About Us

Since opening its doors in 2002, Divadlo 29 has aimed to provide a multigenre cultural and production centre focused on the presentation and support of contemporary non-mainstream art, particularly in the fields of performing arts, literature, film, and visual art.

Divadlo 29 is located in a historic building on Svaté Anežky České 29 in Pardubice. The spaces in which we present our programme consist of a multipurpose black-box theatre that can seat 110 spectators, a club stage with a café and gallery, which can seat 60 spectators, and underground spaces adapted for use as a workshop laboratory.

Dramaturgical Concept

The dramaturgical concept of Divadlo 29 is based on five main programming areas, which are then fulfilled by the individual projects. Their common features are a clear dramaturgy and an emphasis on artistic quality and the innovative and topical nature of the programmes.

1. Presenting contemporary art in the fields of performing arts, literature, and visual arts

This line of programming is achieved through several genre-focused annual programmes. The essential aims common to all these projects are the following:
• to mediate as broad a spectrum as possible of the most varied forms of contemporary art, both professional and non-professional
• to continually provide the public with new perspectives on artistic creativity
• to stimulate public interest in current forms of contemporary art and thus spread awareness of its transformations and various crossovers of genres and styles
• to create cultural connections and contacts across the city and the region with artists, groups, ensembles, and other cultural centres in the region, the country, or abroad.
• to support collaborations between Czech and international artists and to introduce trends from abroad into the local environment


2. Supporting the development of artistic activity

This line of programming consists mostly of organising residencies for artists and other co-production activities linked to the creation of new works of art. The residency programme offers the spaces and technical equipment of Divadlo 29 to selected artists from both the Czech Republic and abroad for them to develop new projects. The aim of the residency programme is to stimulate mostly professional artists and support them as co-producers. The residencies are arranged by Divadlo 29, usually in collaboration with Terra Madoda. Every year, Divadlo 29 hosts at least two residencies, which are selected by a curating board.


3. Education in art and culture

Throughout the year, we organise workshops for the general public, which include workshops for adults as well as schoolchildren and toddlers. Since 2011, our most significant educational endeavour has been the continuing programme of AniLAB, which introduces young people and the general public to the fields of animated film, computer animation, and multimedia. In addition to AniLAB, we also host a number of workshops throughout the year, focusing on topics such as contemporary dance, physical theatre, or current trends in digital technology in music.

4. Culture in public spaces and site-specific activities

Divadlo 29 searches for unusual sites within the urban environment, which it then brings to life through the use of art. Through these interventions, we discover forgotten locations, draw attention to their significance, redefine their function, and, of course, create unique creative moments linked to activities in non-traditional spaces and contexts. Divadlo 29 initiated and co-produced several multigenre cultural events and site-specific art projects situated in the public space of the city (four annual editions of the Ostrovy/Islands festival in Tyršovy sady, 2004–2008) or in areas that are closed off and no longer available to the public (the Pardubice Station festival in the Sirius Cinema at the Pardubice central train station in 2014; the Střelnice Festival on the grounds of the former military lido in 2015). In 2013, Divadlo 29 was the initiator and main organiser of the multigenre Automatic Cultural Mills festival, which took place from May to October on the former premises of the Automatic Mills in Pardubice, a significant industrial landmark designed by architect Josef Gočár. Divadlo 29 was one of the initiators of the interdisciplinary working group, Mlýny, which prepared for the municipal authorities a project detailing the conversion of the grounds into Pardubice’s own Kulturfabrik.


5. Supporting cultural community activities in the region

Part of the activities of Divadlo 29 is the creation of spaces and conditions for communication, encounters, and the establishment of cultural contacts and relationships within the region and beyond its borders, as well as the support of various cultural and communal activities. In addition to its own programme, Divadlo 29 provides a home for programmes offered by various cultural and educational organisations in the city and region, including the Library of the Pardubice Region, Pardubice University, Alliance Française Pardubice, Goethe Zentrum Pardubice, the British Council, Europe Direct, and other associations, including Mental Health Care, Offcity, and Terra Madoda. Divadlo 29 also has long-standing relationships with a number of local non-profits, and Club 29 has for many years been a meeting point for the local community of students and artists.


Divadlo 29 Main Stage

A multipurpose theatre that is home to most of our projects. The dramaturgy focuses on contemporary art from the fields of music, theatre, dance, film, and new media. In addition to concerts and theatre and dance performances, the theatre is also the venue for several festivals and series of film screenings and lectures.

Club 29 – the small stage of Divadlo 29

Club 29 is an expansion of Divadlo 29. It functions as a café, bar, gallery, and small stage of the theatre. Club 29 presents exhibitions, chamber concerts and performances, film screenings, literary readings, lectures, seminars, and events to accompany the programme of Divadlo 29.

Bujón Laboratory

The Bujón Laboratory is located in the basement of the building. It is chiefly the home of AniLAB, a project seeking to educate the public in the fields of animated and experimental film.

Divadlo 29 Projects

Jazzconnexion

Jazzconnexion

This project focuses on the presentation of contemporary Czech and international artists who share a stylistic and formal inspiration in jazz. Jazzconnexion is a concert series that, in addition to presenting key figures and ensembles of the Czech and international scenes, offers stylistic diversions and seeks to open and discover new perspectives on jazz music in the 21st century. The project’s programming tries to present as broad a spectrum of jazz music as possible, in all its shapes and forms – from modern jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation through folk-tinged jazz all the way to experimental jazz and its fusion with electronic music, alternative approaches, or elements of modern composed music. The project presents only original work with significant authorial participation and elements of creativity. It emphasises projects that defy genres and that allow for collaborations between Czech musicians with performers from abroad. For its audience, the project aims to relay impulses that might lead to other, non-conventional perspectives on the music we call jazz.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Pardubice, and the Pardubice Region.

Project manager: Zdeněk Závodný


Electroconnexion

Electroconnexion

The aim of the multigenre Electroconnexion project is to present creative uses of digital media and technologies in a broad spectrum of artistic and cultural activities. In addition to computer art, Electroconnexion emphasises varied forms and tendencies in the mutual interaction of people and technology in our digital age. The aim of the project is to introduce our audience not only to Czech artists, but also to artists from abroad, thus bringing new perspectives, opinions, findings, and contacts. Last but not least, the project aims to increase interest in electronic culture and technologies and their potential uses within the local art scene, and to support theoretical reflections upon and discussions about contemporary digital art.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Pardubice, and the Pardubice Region.

Project manager: Jaroslav Tarnovski


Islands in Motion (Ostrovy v pohybu)

Islands in Motion (Ostrovy v pohybu)

The central aim of the Islands in Motion (Ostrovy v pohybu) project is to create a strong regional centre for the presentation and creation of contemporary theatre and dance. Every year, some thirty to forty events take place within the project: performances of independent theatre and dance, workshops, screenings, and so on. Integral to the project are the residencies within which new works are created by individuals and groups; theatre and dance; local and international. The project’s dramaturgy aims to give space to local activities in dance and theatre and to help artists at the beginning of their careers to create and present their performances.

The project is realised by Taje in cooperation with Divadlo 29 and with financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Pardubice, and the Pardubice Region.

Project manager: Anna Fukátková, Tereza Krejčířová


Etnoconnexion

Etnoconnexion

Etnoconnexion, with its subtitle of ‘tradition in motion’, aims to present musicians and ensembles for whom an inspiration in folk or ethnic music stands at the root of their art, introducing both performers who are direct successors to a traditional musical culture of a particular national and geographic area and artists who draw on these traditions, developing and enriching them through the use of a broad spectrum of musical approaches. The project also presents the singer-songwriter scene both in its traditional form and in newer mutations, which might be grouped under the term ‘post-folk’. Etnoconnexion is a concert series that brings us closer to the exciting and colourful world of musical cultures from around the world, instigating encounters of traditional Moravian folklore and Jewish klezmer, Romani music and Balkan brass bands, urban folklore and African music, the traditions of Eastern Europe and Argentinian tango, and on and on…

The project is supported by the Statutory City of Pardubice. 

Project manager: Zdeněk Závodný


Textconnexion

Textconnexion

Textconnexion focuses on the presentation of literary works by both Czech and international writers. It aims to introduce audiences to the works of established authors and those at the beginning of their careers. The project searches for the possible ways of working with an original text and with the text’s expansion into other fields, including music, visual art, performance, or theatre. It also supports the creation and presentation of innovative and experimental forms of literary creation. The emphasis is on individual experiences, the inclusion of as broad a spectrum as possible of spectators/participants, and, especially, on the mixing of professionals and non-professionals.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Pardubice, and the Pardubice Region.

Project manager: Jaroslav Horecký


AniLAB

AniLAB

AniLAB is a long-term project aimed primarily at introducing children, youths, and adults to the field of contemporary audiovisual art and film, with a long-overdue focus on Pardubice and the surrounding area. As an audiovisual laboratory, AniLAB does not just focus on animated film, but also crosses over into other fields – sound, music, creative writing, and contemporary visual art. AniLAB helps spread awareness and information about visual and audiovisual culture, focusing on an exchange of experience and acquisition of skills within specialised workshops. AniLAB’s activities include courses and workshops for children, youths, and adults, as well as film screenings and performances.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Pardubice, and the Pardubice Region.

Project managers: Šárka Zahálková, Nikola Březinová


Filmfuse

Filmfuse

This project focuses on a long-term mapping of contemporary film production through a specialised programme of evening screenings of selected films, together with open discussion.

Filmfuse has existed in Pardubice since 2009. Its aim is to present high-quality Czech contemporary films, which have long been absent from this city due to poor distribution and a lack of cinema space. We present Pardubice audiences with significant new films across genres, followed by moderated discussions with the artists responsible for the films or people involved with either the creation or subject of the films. The aim of the discussions is to contextualise and open new perspectives on the film, its creators, and the context of their thinking. It also increases awareness of the trends, themes, and styles of contemporary Czech cinema. The programming also includes Czech co-productions and Slovak works. Whenever relevant, we also include echoes of selected Czech festivals, profiles of selected artists, and thematic screenings.

The project is realised by Terra Madoda in cooperation with Divadlo 29, and with financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Pardubice Region, and the Statutory City of Pardubice.

Project manager: Anna Hrabáčková, www.filmfuse.cz


Offcity

Offcity

The Offcity association is an open platform focusing on public space, architecture, art in urban public space, the city, its memory, and its perception. Offcity’s long-term goal is to initiate dialogue and cultivate the perception of architecture, art, and culture in the public spaces of Pardubice. The project was born at the end of 2008. Until 2013, it was administered by Terra Madoda; since then, Offcity has been an autonomous registered association. Offcity organises lectures, debates, workshops, happenings, interventions, festivals, and international residencies for artists, architects, and theorists. Offcity often uses Divadlo 29 as a home for its lectures, debates, and workshops, and frequently partners with Divadlo 29 and GAMPA in realising site-specific festivals and events in public spaces.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Statutory City of Pardubice, and the Pardubice Region.

Project manager: Šárka Zahálková, www.offcity.cz


Exhibitions in Club 29 (Výstavy v Klubu 29)

Exhibitions in Club 29 (Výstavy v Klubu 29)

Club 29 – the small stage of Divadlo 29 – functions as a café and small exhibition space. On average, it hosts twelve exhibitions every year. The aim of the exhibition project is to present art students, young artists, and professionals from both the Czech Republic and abroad. The exhibitions also include marginalised genres and cross-genre works (film, animation, comics, design, as well as performances by artists on the borders of visual art and music, visual art and literature, etc.). The dramaturgy also includes exhibitions created to accompany selected projects at Divadlo 29 (One World film festival, Week for Mental Health, and others), and accompanying programmes include lectures, workshops, and concerts.

The programme of exhibitions and accompanying events at the Club 29 is supported by the Statutory City of Pardubice.

Project manager: Jaroslav Horecký


Partners and Friends

Taje z. s.

programme partner of Divadlo 29
spolek.taje@gmail.com


Offcity

programme partner of Divadlo 29
sarka@offcity.czwww.offcity.cz


Nová síť

programme partner of Divadlo 29
office@novasit.cz / www.novasit.cz


Filmfuse

programme partner of Divadlo 29
filmfuse@seznam.czwww.filmfuse.cz


Tanec Praha

programme partner of Divadlo 29
office@tanecpraha.eu / www.tanecpraha.cz


One World

programme partner of Divadlo 29 
info@jedensvet.cz / www.jedensvet.cz


University of Pardubice

programme partner of Divadlo 29
www.upce.cz


Bludný kámen

programme partner of Divadlo 29
bludnykamen@bludnykamen.cz / www.bludnykamen.cz


Stoned To Death

programme partner of Divadlo 29 
stoned-to-death.bandcamp.com


MENU

programme partner of Divadlo 29 
www.menumusic.cz


Full Moon Zine

media partner of Divadlo 29
info@fullmoonmagazine.cz / www.fullmoonzine.cz


JazzPort

media partner of Divadlo 29
www.jazzport.cz


Pardubice Živě

media partner of Divadlo 29
redakce@pardubicezive.eu / www.pardubicezive.eu


Český rozhlas Pardubice

media partner of Divadlo 29
redakce.pardubice@rozhlas.cz / pardubice.rozhlas.cz


Péče o duševní zdraví

partner of Divadlo 29
info@pdz.cz / www.pdz.cz


Alliance Française de Pardubice

partner of Divadlo 29
af@afpardubice.com / www.francouzstina-pardubice.cz


Goethe-Zentrum Pardubice

partner of Divadlo 29 
info@goethepardubice.org / www.goethepardubice.org


Vladimír Sabo

photography
(+420) 
604 299 842 / vsabo@volny.cz


Miroslav Škop / sound, lights, broadcast

live sound
(+420) 724 019 743 / info@m-skop.com