The Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute expressed its concerns regarding the planned changes affecting the Czech Institute of the Arts and Theatre, Institut umění – Divadelní ústav (IDU). Following reports of the Ministry’s intention to merge IDU with another institution without prior consultation with its staff, the Theatre Institute’s Deputy Director for Programming, Anna Galas-Kosil, sent a letter to the Czech Minister of Culture, Martin Baxa.
The open letter underlines the great significance of the IDU for the Czech and European theatre community. It is one of the oldest institutions of its kind, which, for more than 65 years, has been collecting and sharing knowledge about theatre, conducting research and implementing numerous international projects. These include the largest exhibition of international stage design, the Prague Quadrennial (PQ), numerous prestigious initiatives undertaken within the ENICPA network, and the long-standing cooperation programmes with the Theatre Institute, such as Theatre Architecture in Central Europe or the European Route of Historic Theatres.
The letter reads:
“The IDU’s achievements in preserving the heritage of the most syncretic of the arts, namely theatre, are awe-inspiring. Its documentation endeavours, its library and publications are among our region’s most extensive and most valuable resources. Researchers and theatre professionals from all over the world benefit from this collection and its superb digital version. Workshops, projects, festivals—the IDU’s offerings addressed to Czech artists, theatre lovers, and researchers alike are excellent and highly valued.”
The proposed change could jeopardise the functioning of this important institution, weaken its position, and affect international cooperation in the performing arts.
The Theatre Institute stands in full solidarity with its Czech colleagues and encourages everyone to sign a petition pointing to the need for greater transparency in the process of structural change at the institution: https://e-petice.cz/petitions/na-podporu-institutu-umeni-divadelniho-ustavu-in-support-of-the-arts-and-theatre-institute-cz.html
We encourage all those who care about the future of the European theatre to support this initiative.
