture and audience development.

Partner in the project ‘Artists. Now!’ is the Merkator S company.

Photo Credit: V. Veličković