INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS AND THEATRE

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL ...a glimpse of the 9 years of existence

Since its founding nine years ago, the festival Letní Letná has become an inseparable item on Prague and Czech cultural calendars, turninginto an exceptional event in the Czech context. It is the only festival to systematically bring to the Czech Republic the best of new circusproductions from around the world, while organizing a two-week marathon of activities for children and their parents on annual basis.Letní Letná has hosted such illustrious companies as Cirque Ici, Cirque Trottola, Les Colporteurs, Cahin Caha, Cirque Baroque andmany more. The festival has also become a platform presenting Czech companies creating in the field of new circus and theatre to thegeneral public: as the festival is very popular with the public, it means a great chance of mass publicity for such companies. Also, LetníLetná brings together Czech and foreign artists, thus contributing to the development of the genre of new circus in the Czech Republic.Despite its great popularity (as many as 28,000 spectators per edition), the festival sticks to easy-going summer atmosphere, one that re-minds of the old circus times and is far from mass commercial events and their cheapness. Letní Letná is a traditional meeting point offriends, acquaintances, families with children and all who like to spend their free time in an active way. The approaching tenth anniversaryof the festival in 2013 is an opportunity to celebrate the jubilee but also the genre of new circus as such. It is why this year more than everwe want to invite exceptional and top-quality companies from abroad and offer you an even richer program than ever. Let’s start lookingforward together!

LETNÍ LETNÁ 2012 …about the 9th edition of the festival

This year’s edition of the International Festival of New Circus and Theatre Letní Letná attractedthousands of spectators and received great critical acclaim. The ninth edition of the festival was heldfrom August 19th to September 2nd at the traditional festival location in the Letná Park. Over 25,000spectators enjoyed almost a hundred performances, enjoying evening shows performed by internationalstars of new circus, afternoon and matinée show for children, workshops, games and the beautifulatmosphere in the middle of the circus park. As to the program offer, the festival team decided fora daring step this year: besides Czech premieres of foreign companies, 7 Fingers from Canada andCirque Galapiat from France, the festival has initiated the project Lacrimae, an international co-production of three companies - Cirkus Cirkör /Swe/, Cahin Caha /FR/ and Cirk La Putyka /CZ/.A work-in-progress of the project was presented at Letní Letná 2012 and a majority of those who haveseen it claim that it is hard not to be looking forward to next year when each of the three companieswill present a final version of the production. Letní Letná 2012 also offered a great and quality selectionof Czech companies and performers, among them Vanda Hybnerová who, together with her friends– actors created a cabaret show made-to-measure for the festival, a project entitled Lidoskop,companies Décalages, Cirkus Mlejn, VOSTO5, a Finnish-Swiss-British project Ilmatila/Colectifand than and many more. During recent years a great tradition has been established: the openingshow of the festival is free of charge. This year it took the form of a colourful circus-theatre paradefeaturing clowns, jugglers and a great surprise in the end: a huge orchestrion. As is the case every year,an integral part of the festival was made of a diversity of events for children and their parents, rangingfrom fairy-tale theatre productions (as many as 5 times per day) and circus shows to graphic artsworkshops, etc. For the third time in a row, the festival organized Letní Letňák, a summer circus schoolfor children that culminated with a collective show for parents. To sum it up, this year’s edition providedfor unforgettable experiences to all who came, such experiences that no other genre but new circusand no other festival but Letní Letná can provide for.

LETNÍ LETNÁ 2012 …from the press

The festival Letní Letná has once againgrown a little bit bigger, offering a veryspecial “dish” that only the most respectedfestivals have on their menu: it has becomea co-producer of a project that is beingcreated by three European companies...

Hospodářské noviny, a national daily

The project Lacrimae is bound toundergo further development. And thereis much to be looking forward to.

Právo, Novinky.cz –90%

La Vie - 7 Fingers... A true experience.

MF Dnes – 80%

Very quickly and despite intense competition, thefestival Letní Letná has established itself, turning intoa well-identifiable and expectable event in terms of itstheme. The festival hosts top-quality new circus showsfrom abroad and there is no doubt that as such it hasalso been very helpful to the development of the genrein the Czech Republic.

Lidové noviny, a national daily

Letní Letná, a unique festival of humancircus. A must-see.

Metro, a Prague daily

The Circus festival Letní Letná to mixa cocktail of awe, fear and beauty...

MF Dnes, a national daily

The festival is a well-established event, one that has broughtup a stable community of spectators who know that newcircus is entertaining, that instead of trained animals itpresents stupefying performances of acrobats and a strongtheatre aspect...

MF Dnes daily

Cabaret Lacrimae is promising, it has thepotential to blossom into beauty. Within an hourand a half, a fully-fledged production has beenrevealed. With no hesitation could it be comparedto finished projects in terms of technicalpreciseness and artistic drive...

Lidové noviny, a national daily

Letní Letná was literally a pioneer (...) theaudience is mostly attracted by foreign stars whooften come to the Czech Republic with fascinatingshows that push the limits of what we think thehuman body is capable of (...)

Týden, a national weekly

Galapiat bets on crazy ideas, provocation,teasing and gags, founding its playfulnesson perfect acrobatic performance. A chil-dren game, one that is slightly perverted anthe actors of which don’t know when tostop – that is the frame of the show, a veryappropriate one.

Lidové noviny, a national daily

The show Risque ZérO is among the best ofwhat the festival has offered so far. It isa must-see for all who feel even slightlyenchanted by the magic of new circus.

E15 – 100%

From the very beginning, Risque ZérO is anunconventional show. Among this year’s festivalstars, Galapiat is undoubtedly the most interactiveand vivacious one.

Hospodářské noviny, a national daily

7 Fingers – everything done perfectly... not a singleboring moment.

Právo – 80%

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Compagnie XY GRAND C - LETNÍ LETNÁ 2011

LETNÍ LETNÁ 2011 …about the 8th edition of the festival

The 2011 edition of the festivaltook place in the spirit of recordattendance: over 28,000 spectatorssaw over 100 shows. The festival headliners were the Swedish companyCirkus Cirkör and the French Compagnie XY. Most of theirshows were sold out. The festival opened with a spectacular show ofCompagnie Malabar, attracting as many as 3-4,000 people.The festival line-up also offered the most prominent Czech companies and artists:Cirkus Mlejn, Cirkus LeGrando, divadlo ANPU, Anna Polívková, Project WINGSand more.The 8th edition of the festival extended the number of off-program events, launching Vanda Hybnerová's photo atelier, program at Tea Tent, concerts and parties at theatre bar,jugglers' corner and graphic workshops and other activities for children.

For the first time in 2011 the festival traveled into other towns but Prague, namely Olomouc, Ostrava, Brno and Lipno.For the second time in a row Letní Letná organized a Summer Festival School for children from 6 to 15 years of age, a sort of summer urbancamp offering children the possibility to indulge in acting, juggling, graphic activities, voice performance, etc.

Letní Letná 2011 also hosted an international forum on the current situation of new circus around Europe. Entitled Cirkforum 2011 and organized by thefestival and Cirqueon – Centre for New Circus, the international encounter was held at the occasion of a Prague meeting of the members of Circostrada network.

LETNÍ LETNÁ 2010 …about the 7th edition of the festival

This year was marked, in particular, by an all-timeattendance high, with more than 23 000 visitorscoming to see over 90 shows, the festival grounds, bar,workshops and other events. The main stars and attractions of the festival were twoleading nouveau cirque companies from France:Atelier Lefeuvre & André with their feature showBricolage Erotique and Cahin Caha, directed and ledby Daniel Gulko, with their REV.However, there were many more excellent companies,both from the Czech Republic and abroad, be it theopening fire-show by Sweedish Burnt Out Punks,attended by more than 4,000 visitors, Heinzi Lorenzen

the clown /German/, Cirk La Putyka, a famous Czechcontemporary circus group, or French Décalages,Cirkus Mlejn, Amanitas and other ensembles.In addition, the festival featured two open stages. Verypopular among the visitors, these venues provided anopportunity for young artists to present their shows tothe public.Letní Letná also confirmed its position of the largestfestival of children’s shows and fairy-tales in the CzechRepublic – in total, there were more than 60performances (up to four a day) watched by more than10 000 children and their parents. Moreover, thiscount does not include free children activities such as

the painting studio, preparation of masks, jugglingworkshop and others.For the first time ever, Letní Letná offered a FestivalSummer School, a ‘suburban camp’ where childrenaged 6 to 15 learned the basics of acting, juggling, fineart, voice activities and others. The course ended witha show featuring everything the children learned overthe last days and proved to be extremely popularamong parents, as there was no unused capacity left.Letní Letná also featured a series of activities intendedfor the professional public and workshops anddiscussions for people more interested in the nouveaucirque movement.

LETNÍ LETNÁ Every year, during the last fortnight in August, the usually deserted and sleepyspot in the Letná park, near Prague Castle, flares up with the magicalatmosphere of contemporary circus and theatre.

Many adults come to enjoy a hearty laugh under the circus tents, excited,touched and ravished by the performances of the best Europeancontemporary circus and theatre ensembles. Children persuade their parentsto let them see some of the countless fairy-tales, children’s shows and artevents, never wishing to go home at the end of the day. To be frank, mostadults feel the same, despite all the ‘It’s time we went’ remarks – everybodyenjoys a good rest on a lawn, a glass of barley pop with their friends or a chatin the festival café, listening to live music. It is so easy and addictive…

STRUCTURE OF THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM

- gala opening FREE OF CHARGE /new circus show, street parade/- 4-5 shows for children and their parents per day /plus 5x during the festival a FREE open-

air show for children designed for general public/- headliners– 3 huge circus tents – approx. 36 shows – 2-3 evening shows per day - plus smaller Czech and international productions, outlining Czech new circus creation - circus workshops, graphic workshops (daily from 10 am to 6 pm) for the general public,

given by experience teachers, FREE OF CHARGE- workshops for students, professionals and the general public given by performers from

abroad- Summer Festival Schools for children from 6-15 / limited capacity- OPEN STAGE – emerging artists presenting their skills to the public, the festival

providing them with an above-standard technical equipment in a circus tent – 2-3 timesper festival, FREE OF CHARGE

- discussions, workshops for professional artists - encounters – networking of professional artists and other professions connected to the field

PROJECT LACRIMAE …the first new circus European coproductionof the festival at LETNÍ LETNÁ 2012 and

LETNÍ LETNÁ 2013

The project LACRIMAE brings together three new circus companies fromEurope: the French Cahin Caha, the Swedish Cirkus Cirkör and the Czech CirkLa Putyka. The director of the festival Letní Letná, Jiří Turek, underscores theexceptional character of the cooperation: “This is the first, and perhaps the lastchance to see artists from these companies together on one stage.”Cabaret, a work-in-progress of the Lacrimae, in other words a teaser of what willbe presented at the jubilee tenth edition of Letní Letná in 2013, was presented atthe 2012 edition of the festival. The total of 7 shows was attended by over 3,000people who vivaciously applauded the piece at each occasion.

The Cabaret Lacrimae promises that great thing are coming for us next year.Michal Zahálka, Hospodářské noviny, 24. 8. 2012

Cabaret Lacrimae is promising, it has the potential to blossom into beauty. Within an hour and a half, a fully-fledged production has been revealed. Withno hesitation could it be compared to finished projects in terms of technicalpreciseness and artistic drive... There is much to be looking forward to.

Jana Machalická, Lidové Noviny, 21. 8.

2011 was the year when the festival Letní Letná for the first time set out on a journeyout of Prague, stopping by at four Czech towns (Olomouc, Ostrava, Brno andFrymburk na Lipně) with the claim LETNÍ LETNÁ on the Road. This mission hadone aim in mind, that of bringing the genre of new circus closer to the public out ofPrague and to create the big festival's smaller version , one that would satisfy thosewho don't have the opportunity to come and see new circus shows in Prague or abroad.

Despite this being a step into the unknown, the festival received positive feedbackaround the regions, attracting as many as 10,000 people and gaining requests fromlocal institutions to come back in 2012. Which is exactly what happened, exceptfor this time the festival stopped by in Ústí nad Labem, Olomouc and Lipno.Presently, the festival team is working on Letní Letná on the Road 2013.

LETNÍ LETNÁ ...in the regions

NA CESTÁCH

MEZINÁRODNÍ FESTIVAL NOVÉHO CIRKUSU A DIVADLA

Pořádá Společnost Gaspard o.s. a Gasparo s.r.o.

LIPNO nad VLTAVOUcentrální parkoviště

LIPNOČERVENEC 2013

NA CESTÁCH

MEZINÁRODNÍ FESTIVAL NOVÉHO CIRKUSU A DIVADLA

Pořádá Společnost Gaspard o.s. a Gasparo s.r.o.

KORUNNÍ PEVNŮSTKA

OLOMOUCČERVEN 2013

www.letniletna.cz

PRODUCTION AND REALIZATION:Gasparo s.r.o.Společnost Gaspard, o.s.

CONTACTSFESTIVAL DIRECTORJiří Turektel.: +420 604 231 893@mail: jiri.turek@letniletna.cz

FESTIVAL MANAGERIvana Vrbíkovátel.: +420 728 484 908@mail: ivana.vrbikova@letniletna.cz

photo: František Ortmann