Theatre na Zhukah Goes Crowdfunding for “1919 – 2019: Kulish. Kurbas. Shakespeare” Festival in Kharkiv

The Theatre na Zhukah makes its debut in crowdfunding to raise money for “1919 – 2019: Kulish. Kurbas. Shakespeare” Festival which will take place in Kharkiv on June 13 – June 18. It will be a joint project by the Zhuki, the Arabesques Theater and the Night Train Theatre Company (London, UK).

Crowdfunding started at Spilnokosht.

According to Dmytro Ternovyi, the Zhuki producer, the main idea of the project is to show the European roots of the Ukrainian theater and to promote the new ties between the Ukrainian and European theaters.

“It all began last year when Night Train Theatre Company first staged the Ukrainian classic translated into English – “Maklena Grasa” by Kulish, and the production earned very positive reviews from the critics. We contacted the Company, thinking about bringing this play to Ukraine. The Arabesques Theater joined the negotiations and a very significant historical context came up: a hundred years ago, Kurbas started working on Romeo and Juliette by Shakespeare. We happen to have this play in our repertoire. So do the Arabesques. And in both cases it’s a “modernist” rather than traditional presentation of the classic piece. And so, step by step, we all arrived to a most daring idea – organize a festival to present contemporary productions of the Ukrainian classics, including the European vision thereof, and the contemporary Ukrainian vision of the English classics. This way, we will be able to refresh our memory of the theater existing in the age of the executed generation, simultaneously demonstrating the European roots of the Ukrainian theater, pointing out how these roots keep growing nowadays, thereby giving the opportunity for the fresh offsprings to come through. This is very important for Kharkiv.”, explains D. Ternovyi.

He went on saying that his project was highly praised by the Culture Bridges experts but he fell just one point short of winning the funding.

“Nonetheless, we have almost found the alternative sources. If the crowdfunding raises 65,000 UAH within 25 days, the International Renaissance Foundation will triple the amount, which will cover most of our expenses on the festival. We call out to everyone to support this project, donating just any amount by clicking on the link to Spilnokosht”, points out D. Ternovyi.

The Festival offers an extensive program (to be published shortly), comprising of plays and lectures, an open-air exhibition (organized in conjunction with the Literature Museum, themed street art, master classes for the students of theater departments and for those who learn the English language, etc. In addition, it will the Night Train bring its production to the stages in Kyiv and provide master classes to the students of the theater university in the capital city.
The Festival will feature the Night Train Theater (London, UK), the Luhansk Academic Theater of Music and Drama (now evacuated to Severodonetsk), the Kimnata T Theater, TO Inakshe, the Arabesques Theater and the Theatre na Zhukah (Kharkiv).

Venues: the Arabesques Theater, the Pushkin Academic Drama Theater (Kharkiv) and the Theatre na Zhukah.