Championships provoke a Cultural Shift in Kazan

As part of the 16th FINA World Championships, the Executive Directorate for Sports Projects, the administration of Kazan and Sdvig Kazan Chamber Theatre present the second All-Russian Street Performers Festival Kulturniy Sdvig ('Cultural Shift').

During the 16th FINA World Championships, visitors to the FINA Water World Park and spectators of the competitions can see musical, dance and theatrical mini presentations by Russian art groups on the podium around the Kazan Arena Stadium.

The Cultural Shift will run until August 9, from 16:00 to 22:00. All spectators delight at the 'living statues' in the most unexpected forms, street artists, musicians playing romantic sounds, professional jazz artists and young hip hop artists, dance groups of various directions, theatrical shows and performances. The two weeks of the festival presented dozens of interesting performances, seen by hundreds of guests of the FINA Worlds 2015. However, the last days of the Cultural Shift  promise to be truly memorable, and art lovers should not miss it.

Festival Art Director Aleksandr Feldman talked about how it went, why artists work for free and the importance of the street performance culture.

– When a person is engaged in physical activity, it is not about whether he will win. That is not the essence of it. And the same goes for culture. There is high, powerful and professional art. Our ballet is the best of all, our opera is famous, and there are excellent film festivals in the country. Professional art lives its vibrant life. But there is also amateur art. Not in the sense of 'unprofessional', but in the sense 'I love art'. And everyone loves some form of art. We understand that not everyone will play the piano like Matsuev, but everyone can come to our festival and get some food for thought, and soak up some culture. Therefore, all our programmes are increasingly interactive, and we tried to involve the spectators in the process, and they themselves become artists and participants. And that is what Cultural Shift is all about.

 – Why was it decided to stage the festival as part of the FINA World Championships?

 – It's right to show the best we have got. And not just competitions.  It is difficult for me as an author and organiser to talk about my project as the best that there is in Tatarstan. It might look like I am bragging. And why not? I believe that everything done in Tatarstan is the best, and worthy of attention and encouragement. So I think it was right for the organisers to invite the festival, and from our part, when we said we would gladly climb the podium and organise the festival. The aim of the festival is primarily to renew and revive familiar places. This was the case with the embankment of Kaban Lake and Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda last year, and the same this year at the podium of Kazan Arena Stadium, when we attract people's attention to beauty.

 – What groups are involved in the Cultural Shift?

 – There are actually a lot of groups. Traditional groups from Kazan, our good friends, are taking part. Volga-Volga has just sung, and Criket group is up. Doroga iz Goroda is about to give a choreographic performance, and Pantera chamber ballet is scheduled. There's a large number of artists from Tatarstan. And, of course, our guests. Gosti iz Surguta is a very famous group, and probably the only one of its kind in Russia. Firstly, they are young, and secondly, they do plastique and pantomime. This is, unfortunately, a rare genre today. There are guests from the city of Perm who brought us amazing work, a choreodrama, as the authors themselves call it. In fact, it will be Gogol's Dead Souls performed choreographically. It's awesome. The same goes for Grotesk. They are presenting their work Story of Madness. In one hour, spectators will be able to read a book about Don Quixote. With high quality and in an interesting and entertaining way.  And our Sdvig Kazan Chamber Theatre has also already presented 4 of their works: a play, pop concert numbers, and a performance. Every weekend, we are here for children, adults, and for every possible taste. The living statues are students from Kazan's universities and colleges.

– The artists are working for free. How do you manage to attract such a large number of groups?

– It is the choice of each individual. First of all, this is probably the correct stance. It is more important to give than to take. We live in an age of consumption, and that should be corrected. Our artists are essentially showing this by example. Nobody is forcing them. Nobody said: "You must." The people performing as living statues are people who want to do it.

Cultural Shift programme for the weekend:

August 7

·       16:30-17:30 – Choreodrama: Gogol. Dead Souls, Free theatre of contemporary dance and Shake Dance Group (Perm)

·       19:00-20:00 – Play Story of Madness, Grotesk folk theatre of plastique and pantomime (Surgut)

·       21:00 – End of the festival day

 

August 8

·       16:00-21:00 – Performance Living Statues

·       16:00-17:00 – Dance performance, Free theatre of contemporary dance and Shake Dance Group (Perm)

·       19:00-20:00 – Show Comedy of love or 33 disasters, Grotesk folk theatre of plastique and pantomime (Surgut)

·       21:00 – End of the festival day

August 9

·       16:00-21:00 – Performance Living Statues

·       16:00-21:00 – Green concert:  Sdvig Kazan Chamber Theatre, Grotesk folk theatre of plastique and pantomime (Surgut), Free theatre of contemporary dance and Shake Dance Group (Perm), J-Set group

·       21:00 – End of the festival day

Press Office of Organising Committee for 16th FINA World Championships