For 2024, Inspiration has announced two main themes for the festival programme: “New Faces” and “85th Anniversary of VDNKh”.
Under the first theme, the festival presented curators in four main areas: theatre, music, dance and installation. These were theatre and film actress Alexandra Ursulyak, actress and TV presenter Sati Spivakova, actor and choreographer Yegor Druzhinin and stage designer Timofey Ryabushinsky.
In 2024, the festival’s permanent venue, VDNKh, will celebrate its 85th anniversary. “Inspiration” congratulates the country’s main exhibition with a street performance by Timofey Ryabushinsky, a narrative show “VDNKh. Memories” and a screening of films shot in 1939: “The Foundling” by Tatyana Lukashevich, “A Girl with Character” by Konstantin Yudin and “Tractor Drivers” by Ivan Pyryev.
The Inspiration festival is held at 11 venues of VDNKh: the Green Theatre, the House of Culture, the square near the Peoples’ Friendship fountain, the Workers’ and Collective Farmers’ Pavilion, Pavilion No. 33, the Space Pavilion, the Industrial Square, the area in front of the Optics Pavilion, the “Moscow Sun” Ferris wheel, the dance floor in Ostankino Park, and the Main Street. More than 300 Russian and foreign artists will take part in the festival events.
On July 27, the first day of the festival, two workshops began: the KED LAB dance workshop directed by Egor Druzhinin and the modern theatre workshop directed by Greek director Menelaos Karantzas, the participants of which were selected through an open call. The five-day workshop will conclude with a presentation of the joint work on the main stage of the VNDJ Green Theatre as part of the “Night of One-Act Ballets”.
The organisers see the Menelaos Karantzas Lab as an opportunity for Russian actors to benefit from the experience of a leading European director working at the intersection of genres and cultures. The result of the lab will be the presentation of a sketch of the play on the last day of the festival.
We will recommend seven important events of the Inspiration festival to RG readers
“La Gaviota” Apacheta Theatre Sala Estudio, Argentina August 1-4, 18:00, VDNKh House of Culture (foyer) Admission by registration
A modern interpretation of A.P. Chekhov’s play “The Seagull” by Argentine director Guillermo Cacace. defeated.
The audience sits on all four sides of a large square table, behind which are Chekhov’s characters. Guillermo created a synthesis of the characters in the play, so the actors are not assigned specific images or roles.
The performance participated in festivals: Rafael Theater Festival (Santa Fe, Argentina), Mil International Theater Festival (Santiago de Chile, Chile).
Concert by Ekaterina Mechetina July 27 at 8:00 p.m., VDNKh House of Culture Tickets must be registered
Ekaterina Mechetina is a virtuoso pianist, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Associate Professor of the Moscow Conservatory, soloist of the Moscow State Philharmonic, winner of the Presidential Award of the Russian Federation and international pianist competitions, including the F. Busoni Competition in Bolzano (Italy) and the Cincinnati World Piano Competition (USA, 1st Prize and Gold Medal).
At the festival, Ekaterina Mechetina will perform a solo programme featuring Russian piano classics: 12 characteristic paintings from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Seasons” cycle and selected works by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
“Good Songs” August 3, 8:00 p.m., “Worker and Collective Farmer” Pavilion (roof) Admission upon registration
15 songs about love, each of which became a milestone in the life of Alexandra Ursulyak, are intertwined with short monologues about the actress’s childhood, youth and maturity. 1 hour and 20 minutes in one sitting will give you the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of the past and, in the end, look with joy into the future.
Pop hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s (music by Basner, Dolmatovsky, Tariverdiev, Kolmanovsky, Piaf, Pauls, Kander) will give the viewer a special romantic mood.
A live performance by a five-piece jazz band, a simple yet elegant set design and an exquisite Dior-style dress by fashion designer Svetlana Tegin are the components of a chamber concert.
“Antuco” Teatro Silencio Blanco, Chile July 27 and 28, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Hall No. 33 Admission by registration
The play “Antuco” by the Silencio Blanco theatre group, performed with the help of only three puppets, tells the tragic fate of a young man who, as part of a group of forty 18-year-olds and an army sergeant, froze to death on the slopes of the Antuco volcano. The play is based on real events that occurred in 2005.
“Macacos” August 1-4, 7:00 p.m., Hall No. 33 Entry by registration
“Macacos” is a one-man show that talks about the complexities of black life in Brazil. The play, based on the story of a hero who faces racism every day, examines attitudes towards black people. The text refers to Brazilian history and the biographies of great Brazilian artists: Elsa Soares, Machado de Assis and Bessie Smith.
UNONA.L1-0BOV1oVokrug Theatre 3 and 4 August, 10:00 pm, Plaza de la Industria Admission upon registration
The story of a man and a woman.
The performance involves three puppets with different control techniques and one actress. The woman and man are large 8-metre metal-framed puppets. They are controlled by cranes and 14 puppeteers. The Predator is a metal-framed puppet, 3.5 metres high and 12 metres long, controlled on a wheeled base.
Youth Theatre “Ordinary Miracle” named after. AA. Bryantseva, St. Petersburg August 3 and 4, 20:30, Green Theatre Admission upon registration
“An Ordinary Miracle” is a play based on the famous play by Evgeniy Schwartz, staged by Russian theatre and film director Alexei Frandetti. The production is aimed at an audience that remembers and loves the Soviet film of the same name directed by Mark Zakharov, the legendary songs with lyrics by Yuli Kim and music by Gennady Gladkov.
