The 2020 edition of the European playback theatre gathering will be held for the first time in Eastern Europe in the beautiful city of Sofia, Bulgaria. The event will bring together around 300 Playback Theater practitioners from Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East and will provide space and inspiration for exchange, connection and sharing of energy, ideas, good practices and dreams of PT community members.
EPTG 2020 THEME
We cherish our ROOTS because they make us feel grounded, connected to our history and ancestors, to our cultural traditions and collective wisdom, to our land and place of belonging. We desire our WINGS to be big and wide open because they nourish our sense of freedom, our inner search for exploration, adventure and movement. We need both our Roots and Wings in order to be authentic and true to our nature. They foster our journey to better understand ourselves and build a trustworthy connection with our body, mind and soul as well as meaningful relationships with others and the world around us.
The CONFERENCE (3 Sept 2020, Park Hotel Moskva)
The Conference is a one-day pre-gathering event on a specific topic which idea is to promote collaboration, provide new knowledge and support peer-to-peer learning. This year’s Conference will offer a dynamic and inspiring agenda consisting of:
Presentations & discussions – presentations by renowned keynote speakers who will illuminate different perspectives and experience on the topic of “Building Positive Culture and Good Organization in Playback Theatre Societies”. The presentations will provide the framework for subsequent discussions and will encourage open dialogue between participants.
EPTG 2020 Conference Keynote speakers are Jonathan Fox, co-founder of Playback Theatre, artistic director of the original PT company and Ms Kayo Munakata, co-founder of School of Playback Theatre Japan, founder and artistic director of Playback AZ.
A World Café session – an effective and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue on a specific topic. This participatory format enables diverse group of people to come together and exchange ideas, thoughts and personal stories which shifts the way the group understands an issue. As hopes and ideas flow through discussions, the world cafe conversations provide a common foundation for participants to embrace new approaches and the desire to be part of making it happen.
The GATHERING (4-7 Sept 2020, PH Moskva, WTC Interpred, “Nikolay Haitov” Community Center)
The Gathering is a four-day event which opens space for exchange, connection and sharing between PT community members through different formats and experiences:
- Home groups – it is an extended workshop on a specific topic which is hosted by a home group leader for 3 consecutive days with a permanent group of participants. The home group is the daily oasis for participants – it gives them the space and time to deeply explore and engage with the topic, to make a more sustained connection with their fellow home group colleagues and to successfully navigate and reflect on their whole gathering experience with the masterful support of the home group leader.
The program will offer 17 different home group topics.
- Workshops – interactive format for a smaller group of people dealing with a specific topic or question and allowing the participants to work together targeting a common goal.
The program will offer 34 different workshop topics
- PT performances:
EPTG 2020 will offer the stage to 12 established professional performing companies that will skillfully immerse the audience in their art and mastery. All performances will be staged in three different theaters, located in National Palace of Culture (NDK). NDK is situated in the very center of the city and is about a 20-min ride by metro from the main venue Park Hotel Moskva.