Statutes

1. Mission of the festival

The festival creates a space for mutual encounters between theatre schools, where inspiration and experience is shared among students and teachers.
The festival is part of the teaching of study programmes at the Theatre Faculty of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (DF JAMU).

2. Organiser and co-organisers of the festival

The festival is organized by the Faculty of Performing Arts of JAMU.

Other entities may participate in the organisation of the festival. The content and form of cooperation is regulated by a cooperation agreement or another type of agreement.

3. Date and place of the festival

The festival takes place in Brno, usually in 5 days during the summer semester. More details are regulated by the festival project.
The festival dates are part of the JAMU Academic Year Schedule.

4. Festival bodies

4.1 Festival Council (hereinafter referred to as FR)

The Festival Council (FR) is an advisory board to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Members of the FR are appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, always with the beginning of the term of office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts – no later than December of the given year. FR members have a term of office of 4 years.
The FR is the supervisory body of the festival.
The FR is the supervisory body of the festival.
The FR is composed of the DF management (consisting of: Dean of the DF, Secretary of the DF, Vice-Dean for Artistic Activities, Vice-Dean for Development) and teachers appointed by the Dean.

FR is the commissioner of the festival towards the Studio of Theatre Production and Stage Technology, which fulfils the commission. And this is submitted to the FR for approval:

• Festival date (February).
• Open Call for the visual identity of the current edition of the festival and the theme of the festival (March).
• Festival project plan (April).
• The method and methodology for selecting the visual identity of the festival (April).
• Proposals for jurors (May).
• Ambassador proposals (May).
• Festival budget and accounting of the previous year’s festival (September) and its financial disbursement (repeated according to major milestones – grants received or submitted).
• Proposal for a video spot (September).
• The method and methodology of selecting productions (October).
• Proposal for audio spot (November).
• Selected productions for the festival (January).
• List of festival guests (January).
• Final form of the video spot (January).
• Final audio spot (February).

If there is no consensus at the Festival Council, the vote will proceed. In the event of a tie, the Dean of the Theatre Faculty (DF) decides.
The FR meets regularly (always on Tuesdays from 13:30-14:30), in accordance with the dates included in the JAMU Theatre Faculty Academic Year Schedule. If necessary, any member may call an extraordinary meeting.
The Festival Council is chaired by the Festival Director.

In case the FR detects/discovers or finds:

• unpreparedness of the implementation team (individual steps leading to the implementation of the festival will not be fulfilled, e.g.: project plan will not be submitted or approved),
• failure to implement the approved project plan and timetable for the festival,
• a major deviation from the festival budget, the FR delegates decision-making powers to the festival’s pedagogical supervision.

In the event that the Festival does not receive the planned funding from grant programs, it is within the authority of the FR to reduce the Festival budget at the expense of the program.

4.2 Festival Director

Responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Festival project plan.
Submits the project plan to the FR.
The Festival Director is appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts on the proposal of the Head of the ADPaJT.
The Festival Director is a student.
Chairs the Festival Council meetings.
Performs tasks defined by the FR.
Submits materials to the FR for approval according to the timetable.
May ask the Dean of the DF to call a special meeting of the FR if necessary.
Is responsible for setting up communication with the Art Section.
Appoints the Artistic Director of the Festival.

4.3 Art section

The Art section of the festival consists of the 3rd year of the Directing and Dramaturgy Studio and the 5th year of the Scenography Studio (the designated year is linked to the year of the festival), as well as selected representatives from ATD and RTDS.

He is actively involved in the artistic and dramaturgical aspects of the festival (especially Open Call on the visual identity and defining the festival theme, the method and methodology of selecting productions, etc.).

She is responsible for the professional expertise in the assessment of the schools and their productions. She is actively involved in the selection process for the main programme of the festival. And submits a proposal for the main programme to the FR for approval.

4.4 Artistic Director of the Festival

The Artistic Director of the Festival is appointed by the Festival Director.
The Artistic Director of the Festival is a student.
The filling of the position of Artistic Director is based on the discussions of the Art Section.
The definition of the responsibilities of the Artistic Director is set within the project plan submitted to the FR for approval.

4.5 Pedagogical Supervision of the Festival

Pedagogical supervision is mainly composed of teachers from:

• Studio of Theatre Production and Stage Technology,
• Studio of directing and dramaturgy,
• Studio of scenography,
• Studio of Audiovisual Production and Theatre,
• Studio of Radio and Television Dramaturgy and Screenwriting, by appointment by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

He is also a member of the Pedagogical Supervision Art Project Manager.

Duties of Supervision:

• regular attendance at FR meetings,
• providing feedback to students, regular consultations, final evaluation,
• pedagogical supervision during the work at the festival,
• to have a continuous overview of the festival’s progress and the fulfilment of the festival’s individual objectives,
• monitoring of the preparation of individual deliverables, including monitoring the fulfilment of the timetable.

The management and operational support of the project is carried out with the participation of the Head of PR, Head of the International Department, Building Management and cooperation with the school graphic designer.

5. Festival project

A specific year of the festival is realized on the basis of an approved project plan of the festival.
The project plan is created within the framework of the teaching of the studios concerned and is discussed and approved by the Festival Council.

The project shall regulate the following elements of the project, in particular:

• the solution of the organisational structure, including the specific way of involvement of the collaborating students of the studios concerned (ATD, RTDS, Stage Design, Directing and Dramaturgy, or others),
• the budget of the festival and its multi-source financing method,
• selection of sponsors (fundraising) and justification of their suitability (see point 6 of this document),
• Festival timetable with marked milestones (FR sessions),
• the overall aim of the festival,
• proposal of logistic support for the implementation of the project content,
• the organisational structure of the festival,
• the target groups of the festival,
• individual activities of the festival,
• changes compared to the previous edition of the festival.

The project also modifies the basic dramaturgical design of a particular festival. These elements may be regulated in separate (partial) projects.

If the project plan is not completed by the end of the academic year preceding the festival year in question, the last completed project will be used.

6. Financing of the festival

The preparation and organization of the festival is part of the teaching or independent creative activity at the Faculty of Arts of the JAMU and is financed as such.

Additional funds can be raised to ensure the festival runs. A proposal for the management of the festival (budget) is part of the project. The Festival Council decides on major issues related to the use of the Festival’s funds.

The festival’s fundraising activities are in accordance with the JAMU Code of Ethics and their selection/implementation emphasizes the social responsibility of JAMU and its educational/social activities (the so-called third role of universities).

7. Festival participants

The festival is mainly attended by theatre universities or similar national institutions. Participants are usually reimbursed for their living expenses.

8. Guests of the festival

Festival guests are approved by the Festival Council on the basis of the submitted list.

Guests of the festival are usually reimbursed for their accommodation costs and have free admission to festival performances.

9. Festival Jury

Proposals for the festival jury are approved by the Festival Council on the basis of the submitted proposal.

Festival jurors are usually reimbursed for their living expenses and have free admission to all festival performances.

10. Awards and jury

During the festival, outstanding student performances may be awarded by the festival jury.

The composition of the jury and the manner of the jury’s deliberations are regulated by the Statutes and Rules of Procedure of the Festival Jury of the SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER Festival.

Further details are set out in the appendix to the Jury Statutes entitled “Award Criteria for the Encounter/EnCOUNTER Festival”.

11. Visual identity of the festival

The Festival Director submits to the FR a proposal for the Festival Theme and Open Call for the visual identity, including the method and methodology for selecting the winning visual identity.

The visual identity follows the uniform visual style of JAMU.

The winner of the Open Call for the visual identity of the festival receives a financial award.

The graphics of the festival are prepared by the graphic designer of the JAMU Faculty of Arts as part of his/her workload.

12. Off festival program

The theatrical performances of the Off programme are always made up of performances realized by JAMU students during their studies.

Students apply for the theatre portion of the Off Program through the Open Call for Off Program.

The festival SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER is organized by students of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts.

The project is co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through the Visegrad Grants of the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the Fund is to support steps towards sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE JURY OF THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THEATRE SCHOOLS MEETING/ENCOUNTER AND RULES FOR THE AWARD OF THE MARCH

1. Jury members of the SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER festival

The jury is part of the non-competitive International Festival of Theatre Schools MEETING/ENCOUNTER. Its privileged function is to award exceptional artistic achievements of theatre school students.

The jury consists of foreign and domestic professionals (or university students) in the field of theatre arts or theatre education.

Jury members cannot be persons who have an employment relationship with the schools participating in the main programme of the festival.

Proposals for jurors are submitted to the IOT and presented to the Festival Council.

Jury members are approached and selected by the IOT on the basis of professional qualities, professional, national and gender diversity and balance.

The number of jurors is fixed at four.

At least one member of the jury is a representative of a Czech institution.

The jury is appointed by the Dean of the Theatre Faculty of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts on the basis of a proposal submitted by the Festival Director.

Jury members are allowed free admission to festival performances and off-programme performances.

It is the duty of the festival jury to see all performances of the main festival programme. Other duties of the Festival Jury include attending the opening and closing ceremonies of the Festival.

On the last day of the festival, the jury will decide on the award based on an expert discussion and will notify the festival director.

The jury awards up to four MARTA Awards.

Further details are set out in the appendix to the Jury Statutes entitled “Award Criteria for the Encounter/EnCOUNTER Festival”.

2. Chairman of the Jury

The Festival Jury will elect its own Jury President at the first Jury meeting. If there is no consensus in the jury’s decision, a vote will be taken. In the event of a tie, the vote of the Jury President shall prevail.

3. MARTA Award

As part of the non-competitive MEETING/ENCOUNTER festival, awards may be given to specific students for exceptional artistic performance – the MARTA Award. The MARTA Award is decided by a jury.

The decision on the final form of the awards is entirely reserved to the jury.

The MARTA award is given as part of the non-competitive International Festival of Theatre Schools SETTINGS/ENCOUNTER. The awards do not serve to create a ranking of individual productions from the main festival programme, but they are used to highlight inspiring and innovative artistic achievements of young theatre artists.

The MARTA Awards are given in recognition of the exceptional artistic achievements of students involved in the creation of productions from the main program of the show. Teachers or theatre professionals are not eligible for awards. The organizing team prepares supporting information for the jury; at the jury’s request, it obtains detailed information regarding the student’s status in each production team.

The MARTA award is linked to a specific artistic performance of a student and cannot be awarded to a collective of students.

The jury may award a maximum of four MARTA awards in any of the following categories:
– directing,
– scenic design,
– female acting,
– male acting,
– dramaturgy,
– incidental music,
– scriptwriting,
– lighting design,
– choreography,
– costumes.

In exceptional cases, more than one individual award may be given within a single category.