theater
театр
théâtre
戲劇
Oleg Liptsin
innovative educational-production theater MODEL
artistic director - Oleg Liptsin
INTERRUPTED BY THE WAR
METATHEATER
educational-production model and a program of joint postgraduate theatrical education for actors, directors and theater producers, which is based on the concept of expanding the traditional boundaries of theatrical activity through related fields of knowledge - cultural studies, performing arts, multimedia creativity, social psychology and independent art project management.
The program offers a number of innovative mechanisms and educational formats that increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness, significantly expanding the contingent of participants, and meet the latest trends in European education. These mechanisms include:
- mutual integration of training and practical activities,
- interdisciplinary principal of curriculum formation,
- active online component of learning and communication,
- intensive periods of group training (sessions) alternating with individual professional practice,
- a variety of certification programs and short educational formats (workshops, master classes, special courses, etc.),
- the ensemble principle of functioning within the framework of a creative workshop,
- mastery of related competencies,
- active development of the latest computer, visual and simulation technologies in the theater,
- multicultural and multilingual approach.
First experimental implementation of the METATHEATER program was conducted on the base of "Ostroh Academy" National University in 2021-22 academic years, resulted in creation of the student TARTUFFE production in collaboration with Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv. On the final phase of the graduation process, at the stage of conducting the national performing tour, it was interrupted by the war... Some students went to fight, some became volunteers and some exiled to EU.
Metatheatrical Initiative MI
Due to the current war in Ukraine a significant number of young Ukrainian actors and students found themselves in exile in the EU countries. Obviously their studying and working process was indefinitely interrupted and hardly can be re-established abroad due to the language and cultural nature of their profession. At the same time, these individuals carry a very special knowledge, professional experience and cultural traditions, which could be useful, enriching and productive for West-European theaters.
MI intends to use this unfortunate situation caused by the war and turn it to the common advantage by proposing a joint educational program for theater professionals from Ukraine and other European nations. Such a program would allow both sides to share and exchange their theater approaches and cultural traditions, introduce to European colleagues new acting techniques developed and tested recently within the Ukrainian theater, would provide the support and open new career opportunities for the artists from Ukraine, helping them to fully integrate into the European theatrical environment.
Considering the perspective of the forthcoming joining EU by the Ukrainian nation, the proposed initiative should also help to open a rich Ukrainian theater experience to the European professional community. The most recent trends in developing the multilingual and multicultural productions, socially and politically concerned drama, wide usage of computer, video and communication technologies, innovative methods of organizing the educational, rehearsing and performing processes - all these and many other elements continue to be studied and researched within the METATHEATER model founded by Oleg Liptsin and his partners in Ukraine in 2019 (www.facebook.com/metatheater.org/). Unfortunately the growth of this model within the Ukrainian educational system was interrupted by the war. Now it’s the right time to integrate this initiative into the European theater context.
There is indeed a strong effort on the different levels of European politics in favor and support of the Ukrainian war refugees; there are funds focused on providing the financial means for such activities. Thus we’re counting on securing the independent sources of finances to implement the proposed program. But in order to make our effort most effective and successful we would like to partner and affiliate our program with reputable professional theater education institutions in Europe. We would be very much interested and honored if you and your esteemed theater school find our initiative reasonable and potential and we’re looking forward to more close contacts on the possibilities for collaboration.