An intimate encounter with “Dziecinada” in Wrocław, hosted by the Foundation for the Support of Alternative and Ecological Cultures / Teatr Klinika Lalek and Strefa Kultury Wrocław, will take place on 4th and 5th of October at Firlej (Grabiszyńska 56). This year’s edition carries the theme “It Was, It Is, It Will Be”, and additional attractions will be held in collaboration with Kino Nowe Horyzonty on 6th of October.
This year, the celebration dedicated to all children takes on a special format. The full festival will not take place, as “Dziecinada” is now transitioning into a biennial format. The year 2024 serves as a transitional period – the team is taking a breath to focus on preparations for the 11th edition of the festival, scheduled for September 2025. This means the event will now be held every two years, giving organizers more time to craft even more exceptional and unforgettable experiences. The new structure is designed to better meet the needs of today’s children and their parents – and to create a theatrical world so astonishing it leaves the audience speechless!
That said, fans won’t be left without a cultural experience. On 4th and 5th of October 2024, Wrocław will host the extraordinary and intimate performance “Vida” by Spanish puppet master Javier Aranda. The series of events, titled “Dziecinada: It Was, It Is, It Will Be”, joins forces with the Young Horizons Festival, exploring the shared language of theatre and film. On 5th of October, the program includes a performance screening, a film, theatre animations, and an intergenerational discussion. All activities will take place at Firlej and Kino Nowe Horyzonty.
The performance “Vida” presented three times in the Firlej venue, is described as a “poetic dance of life” set inside a sewing basket. A world where two hands become a universe, and the basket reveals the mysteries of existence. In this magical dimension, “Vida” is born – a wordless performance that invites the audience to reflect on the fragility and beauty of life. Javier Aranda uses only his hands and the contents of a basket to tell a story about the relentless and inevitable passage of time. His hands transform into characters, beings with distinct personalities that create movement, emotion, and life. From the basket – like a traveler’s chest – new life emerges: precious, unique, and unrepeatable. The performance tells the story of birth, growth, reproduction, and death, becoming a metaphor for our own lives, which move constantly forward with no way back.
“Vida” is more than a performance – it is a journey through a labyrinth of emotions, where joy intertwines with sorrow, and hope with inevitability. It is an invitation to contemplate the passage of time and celebrate every moment of life.
A day full of extra attractions also awaits both the youngest and the oldest participants of the intimate “Dziecinada” event. This mini celebration of theatre for children will conclude on October 6 at Kino Nowe Horyzonty, where audiences will experience a film screening, a theatre performance, and an intergenerational discussion led by the organizers of both festivals.
The first highlight is the animated film “Yuku and the Himalayan Flower”, a Belgian-French production from 2022. Viewers will embark on a thrilling and emotional adventure! After all, everyone knows that in a forest that seems endless, it’s easy to get lost, and danger lurks in the form of strange and frightening animals. But Yuku has a powerful reason to begin her journey to the distant mountain peaks. If she can find the legendary flower and bring it to her beloved grandmother, the old mouse will know true happiness and eternal light.
Unexpected help comes in the form of songs played on a ukulele and riddles passed down during cozy family evenings spent in castle cellars. Along the way, a squirrel, a fox, and a rabbit join her cause. Even the most fearsome adversary – the wolf guarding the mountain – may not be as terrifying as he seems.
After the screening, participants will be invited to a warm and open discussion titled “Talking About Life… Across Generations.” This will be a space for shared reflections on courage, emotions, relationships, adventures… and life itself.
This emotionally rich day will conclude with the performance “Socrates in the Sandbox” by Małe Mi Theatre – a show that’s sure to spark plenty of reflections and inspire meaningful intergenerational conversations.
The performance is a joyful, musical spectacle that invites children and adults alike to play and talk about anything and everything. Puppet characters Sophia and Philo sit in a sandbox discussing Love, Anger, Courage and Fear, Play and Boredom, Kids and Grown-ups. Their questions open the door to family-friendly philosophy, encouraging viewers to ask more questions, explore answers, and awaken curiosity about the world and about themselves.
“Dziecinada”: It Was, It Is, It Will Be
4-6 October 2024 | Wrocław
Tickets available at: www.dziecinada.wroclaw.pl
The event is co-financed by the state budget – from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and the budget of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Self-Government.