Opening of the exhibition "Architecture of Transition"

The exhibition project entitled ARCHITECTURE OF SURVIVAL (2016-2017) is a series of documentary photographs of the Greek island of Samotraki, places close to the transit routes often chosen by refugees from Turkey, among others.

The photographs depict the timeless architecture of nomads, migrants and refugees, which seems to be a visual symbol of the phenomenon of emigration and house hunting. “Imagine that this is a post-apocalyptic world in which humanity is actually dead, and those who have survived are forced to seek shelter in houses built without any special tools – from what is available at hand. (…) In this vision of history, where the end meets the beginning, it is not clear whether we are dealing with regression, or with the image of a new, different world,” says artist on official website of the project.

Play reading "Katyn. Theory of colors"

Julia Cholevinska is a Polish playwright and writer, the youngest recipient of the Gdynia Drama Award. Julia works with complex and contraversive themes. Her works include a story about a “Solidarity” activist who changed his gender (Foreign Bodies), a monodrama about the children’s experience of accepting the new capitalist world (Balloon Revolution), a play that depicts the experience of a little girl intimidated by the power and masculinity of her father (12/70), etc.

“Katyn. The theory Colors” is a text that tells the story of the massacre of 25,000 Polish captive officers by supreme government of the Soviet Union; an incident known as the “Katyn tragedy”. In the spring of 1940 more than 3 thousand Polish officers were shot up also in Kharkiv.

What do we really know about these events? Who and how is responsible for it?How and why should we talk about it? Let’s find answers to these questions together with the playwright.

Presentation of the Laboratory "Invisible means safe?"

The goal of the laboratory “Invisible means safe?” is the research of performative acts in the city and different approaches to interaction with the urban environment.

This research is based on the practice and principles of “invisible theater” proposed by Augusto Boal in the 1960s.The method of the director and founder of the “Theater of the Oppressed” involves playing in the urban space a prearranged problematic situation, which provokes passers-by and citizens to react, actively express their position without knowing that it is the theater in front of them.

В рамках спільної лабораторії Parade-fest та ГО «Театр змін» було проведено дві сесії разом з митцями_кинями та активістами_ками з різних міст України, що підіймали такі питання: чи відбувається перехід в Україні від самоцензури до відкритого діалогу? чи існує безпечний простір для нового емоційного досвіду, який може трансформувати уявлення та стереотипи? чи існує простір, який ставить питання “Де моя позиція?” до гострих соціальних явищ в суспільстві?

Two sessions together with artists and activists from different cities of Ukraine were held within the framework of the joint laboratory between Parade-Fest and NGO “Theater of Changes”. Is there a transition from self-censorship to open dialogue in Ukraine? Is there a safe space for a new emotional experience that can transform perceptions and stereotypes? Is there a space that puts the question “Where is my position?” to the burning social phenomena in society?

Discussions were documented in the form of sketches by artist Alevtina Kakhidze, and the results were described by artist and performer Pyotr Armyanovski.

"The City and Inclusiveness". Review of the best short films about social diversity and human rights with the authors

Where: 7th sklad
When: 19:00 – 21:00

Kharkiv is the second biggest city in Ukraine. There is no reason to ignore this fact, but how does it affect our everyday life? On the life of the community? Every person?
What does it mean to live in diversity? To take into account the other people’s diversity? Does a city have to live at the pace of the “weakest” in order to be inclusive to all?

Our city is home to Romani, Jewish, and Tatar communities, people with disabilities, foreign students, LGBT+ people, displaced people, and so on.Together with KharkivPride, we will talk about how we can live together by watching a few thematic short films.
Together with KharkivPride, we will talk about how we can all live together by watching a few thematic short films.

We will discuss the films:

“New Year in the Family Circle,” 2018, Maxim Nakonechny (18 min)
“At My Synagogue”, 2018, Ivan Orlenko (19 min)
“Museum of Acceptance”, 2021, Lada Sabova (13 min)
“The more hatred there is, the louder we will be”, 2021 (3 min)
“Gypsy’s Dream”, 2012, Roman Bondarchuk (22 min)

Moderator – Anna Sharigina.

Entrance is free!

Presentation of the project "Concrete Dreams"

The CONCRETE DREAMS project is an exploration of the relationship between architecture and the body by examining the Soviet structures of Kharkiv and their impact on the people who interact with them.

The project was initiated by British theater director Jonathan Ben-Shaul. Jonathan’s work is a documentary dance film which conventionally consists of two parts: a series of interviews with Ukrainian architects, researchers and residents, and a series of dance movements and etudes aimed at revealing the dynamics of the architectural forms in question.

Ukrainian performers Mykola Naboka and Igor Klyuchnik participate in the work.

Presentation of the project
"Crimea, 5am"

The documentary performance “Crimea, 5 am” focuses on the problem of human rights violation on the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula. As part of the project, the authors tell the real stories of imprisoned civil activists, journalists, their wives and children.

“We know about the events that have been taking place in the occupied Crimean peninsula for the last 7 years, but we have little information about the prisoners themselves, about the course of persecution, about their families… We want the viewer, regardless of their physical location, to be able to go into their home, feel their despair, hear their love story, examine faces and interiors, laugh and cry, cook their favorite food, wake up at 5 a.m. and be present during the search and arrest,” says the project team.

The authors of the text were Natalia Vorozhbit, Anastasia Kosodiy, Albert Sardaryan. Directed by Dmytro Kostyuminsky.

Film show "No! No! No!" (2017) and discussion with the author

The characters in the film “No! No! No!” by Ukrainian artist and director Mykola Ridnyi are young people, residents of Kharkiv. Their twentieth birthday coincided with the beginning of the war in neighboring Donbas. LGBT activist and author, fashion model, street sign painters, creator of an experimental computer game – each of them is engaged in creativity or works in the creative business, typical for a big city. However, the proximity of war affects each of the characters and their activities. The characters react and reflect on political events through their specific relationship with urban space and the reality of social media.

The documentary was a participant in the 2017 Odessa International Film Festival.