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This is a difficult year for Jewish initiatives; unconducive to celebration. Given the violence in Palestine and Israel, we are, more than ever, struggling to understand the role we should play as a Jewish organization. What does a contemporary Jewish art program mean at a time when the very concept of Jewishness is constantly being reexamined?”. Our contribution, then, is one of questions, and belief in the critical potential of art to ask questions, foster empathy, humanity, and the peace we all deserve. We cannot ask these questions in a silo, and thus hope our audiences will join us on this path.
Read more about the program!
This year’s encounter with contemporary Jewish art will open with a Shabbat by the Vistula River on Friday, June 21. It will feature two concerts blending traditional Yiddish music with modern sounds and arrangements. This evening, the Vistula in Kraków will resonate “Jewishly” thanks to Blinder Schnee and Maria Ka. The first concert will be held in the Tadeusz Kantor Cricoteka Art Documentation Center, and the second in its courtyard.
The weekend kicks off with a further musical feast on Saturday, June 22, specially prepared for the festival. In the courtyard on Zwierzyniecka Street, we will hear a concert-dialogue of reed,acoustic instruments between Mikołaj Trzaska and Natan Kryszk. Trzaska, one of Poland’s most esteemed representatives of jazz avant-garde, and Kryszk, an active creator on Warsaw’s improvised music scene, will lead the audience through diverse musical narratives: from melodiousness to abstraction. The concert-ritual aspires to create a community of artists and listeners in this unusual place—a space of mutual care, attention, and equality.
This atmosphere will continue into Sunday (June 23) with a long-table discussion about Palestine and Israel. Several projects presented during this year’s festival address the topic of Israel and Palestine, and the long-table will respond to the need for meeting, reacting, and listening to one another. The long table, according to artist Lois Weaver, is an “experimental public forum, a hybrid of performance, installation, roundtable discussion, and dinner party, designed to bring together people with a common goal and enable dialogue.” Moderation will be handled by Alina Palichleb and Julie Weitz, who will delve into topics that require stepping out of comfort zones with the audience.
The festival will feature a diverse array of events, including performances such as Dominika Laster’s “IN || TENT” and Julie Weitz’s ritual performance “Holy Names for Our Dybbuk”. Notable shows include the satirical play “Poland is Not Yet Lost” by Michael Rubenfeld and Dorota Abbe a and queer performances like “Jews! Jews! Jews!” and Betty Q’s “Moirea”. Workshops and discussions on Jewish spaces will also be held.
The 8th edition of FestivALT is supported by the Matanel Foundation, the Jewish Humanitarian Fund, and the EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program (CERV 2021-2027). For more details, visit www.festivalt.com.
