International Festival of Contemporary Theatre Homo Novus 

Riga, Latvia, September 14-23, 2001

Homo Novus in Latin means - the new, hitherto unknown person. Homo Novus was a contemptuous word for young men of unaristocratic origin that had integrated into the highest society of Ancient Rome. Later it referred to an upstart and non-conformist.

The Homo Novus Festival is a provocation. New trends, exciting productions and innovation are a focus of the festival.

The forth edition of the International Festival of Contemporary Theatre Homo Novus will take place in Riga, 2001.

 

 

Homo Novus, a biannual festival (1995), encourages audiences to question what is considered to be officially the new drama and the new artistic developments in European theatre.  Its goal is to expose and present the new generation of Latvian theatre within a broader European context.

Homo Novus 2001 will highlight the notion of where theatre is performed. Performances in Homo Novus 2001 will be performed everywhere except in a traditional theatre building.

Homo Novus Questions:

  • Can theatre be performed only in the centre of Riga?

  • Is theatre really theatre if performed only in a classical theatre building?

  • Is theatre the theatre?

 

Homo Novus versus Homo Economicus

Homo Economicus tends to dominate our everyday life, as well as the planning of a city.

Homo Economicus is concerned only with the hard infrastructure: roads, communications, banks and lighting in the city. Homo Economicus affects cultural policy as well: the size of the audience and their expendable income becomes an important issue for the success of a theatre company. Has art become either a commercial show or an experimental laboratory for the elite?

Homo Novus 2001 would like to pay attention to the soft infrastructure of city planning by presenting site specific theatre productions and to stress the necessary presence of Homo Novus beside the Homo Economicus.

We would like 

To make the process (Homo Novus) as important as the result (Homo Economicus)

To change the role of the art consumer to one of the participant

To decentralise the art from the centre to the neighbourhood

To draw cultural events into city surroundings

Festival Sites

  • Water tower

  • Harbour

  • Circus

  • Apartment

  • Depot

  • Railway station

  • Cellar

  • Marketplace

  • New districts

  • Parks

  • Ships

 

Festival Events

  • Co-production:  the exploration of historic sites of Riga.

  • Co-production: intercultural collaboration focusing on the identity and cultural diversity of the inhabitants of Riga.

  • Site specific performances from different European countries.

  • Latvian productions outside of the theatre.

  • Exhibition of emerging set designers - Transformation of the City.

 

Partners

The Festival Homo Novus 2001 will be organised in co-operation with “Riga 2001 - European Cultural Month”, as well as in co-ordination with the Bureau for Riga’s 800 year anniversary (http://www.riga800.lv)

Top Ten Arguments Why We Need Homo Novus Festival 2001

  • Homo Novus is a common festivity among the very culturally and nationally diverse inhabitants of Riga.

  • Homo Novus Festival engages different groups of society, from theatrical gourmands to car thieves, in cultural activity.

  • Homo Novus decreases the number of stolen cars in Riga. 

  • Homo Novus creates an image for Riga.

  • Homo Novus draws the attention of the inhabitants and politicians to the environmental and city planning issues: the ‘hard and soft infrastructure’ of Riga.

  • Homo Novus is not about problems but rather recommends a solution - an international cultural project.  

  • Homo Novus involves donor partners from the state, the city, non-governmental organisations and the private sector in a common project.

  • Homo Novus is 10 days long but will last 10 years by establishing international long-term co-operation.  

  • Homo Novus decentralizes the art from the centre to neighborhood.

  • Homo Novus is minimum risk with maximum return.

 


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