[03.02.01] Organisational Ethnography of Festivals of Street Performers
2021-2025, National Science Centre, Poland; Project no. 2020/37/N/HS4/02368
Research projects
Street festivals study
A street festival, with its parades, performances and concerts, is a celebration for city residents and visitors. Festivals are also showcases and meeting places for artistic communities. These events can last a day, a week or a month. They can focus on the circus, open-air theatres, or a variety of the performing arts.
Today’s street festivals also demonstrate the way in which street performances are being regulated. Grassroots performances are being replaced by events reflecting the goals and interests of the festival organisers. As a result, the spontaneity of art clashes with the cultural policies of cities. This trend is part of globalisation, in which artistic events lose their uniqueness and become homogenised.
Do we want all street festivals to look and sound the same? How can we shape distinctive spaces for experiencing art, creating communities and inspiration – both for performers and residents? Many festivals support local heritage and appreciate values close to art and originality – it is worth getting to know them!
Poland’s fashion capital is Łódź, its gingerbread capital is Toruń, and its street theatre capital is... Jelenia Góra! Jelenia Góra’s street theatre festival dates back to 1982. It is the oldest festival of its kind in Poland!
If you don’t like crowds, you can watch street festival performances here!
[VIDEO] Capuchini Circo, Curious; Carnaval Sztukmistrzów (2023)
[VIDEO] Golden Luck, Lutrek; Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2022)
[VIDEO] Niebezpieczne rzeczy, Krzysztof Kostera; Międzynarodowy Festiwal Teatrów Ulicznych w Jeleniej Górze (2022)
