​Becoming Czech is an immersive, co-created gathering that invited audiences in Brno to reflect on identity, home, and migration from the perspective of first-generation migrants. Set inside a transformed theatre space (part pillow-fort, part living room) the 36-hour installation created a “brave space”: soft but radical, intimate yet political.

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Creating a sense of collective presence by blurring the line between audiences and artists, the work centred the lived experiences of migrants an offered the opportunity to re-think the role and place of cultural spaces. Becoming Czech were structured discussions, storytelling circles, communal cooking and a sleepover. A live broadcast ran throughout, allowing people around the world to tune in, respond, and contribute their own reflections on “Becoming Czech”.

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Developed with local artists Sonya Darrow, Alma Lily Rayner, and Maa Ry Nguyen and co-produced by Terén (Centre for Experimental Theatre), the event responded directly to the urgent political context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

 

We commissioned texts from authors who have participated in the open call and came from the countries of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. 

These can be read here (English) and here (Czech). 

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21–22/3/2022 | Studio CED, Zelný trh 9, Brno| Terén, Centrum experimentálního divadla 

 

Curated by: Lora Krasteva 

Producer: Claire Gilbert 

In collaboration with: Sonya Darrow, Maa Ry Nguyen, Alma Lily Rayner

Terén: Kristína Čajkovičová, Barbora Doležalová, Matyáš Dlab, Viktória Citráková, Soňa Borodáčová, Jonáš Garaj, Jozef Fertaľ, Lukáš Jiřička

Technical support: Nikol Piškytlová, Jan Bražina, Ondřej Hanslian

Narrative reporter from CEDIT: Jakub Liška

Writers: Olga Krykun, Georgy Mezhuev, Arseny Aleinik, Nadezda Nazarova, Masha Kovtun, Darja Lukjanenko, Andrei Shulha, Ekaterina Plechkova, Polina Khatsenka, Aliaksandra Yakubouskaya, Viktoriia Tymonova

 

Special thanks: to all the interviewees that wish to remain anonymous, Daisy Grant, Harkiran Kalsi & TIC Gallery. 

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