Negotiating Peace
Qendra Multimedia in association with: Teatro della Pergola (Italy); euro-scene Leipzig (Germany); Prague City Theaters (Czech Republic); R.A.A.A.M (Estonia); Mittelfest (Italy); Kontakt (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Black Box Teater (Norway) and My Balkans (USA/Serbia) present
Opening: October 16, 2023, ODA Theatre, Prishtina
By: Jeton Neziraj Directed by: Blerta Neziraj Actors: Shkumbin Istrefi, Ema Andrea, Harald Thompson Rosentrøm, Ejla Bavcic, Martin Kõiv, Melihate Qena, Orest Pastukh Composer Ardo Ran Varres Stage design: Agata Skwarczyńska Costume Designer Blagoj Micevski Choreography Gjergj Prevazi Dramaturg: Mina Milošević Video Besim Ugzmajli Lighting design: Yann Perregaux, Agata Skwarczyńska Assistant director: Sovran Nrecaj Translated by: Suzana Vuljevic Art director: Aurela Kadriu Development & Fundraising Support: Sven Skoric Tour manager: Dejan Jovanović International Outreach: Maud Dinand PR & Communication: Mobius Industries Sound: Bujar Bekteshi Technical coordinator: Lulzim Rexha Production assistants: Flaka Rrustemi & Verona Koxha
ABOUT THE SHOW
Negotiating Peace is a complex diplomatic challenge after military conflicts. In some cases, peace agreements are made; in others, complete peace is never reached or simply remains an arrangement on paper. Multiple wars and conflicts raise multi-layered questions and leave behind ambiguities, which makes peace difficult.
Looking at peace negotiations including Dayton peace agreement, those in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, the still-unresolved talks between Kosovo and Serbia, and anticipating the conclusion of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Kosovo’s Qendra Multimedia have brought together a pan European ensemble to create Negotiating Peace. This new production has been created with artists and theatre groups from Ukraine, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Italy, Czechia, Albania, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland and Estonia.
Inspired by Richard Holbrooke’s To End a War and Kadare’s The General of the Dead Army, NEGOTIATING PEACE tries to confront the audience with the backgrounds, challenges, fears and hope that accompany the reaching of a peace agreement and discusses important issues: Who has the power and legitimacy to negotiate peace? Do people truly reconcile after signing a peace accord? And finally: Can collective forgiveness ever occur, or is forgiveness an individual act?
Negotiating Peace will be directed by Qendra’s Blerta Neziraj in her vibrant and striking style which tackles political and social issues head-on. Speaking about the production Blerta said: “The main thing we are looking at in this theatre production is: If war has its demons leading people towards destruction and misery, what does peace have? Who is the antipode of the war demons?! Are they the peace emissaries? The political leaders who have the courage to sign peace agreements? Or the ordinary people, the survivors, who have paid the highest price of the war.”
TOUR DATES:
Opening: 16 October, 2023 – ODA Theatre, Prishtina
19 October, 2023 – ODA Theatre, Prishtina
20 October, 2023 – City Theatre of Gjilan
21 October, 2023 – Albanian Theatre Skopje (North Macedonia)
23 October, 2023 – Adriana City Theatre of Ferizaj
25 October, 2023 – ODA Theatre, Prishtina (Kosovo Theatre Showcase)
8 & 9 November, 2023 – euro-scene Leipzig (Germany)
11 November, 2023 – Theater im Pumpenhaus, Münster (Germany)
13 & 14 November, 2023 – Prague City Theaters (Czech Republic)
9 December, 2023 – National Theatre of Tirana (Albania)
11 December, 2023 – ODA Theatre, Prishtina (Kosovo)
13 December, 2023 – Újvidéki Színház, Novi Sad (Serbia)
Press:
What comes next? Negotiating Peace and the plays of Jeton Neziraj – Café Europa by Natasha Tripney
natashatripney.substack.com
Negotiating Peace – Qendra Multimedia at Teatri Oda, Prishtina, premiere 16th October 2023 – Sea Stage
www.seestage.org
AN INTERNATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL PONDERS CONSEQUENCES OF BULLYING AND MARAUDING – By Steven Leigh Morris | Stage Raw
www.stageraw.com
“NEGOTIATING PEACE”, KOSOVO THEATRE SHOWCASE 2023 – by Verity Healey | The Theatre Times
www.thetheatretimes.com
Dans les Balkans, jouer en terrain miné – by Anaïs Heluin | Politis
Au Kosovo, depuis 2018, le théâtre a son festival. Porté par Jeton Neziraj et son équipe de Qendra Multimedia, le Showcase, dont la 6e édition a eu lieu du 24 au 29 octobre, donne à découvrir une scène aussi politique que caustique.
www.politis.fr
Kosovo Theatre Showcase: Erinnerungsarbeit und Traumabewältigung – by Ute Büsing | Tagesspiegel
Fast in Vergessenheit geraten sind die blutigen Balkan-Kriege in den 90er Jahren. Der kleine Kosovo wurde nach Pogromen an der Zivilbevölkerung 1999 nur mit vereinten NATO-Kräften vor serbischen Attacken gerettet. Auch daran erinnert das alljährliche Theaterfestival „Kosovo Theatre Showcase“ in der Hauptstadt Pristina und Umgebung.
www.tagesspiegel.de
Krisen, Frieden, Familiengeschichten – by Emma Schindler | Tanznetz
Euro-Scene II: „KRIZE“, „Negotiating Peace“ und „LIT1/Familie“
Europa rückt zusammen. Drei deutsche Erstaufführungen mit der slowenischen Performance „KRIZE“, „Negotiating Peace“ aus dem Kosovo und dem belgischen „LIT1/Familie“.
www.tanznetz.de
Vain generals, mix-ups and Elvis: Kosovan play turns peace talks into farce – The Guardian
www.theguardian.com
Financed by:
National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Allianz Foundation, The Sigrid Rausing Trust, European Union in Kosovo, Ministry of Culture of Kosovo, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Goethe Institute, City of Prague, Fond for Utøvende Kunstnere.
