Retroperspektywy 2026

15. International Theatre Festival Retroperspektywy

SUBVERSIONS

August 20-30, 2026

CHOREA Theatre

The world to­day is in a sta­te of con­stant sub­ver­sion. Lan­gu­ages, re­la­tion­ships, bor­ders, mo­des of com­mu­ni­ca­tion and our per­cep­tion of re­ali­ty are all chan­ging. It is be­co­ming in­cre­asin­gly dif­fi­cult to find a fi­xed po­int. It is be­co­ming in­cre­asin­gly easy to lose one’s be­arings. Per­haps this is pre­ci­se­ly why we need art to­day more than ever. Not as an esca­pe, but as a spa­ce for con­fron­ta­tion, expe­rien­ce and the re­di­sco­ve­ry of sen­si­ti­vi­ty.

In­ter­na­tio­nal The­atre Fe­sti­val Re­tro­per­spek­ty­wy, which has been or­ga­ni­sed by the CHO­REA The­atre sin­ce 2010, cre­ates a spa­ce for ar­ti­sts who are not afra­id of risk, expe­ri­men­ta­tion and pu­shing the bo­un­da­ries of form. For the­atre, mu­sic, dan­ce and per­for­man­ce that do not stop at aesthe­tics, but seek to to­uch upon what tru­ly mo­ves con­tem­po­ra­ry pe­ople.

SUB­VER­SIONS is the mot­to of this year’s 15th edi­tion of the Re­tro­per­spek­ty­wy Fe­sti­val. It is a con­scio­us re­ver­sal of per­spec­ti­ve. It is an at­tempt to look at things dif­fe­ren­tly. To step bey­ond what is safe and pre­dic­ta­ble.

SUB­VER­SIONS is a ge­stu­re of ar­ti­stic de­fian­ce aga­inst sim­pli­fi­ca­tions, ste­reo­ty­pes and a re­ali­ty that in­cre­asin­gly elu­des our sen­si­bi­li­ties. We are in­te­re­sted in ac­ti­vi­ties that in­vo­lve risk, un­cer­ta­in­ty, pro­vo­ca­tion, hu­mo­ur and expe­ri­men­ta­tion. Tho­se that al­low us to ma­in­ta­in a di­stan­ce from re­ali­ty, whilst hel­ping to re­bu­ild a sen­se of em­pa­thy, re­spon­si­bi­li­ty and com­mu­ni­ty.

SUB­VER­SIONS is mo­ve­ment. Both phy­si­cal and men­tal. An ac­cep­tan­ce of lo­sing one’s ba­lan­ce, which is so­me­ti­mes ne­ces­sa­ry to re­ga­in mind­ful­ness.

Fe­sti­val Re­tro­per­spek­ty­wy 2026: SUB­VER­SIONS, in ad­di­tion to sen­sa­tio­nal the­atre, dan­ce and mu­sic events, also fe­atu­res ac­ti­vi­ties re­la­ted to New Cir­cus. This is an art form ra­re­ly seen in Łódź, ro­oted in the tra­di­tions of acro­ba­tics and spec­tac­le, yet con­scio­usly re­jec­ting the old cir­cus mo­del ba­sed so­le­ly on en­ter­ta­in­ment. New Cir­cus com­bi­nes acro­ba­tics, dan­ce, the­atre, mu­sic and the vi­su­al arts, cre­ating per­for­man­ces of a more po­etic, emo­tio­nal and con­tem­po­ra­ry na­tu­re. It is an art form ba­sed on mo­ve­ment, ten­sion, pre­ci­sion and risk, yet also on trust, col­la­bo­ra­tion and phy­si­cal pre­sen­ce.

Fe­sti­val Re­tro­per­spek­ty­wy 2026: SUB­VER­SIONS is made of ar­ti­stic events that are not afra­id of er­ror, un­cer­ta­in­ty or expe­ri­men­ta­tion. They are the kind that pro­vo­ke tho­ught, ra­ther than at­tempt to im­po­se or­der. They are the kind that al­low us to pau­se for a mo­ment and view re­ali­ty from a dif­fe­rent an­gle.

SUB­VER­SIONS are an in­vi­ta­tion to lose your fo­oting for a mo­ment, roll your eyes, or look at the world from a dif­fe­rent per­spec­ti­ve - per­haps by stan­ding on your head.

PROGRAMME & INFORMATION: www.retroperspektywy.com

Fi­nan­ced from the funds of the Mi­ni­stry of Cul­tu­re and Na­tio­nal He­ri­ta­ge of the Re­pu­blic of Po­land, from the Cul­tu­re Pro­mo­tion Fund - a sta­te spe­cial-pur­po­se fund.

Pro­ject "In­ter­na­tio­nal The­atre Fe­sti­val Re­tro­per­spek­ty­wy" is fi­nan­ced from the funds of the City of Łódź.

Fi­nan­ced from the funds of the Fo­un­da­tion for Po­lish-Ger­man Co­ope­ra­tion.

Fi­nan­ced by the Mi­ni­stry of Cul­tu­re and Na­tio­nal He­ri­ta­ge of the Re­pu­blic of Po­land, as part of the “Dan­ce” pro­gram­me, re­ali­zed by the Na­tio­nal In­sti­tu­te of Mu­sic and Dan­ce.

Fi­nan­ced from the fo­unds of the ZA­iKS Au­thors' As­so­cia­tion.