A presentation by Chinese theatre artist Zhao Chuan
The presentation is followed by a conversation with Anuja Ghosalkar, moderated by Kai Tuchmann
The issue of space is one of the most crucial in the work of Zhao Chuan`s theatre group Grass Stage. Working in the highly consumerist environment of Shanghai, Grass Stage`s practice can be described as a constant striving and struggle for space. Due to the political and commercial reality, Grass Stage`s work very often temporarily convert shopping malls, galleries, libraries or book stores into spaces for performances that are free of charge. In Zhao Chuan`s theatre conception these performances are just a trigger, for that what he calls ”post-performance theatre”. This “post-performance” theatre consists out of the often heated debates among the audience that directly follow after each performance of Grass Stage. This concept of the “post-performance theatre” longs for probably the most precious spaces of all: the space of fair, free and uninterrupted discourse among people.
In the public talk Zhao Chuan will first introduce the practice of Grass Stage through a half an our presentation of their previous works. This presentation will be followed by a conversation between him and the theatremaker Anuja Ghosalkar, who will relate to the issue of space through the perspective of her experience working at and with very different sites in India. The conversation will be moderated by theatre maker Kai Tuchmann, who shares long working relationships with Zhao Chuan and Anuja Ghosalkar. This conversation will circle around the possibilities and challenges of reclaiming physical and mental spaces in troubled times.
About Zhao Chuan: Born in the 1960s, Zhao Chuan's works across visual art, theater, and literature. He created alternative and socially engaged theatre, is the founding member of Shanghai based theatre collective Grass Stage since 2005. Their work devote to the promotion of new social theatre movement and the creation of non-profit public space for intellectual exchange. These works including: Wild Seeds series, a Social Theater Trilogy: World Factory, Madmen's Stories and The Little Society. He has been involved in many international art residencies, collaboration projects and teaching, and published over 10 different books in fiction, essay and art criticism etc.
About Starting Realities: It is a workshop series designed and curated by Anuja Ghosalkar and Kai Tuchmann to build audiences, pedagogy & new practitioners for Documentary theatre in India, towards Asia's first festival of Documentary theatre in December 2020. A three-city workshop in 2018 was facilitated by theatre maker Anuja Ghosalkar across the country. Extending from this series, Kai Tuchmann’s workshops in January 2019 flagged off the global series. In addition to Zhao Chuan we had Boris Nikitin (Switzerland) and Daniel Wetzel (Germany) through the year sharing their tools and exploring various modes of performance making. This workshop series culminates in a three-day symposium titled Connecting Realities at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2019 that will explore what documentary theatre is and can be in the Indian context.
Back
