ABOUT THEATRE

ABOUT THEATRE

WHO WE ARE?

Municipal Community Theatre which has been operating in Banská Bystrica since 1995. We are artists who have been creating professional theatre for 29 years. We, the actors, are referred to as the “people with intellectual disabilities“. And we in the organizational team are perceived as “crazy idealists“. Labels are not important to us – simply, together we are unique in what we do. We work with joy and love for theatre and by means of our performances, we send messages to the society. A visit to the theatre is an experience – our intention is that this experience encourages the spectator to think about their perception of the world, other people, and especially otherness …

Theatre Divadlo z Pasáže is connected with the Day Centre and both organizations support each other in finding the best solution for the actors. This interconnection allows us to work in the artistic as well as in the social field on a daily and in-depth basis. This is also the reason why every production of our theatre reflects professionalism and humanity.

Since the establishment of our theatre, we have presented 32 productions, shot a feature film Z denníka jedného vagóna / From the Diary of a Wagon, 4 television documentaries, organised 6 international biennial theatre festivals – Arteterapia (Art therapy), participated in international festivals, theatre shows and workshops in Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Great Britain, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, etc. In 2009, we toured the United States. In 2011, we presented the production Cudzinec/Stranger in Jump-Start Performance Co theatre, San Antonio. Furthermore, we organized 5 tours across Slovakia during which we performed in more than 55 places. Over time, we expanded our work to include the education of children and the young.

In 2009, we received the European Citizen’s Prize (as the first non-profit organization in Slovakia) from the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pὄttering, for our cultural and artistic activities.
In 2010, the theatre received the Social Activities Award from the Banská Bystrica self-governing region.
In 2019, we were nominated for the Academy of Theatre-maker Awards for the best production of the season.
In 2021, we received the Banská Bystrica City Award for our long-term activities in the field of culture and social affairs and the Art Engagement Award at the Amplión International Festival.

MISSION

Inclusive or community theatre, the connection of artistic and social areas, education – there are many categories to which we belong. All designations are true, but at the same time limiting. We try to open a discussion on the topic of art as well as the position of people with disabilities – we simply connect many categories into an exceptional whole. We create productions in the belief that this way we create a passage that connects different worlds. Actors, organizational team, external co-operators but also spectators – everyone who is affected by our work creates with us.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

At the beginning, there was an effort to create a professional theatre which would engage actors with disabilities. Our success is proved by the number of quality productions that have been created in 26 years. Art has always been a platform for dialogue and change. Our goal is to deepen, by means of the theatre, the social discussion about life and about the attitude of the society towards persons with disabilities and vice versa. This relationship is still poorly discussed and often moves on the extremes of black and white thinking.
Black = “people with disabilities are ill, incomplete and belong to an institution where they will be best taken care of”.
White = “they are pure souls, eternal children who need our protection.”

Through our theatre production, we follow our intention to point out the whole spectrum of the world’s colours. Our actors are adults who have their strengths and weaknesses, nice and less pleasant character traits – just like every single person. Yes, they look and often behave differently. But what exactly is “normal” and what is “different”?

Getting in touch with otherness usually arouses uncertainty or fear – a sign that we are crossing our comfort zone. However, if we have the courage to take this step, our lives become more colourful and interesting.
We have no intention of preaching – theatre is a shared experience! We believe that through personal experience and contact with our actors, together we can create a colourful rainbow of approaches and attitudes towards people with disabilities.

STAGINGS

STAGINGS

29th June 1995 – About Popolvár as you don´t know him, Director : Viera Dubačová
27th June 1996 – The Assaying, Director : Viera Dubačová
25th June 1997 – The groom for Mrs. Mouse, Director : Michal Ďuriš
12th June 1998 – Reflections (into life), Director : Viera Dubačová
10th September 1999 – Comebacs, Director : Viera Dubačová
26th November 1999 – The footlights from the Passage, Director: Viera Dubačová
25th October 2000 – Talkings , Director : Viera Dubačová
7th June 2001 – The Town, Director : Ján Štrbák
22nd May 2004 – Diagnosis: Desire, Director: Viera Dubačová
17th September 2004 – America after Kafka, Director : Philip Boehm a.h.(St. Luis, USA)
27th October 2005 – Tarzan, Director : Monika Gerbocová
22nd June 2006 – The Little Heaven, Director : Zuza Ferenczová a Barbara Kastner
11th April 2007 – Robinson, Director : Juraj Bindzár
24th April 2008 – Femme Fatale, Director : Katarína Mrázková
15th December 2008 – The miracle behind the curtain, Director : Viera Dubačová
21st May 2009 – Protected territory, Director : Viera Dubačová
28th April 2010 – 3 x A, Director : Jaro Viňarský
1st July 2011 – Mechúrik Koščúrik wandering, Director : Peter Vrťo
18th November 2011 – Stranger, Director : Viera Dubačová (USA production)
3rd April 2012 – Hamlet and son, Director : Ján. H. Mikuš
31st January 2013 – Romeo and Juliet, Director : Šimon Spišák
29th April 2014 – The good person from Szechwan, Director : Šimon Spišák
27th September 2014 – Where is the broom?, Director : Peter Vrťo
29th September 2015 – Waiting for GO(do)T, Director : Katarína Mišíková Hitzingerová
19th January 2016 – On the pasture, Director : Peter Vrťo and Anna Tomaštíková
28th April 2016 – The Little Princ, Director : Šimon Spišák
27th April 2017 – Unawaken, Director : Monika Kováčová
25th January 2018 – Pinocchio, Director : Anna Tomaštíková
21st May 2018 – Take a chance on me, Director : Steve Bailey ( USA )
30th May 2019 – The message from another planet, Director : Šimon Spišák
5th December 2019 – A Norm, Director : Monika Kováčová
28th May 2021 – love SHOCK, Director: Kristína Chmelíková
20th June 2022 – Seagull, Director: Monika Kováčová
26th May 2023 – Whistling in the Dark, Director: Šimon Spišák

FESTIVALS

FESTIVALS

In the years 2002 – 2014 Divadlo z Pasáže organized International comunity based theatre festival ART THERAPY.

2002 Art therapy – Theory and praxis in Visegrad countries, Banská Bystrica
2005 Art therapy – Art on the margin, Banská Bystrica
2007 Art therapy – From the margin to the middle, Banská Bystrica
2009 Art therapy – Protected territory, Banská Bystrica
2012 Art therapy – FreeDOM, Banská Bystrica
2014 Art therapy – POWERless to POWERfull, Bratislava

MOVIES

MOVIES

1996 – About a different Popolvár, STV (Slovak Television)
1999 – Comebacs, director: Theatre Divadlo z Pasáže
2000Bare feet of Peter Svendsen, director: Juraj Vohnout
2002 – From the diary of a wagon, director: Ján Štrbák
2005 – ARTTHERAPY on the margin, director: Teo Bindas
2006 – Peep into a dream – actors of Theatre Divadlo z Pasáže created their own movies, director: Lukáš Kodoň
2010 – Protected territory,director: Adam Hanuljak and DOGDOCS
2012 – What`s this movie about, director: Jana Bučka
2015 – 20th Anniversary Talks, director: Michal Kočiš
2023 – Up and down, up and down, director: Jana Bučka

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

1999 – Footlights from the Passage, director: Viera Dubačová – Slovak television show
2000 – 3×3 Women , project about women, director: Viera Dubačová
2003 – Blue – yellow Zeppelin, European Union promotion, Slovakia tour
2006 – „Talk to us“, Slovakia tour
2008 – „4 x 4“ in Banská Štiavnica and Bratislava, Community based theatre educational workshops
2009 – Protected territory tour in the USA: San Antonio, Cedar Rapids and New York
2010 – in cooperation with theatre Silent sparks we created a workshop „The secret of Art“ based on a fairytale Janko Hraško
2010 – „Talks about diversity“ – a serie of chalk-talk with students from elementary and high schools.
2011 – workshops in Šobov (Banská Štiavnica) for Roma cultural center „Šukar Dživipen“
2011 – „Comunicate with us“, Divadlo z Pasáže comes to perform in Slovak Post Offices , Slovakia tour
2011 – „Talk to us“, Slovakia tour.
2011 – From this year we started to participate on „Theatre night“ in Banská Bystrica every year
2011 – Performance „Stranger“ – international cooperation with Jump-Start Performance Co., San Antonio, Texas, USA, director : Viera Dubačová
2011 – Filmworkshop in cooperation with DOGDOCS – 6 of one minute movies, cut: the actors of Theatre Divadlo z Pasáže
2012 – The tradition of „Theatre season opening“ was born.
2013 – The concert „Neverland of Peter Hudec“, ARCHA theatre Prag, Czech Republic
2013 – 2014 – International children´s day with cooperation with City of Banská Bystrica
2013 – 2014 – public „TEAROOM“, friendly get-together by tea and talks about everything
2015 – The concert „Where is the Mouse?“, CD

…and many other activities in Slovakia and abroad.

COUNTRIES

COUNTRIES

…we cooperated with:

Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Germany, Spain, USA, Great Britain, Belgium, Slovenia, Hungary, Portugal, Finland, Russia, France, Turkey, …and many others.