Good News, Everybody!

Every end is a new beginning

Our hearts and minds are still filled with the power and love from the Alexandria Nova Berlin Symposium in May. It marked the final event within the three year DAAD/ Erasmus+ funding from the EU that ended on August 31st 2022. We are very grateful for this support, without it all this would not have been possible. Thanks to all  our guests, the participating members, lecturers and students of the Alexandria Nova network, the associated partners and agein to the EU funding. But this will not be the end: Alexandria Nova will live on with more information coming soon. For everlasting memories, here are some pictures from the final Symposium. Photo credits goes to Tobias Klett from HfS Ernst Busch…

Registration Open: Berlin Jam May 2022

You are warmly welcome to the book launch and Symposium arranged by Alexandria Nova, the network of eight directing programs, in Berlin on the 13th-14th of May.The venue is the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, Zinnowitzer Straße 11. On the 13th of May we are giving out a book titled Looking for Direction – Rethinking Theatre Directing Practices and Pedagogies in the 21st Century. The program of the following Symposium is built around the four thematic chapters of the book. Furthermore, this Symposium marks the end of a three-year long Erasmus Strategic Partnership -project, that brought together seven North European directing programs (from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, and Germany) and one Brazilian directing program, in learning, discussing,…

Alexandria Nova Jam May 13th/14th 2022

The Alexandria Nova network invites all interested students, teachers and stage artists to two days of exchange about stage directing in the 21st century and how to teach it. Location: Ernst Busch University of Performing Arts, Berlin / Germany You will find: impulses, lectures and discussions about teaching stage directing in the 21st centurypresentation of students worklaunch of the book on the topic by 17 authors from 8 countriespresentation off the Alexandria Nova digital platform and online teaching In the evenings you will be able to visit the famous Theatertreffen Festival. For more information about the Alexandria Nova Network and your possibilities to contribute and participate in the network, please contact regie@hfs-berlin.de or check out the website https://alexandrianova.eu/

Alexandria Nova Theatertreffen Lounge

Theatertreffen ist the biggest and most important theatre festival of german speaking countries. This year from May 13th to 24th the festival will be accessible online and free of costs! Beneath the 10 selected ‘most remarkable’ productions of the last season, new drama will be presented and pressing topics in society are being discussed. Please check out the interesting programme here:  https://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/theatertreffen/programm/2021/gesamt/termine.html The Alexandria Nova network and the Ernst Busch School for Theatre in Berlin invite you to a professional exchange of experience and thoughts with international friends and collegues immediately after the streaming of the productions in the main programme. Just join the lounge shortly after the end of the show (or later…;) ) We looking forward to seeing…

Alternate Reality Games

Enter the rabbit hole: In this session on Monday May 12th from 5 to 7 pm CEST, Julian talks about ARGs as an inspiring form of non-linear storytelling. An ARG allows the audience to participate, explore, and most importantly, collaborate to explore the story the participants are surrounded with in their real lives. Furthermore, it lets you tell an entire storyworld over several weeks, creating an immersive experience for engaged players. Julian Jungel from Ernst Busch, Berlin Julian Jungel is a director and coder of the interactive arts. His interests lies in the space where storytelling and craftsmanship, music, animation and digital technology meet. Here he creates fun user experiences through fast iterations of design and prototyping. Julian works as…

Artistic inspiration and curiosity

Where does the artistic process start? On May 3rd 5 to 7 pm Alexandria Nova students share material, that inspires them in their creative processes. Inger Eilersen, director and teacher from Copenhagen will discuss processes and methods of finding and catching the initial spark for a production process. Every Monday the Alexandria Nova Network offers a lecture, seminar or discussion about methods of (teaching) directing. The lectures are not public and aim primarily at students of the participating schools. It is however possible to attend the events as a guest. Please write an email to regie@hfs-berlin.de to register and receive an entrance link.

Brecht and the origins of epic theatre pt. 2

Holger Teschke continues to speak about Brecht on Monday April 19th from 5 to 7 pm CEST. You can find the first part of the lecture (and much more!!) on the AN-website if you missed it or want to recall:  Holger Teschke – Bertolt Brecht and the origins of his Epic Theatre From Brechts poem “ Of poor B.B.” as a starting point we will be talking about the origins of his Epic Theatre in biographical and theoretical context and discuss the development in theory and praxis between 1919 and 1956. As a preparation please read the poem ‘Of poor B.B. which you can find on https://www.poetryfoundation.org  (search: Bertolt Brecht Of poor B.B.) Last time we read and discussed the first six…

Miglė Remeikaitė on Human Specific Performance

On April 12th from 5 to 7 pm CET the young lithuanian theatre maker Miglė Remeikaitė will present the method of  “Human Specific Performance” . The participants will have an opportunity to learn more about this specific participatory theater form. The method of Human Specific Performance was developed by the Danish theater company “Cantabile 2” in 2006. This artistic process is based on the audience physical, emotional and mental involvement, where the actor invites the viewer to an artistic experience. It is defined by certain laws of ritual or play without representing a the character within a chosen theme and aesthetics. Miglė Remeikaitė does artistic research in the field of apllied theatre within several communities. theatre maker Miglė Remeikaitė from Lithuania Every Monday 5…

Monday Lecture: Female Authors for Alexandria Nova

On Monday March 29th, 5 to 7pm,  Jakob Zeisberger, Laura Talenti and Alina Fluck, all students at the Erst Busch Theatre School, invite you to their peformance/lecture ‘Female Auhors for AN: Marieluise Fleißer – A Pioneer Writer’. During their studies at the HfS Ernst Busch in Berlin Laura, Jakob, Alina and their classmates noticed an underrepresentation of female theatre authors in their curriculums. Because of that the students initiated two seminars in which the focus laid on female theatre makers and authors, with the broader goal of establishing a more diverse curriculum at their school. One of Germany’s most important female theatre writers, Marieluise Fleißer, will be introduced. She was a companion, colleague and critic of Brecht, who also directed…

Thomas Ostermeier: mapping democracy

Monday March 22nd 5 to 7 pm CET Alexandria Nova invites you to Thomas Ostermeiers lecture “The Enemy of the People“ on tour – mapping democracy In his play “An Enemy of the People” Henrik Ibsen walks a fine line between honesty and fanaticism. His play poses the question: what is the potential for truth and transparency in a commercialised society? Thomas Ostermeier’s production of Ibsen’s play premiered at the Schaubühne in 2012. Since then, it has toured all over the world, and was shown for example in Melbourne, Lyon, Montreal, Quebec, Athens, Venice, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, New York, Paris, Istanbul, Oslo, London, Moscow, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, Naples, Tbilisi, Minsk, Bogotá, Torun, Seoul and Beijing. In Ostermeier’s adaptation the crucial…

Seminar: Time, Temporality and Eternity in the art of directing

Online Seminar in March 2021: Working with time – observing, sensing, manipulating and sharing it – is an essential part of the art of the director. The director works with time in the rehearsals, leading processes that build up during weeks, months and years.

Monday Lecture: Staging Memories by Anja Susa

On March 1st from 5 to 7 pm CET Anja Susa will approach the topic of ‘Staging Memories‘. The lecture deals with the present immersive and documentary strategies which deal with the notion of memory or nostalgia through different representational models. How can we approach the issue of memory in theatre, both individual as well as collective, given the fact that theatre always operates in the “NOW” and, therefore, to paraphrase Sarah Kane, paradoxically has no history itself. How to turn and individual act of remembering into a collective act of ritualizing memory, and by doing so, also ritualizing a community through a short-lived encounter between a performance and its’ spectators? Can there be truth in theatre? And what kind…

Monday Lecture: Runar Hodne on Henrik Ibsen's "The Masterbuilder"

On the February 22nd you can have a new encounter with Runar Hodne, director and  professor from Norway. He will be talking about Henrik Ibsen, and especially the play ‘The Masterbuilder’ which is recommended to read before the session. Runar Hodne from Norway Every Monday 5 to 7 pm CET the Alexandria Nova Network offers a lecture, seminar or discussion about methods of (Teaching) directing. The lectures are not public and aim at students of the participating schools. It is however possible to attend the events as a guest. Please write an email to regie@hfs-berlin.de to register and receive an entrance link.

Monday Lecture: Loreta Vaskova on Documentary Theatre

On Monday February 15th from 5 to 7 pm CET Loreta Vaskova, director and scholar from Vilnius, Lithuania, will discuss the development of documentary theatre since the beginning of the 20th century to today, especially focussing on ethical and artistic decisions and the verbatim theatre method.  Loreta Vaskova from Vilnius, Lithuania Every Monday 5 to 7 pm CET the Alexandria Nova Network offers a lecture, seminar or discussion about methods of (Teaching) directing. The lectures are not public and aim at students of the participating schools. It is however possible to attend the events as a guest. Please write an email to regie@hfs-berlin.de to register and receive an entrance link.

Alexandria Mondays 2021 start with Brecht

A brandnew series of Alexandria Mondays take place each Monday from 5-7pm CET from February until May 2021. Once a month students can propose the content of one session to be held by themselves. At February 1st Holger Teschke, director and teacher at the Ernst Busch theatreschool in Berlin, will talk about ‘Bertolt Brecht and the origins of his Epic Theatre‘. Holger Teschke, director and teacher at the Ernst Busch theatreschool in Berlin As a preparation all participants should please read the poem ‘Of poor B.B.’ www.poetryfoundation.org    (search: Bertolt Brecht Of poor B.B.) The lectures are not public and only available to students of the participating schools. To participate in the session, a separate e-mail with a registration link is…

Alexandria Monday December 2020: The Art of Action

The art of action and the possibility of making it effective and visible on stage and in society, in performance and in moving images, is the focus of research at the Institute of Directing at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst “Ernst Busch“. Directing is the carrying out, initiating and organising of actions. These actions require practice. Britta Geister and Robert Schuster, both teachers at the Ernst Busch Theatreschool in Berlin, will execute practical exercices exploring directing with digital tools. Britta Geister and Robert Schuster from Berlin, Germany

Time, temporality and eternity in the art of directing.

CALL FOR SEMINAR SPEAKERS The coming Alexandria Nova international seminar with the title ‘Time, Temporality and Eternity ‘ will take place on March 13th and 14th 2021 and will be hosted by Uniarts Helsinki, Theatre Academy. The event takes place on-line, in Zoom. The main language will be english. The seminars participants are teachers and students  of theatre directing and to the whole field of professionals in theatre/performance directing.The open call for the seminar contributions is out now!Time is an essential element in the work of a director in many ways. We want to adress topics such as duration, rhythm and temporal structure of performances; the notion of contemporality, timelessness and eternity in the context of the work; timestructures in production processes; collectively shared time in the transient NOW of performance…

Social contexts and collaborative processes!

Every Monday 5 to 7 pm CET Alexandria Nova presents lectures on contempory directing. In his coming up lecture on November 16th the german performance artist Andreas Liebmann presents his artistic research “Imaging the social” which happenes in an ordinary housing area in a suburb of Copenhagen. After this lecture there is a student Karaoke in the AN – CANTINA! November 23rd Karl Agust Thorbergsson, teacher of directing in Reykjavik, will discuss the creative processes of of the Icelandic performance collective 16 Lovers in relation to directing approaches and the conceptual challenges in the relationship between devising and directing. Andreas Liebmann // Karl Agust Thorbergsson If you want to participate in one of the lectures as a guest or need…

Coming up Monday Lectures: Forest ritual, concept and hybrid forms!

On October 26th Tumi Björnsson, a directing student from Reykjavik, currently in Helsinki with an Erasmus exchange , will share his experiences. He will focus on the ‘forest ritual’, which is a central part of the education in Helsinki. On the 2nd of November Runar Hodne, directing professor in Oslo and Copenhagen, will talk about the notion of concept in the work of a director. The week after, on the 9th of November the norwegian theatremaker and teacher Tale Naess will discuss challenges and possibilities of hybrid theatre forms for the performers and the interpreters (scenographers, directors, dramaturgs etc.). Tumi Björnsson, Runar Hodne, Tale Naess THe ALEXANDRIA NOVA Monday Lectures take place each Monday from 5-7pm CET from September till…

Monday Lectures October 2020

On October 12th and 19th 5 to 7 PM CET, all Alexandria Nova students are invited to two lectures about the methods of Devised Theatre by Egill Pallson, artistic Director of the Arctic Theatre inTromsö. The lecture consist of lectures and shorter tasks for smaller groups, where theory and praxis will mix. We will go through the vocabulary and tools for working with devised formats, tools and work methods. The dramaturgy of attractions and montage are used as the fundament to understand how to work with more performative methods. On October 26th there will be a student initiative lecture. We will inform you shortly. Monday Lectures take place each Monday from 5-7pm CET from September till December 2020. Once a month…

Coming up Monday Lectures

At September 21st Saana Lavaste, director and teacher from the Uniarts Helsinki, in her lecture/discussion ‘The Art of Leadership’ will discuss following questions: What does it mean “to have a vision”? Does a director always need to have one? What does leadership mean as an artistic tool? How can we train and develop this tool? Should we separate “the artist” and “the leader” in us? Is leading one´s own work the most difficult part of leadership? Saana Lavaste from Uniarts Helsinki At September 28th you have the choice between two lectures: Egill Palsson, director, teacher and artistic director of the Artic Theater in Tromsø, Norway, will go through the vocabulary and tools in the Action Analyses by Maria Knebel.Also on…

Start of Monday Lectures

Dear Alexandria Nova family, we're really happy to announce that our Monday Lectures will start on September 7th 2020 with a "Live feed of a ritual with pedagogical commentary from Finnish forest" as the leader of the Workshop, Eero-Tapio Vuori aka Eki from TEAK in Helsinki calls it. One week later on September 14th 2020, Una Þorleifsdóttir who is Associate Professor at LHI in Reykjavik, will discuss and propose questions on "Directing as a collaborative act" with as different collaborators as playwrigths and actors. She will talk about creating spaces of listening and intuition and about how to follow your own artistic vison while at the same time making room for the artistic vision of others.