On Friday morning, after the excitement of the first public performance of For Mountain, Sand and Sea on Thursday, I set off from a deliciously sunny Barmouth, via Manchester and Zurich, to Pristina,Kosovo. I’d been invited to talk at an event at the National Theatre of Kosovo, which seemed too interesting a proposition to miss.


I arrived in Kosovo after midnight. The arrival hall of the airport resembled an old aircraft hangar more than the identikit
easyjet airports of most smaller cities, and the drive from airport to city centre revealed a territory still delicately balanced between old rural ways, urbanization, and the landscapes of war. The Grand Hotel Pristina was kind of what you might imagine of a former Soviet hotel in a city that’s seen more than it’s share of conflict, and a visit to a town further south the next day highlighted the very real beauty of the country and its history (Ottoman castles, ancient mosques and well-preserved Catholic churches) alongside more recent scars (Serbian Orthodox churches surrounded by barbed wire, and burned out houses from both sides of the conflict).



The artists and the young Kosovons I met (all from the Albanian majority) were full of passion, aspiration and ideas. They younger people in particular had a very clear and set view of recent and longer-term history, and there was much talk of ‘Albanian blood’ and how it unites the Albanians of the region, wherever they live. I struggled to imagine what it must be like to have lived your childhood in a war and to be building your adult life in a new country resulting from that war.



The more established theatre folk had, perhaps, a more complex range of opinions. The director of the National Theatre, Jeton Neziraj, a writer, was particularly impressive in his refusal of easy answers and his enthusiasm for challenging ideas. On the way home I read one of his plays, which was very strong. We are talking about ways that we can work together in the future.



From an NTW perspective, it was interesting to discuss our work alongside a national theatre in a country that is struggling into existence in such a bloody and painful way. The great challenge for the theatre there is to address that struggle without becoming a mere mouthpiece for the national agenda – a result that everyone was clear would be a betrayal of theatre’s potential.



There was a lot of interest in, and discussion of, our launch year ‘theatre map of Wales’, and the model it provides of exploring nation through place rather than focusing on identity or history as the core principle.



I came back with a real sense of the significance of the term ‘national theatre’ and how crucial such a thing can be in our understanding of today’s world.

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Comment by Carolina Vasquez on July 1, 2010 at 0:58
Hi John. Theatre does "create extraordinary bridges between people in very differing situations." Contacting the World is an excellent opportunity, thanks for sharing. And it has an excellent title, too!

Here in Wales, Mess Up the Mess are working on a theatre project - Strangers- with Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, allowing young people to interact, collaborate, and more. I'm working with them on the technical and online aspect of this, so I'll be sure to post the site on NTW, so everyone can see how it develops.

NTW's 'Theatre Map of Wales' is very exciting- I might have never made it to Barmouth and now I'm in love with it. I also love the passport scheme, I'm keen to get all my stamps!
Comment by National Theatre Wales on June 29, 2010 at 5:31
Hi Caroline. Thanks for your comment. I don't know how I managed to date the post as 1999. I've changed it now, but in a way you are right, the historical date was disturbingly poetic, given the dates of the war in Kosovo. I think theatre creates extraordinary bridges between people in very differing situations. I hope we will find a way to collaborate with National Theatre of Kosovo. You might also want to take a look at a project I used to be involved with in Manchester, which culminates in a festival the week of July 19 this year, Contacting the World - an extraordinary project involving collaboration and exchange between young theatre makers.
Comment by Carolina Vasquez on June 29, 2010 at 2:02
Beautiful post John. Indeed we are all very lucky to live in such an open minded country as Wales. When I read and hear about what other people my age are living around the world, I feel overwhelmed. I'm especially impressed by the strong desire of others to have their voices heard. Perhaps the date of your post even suggests you traveled back in time - or maybe it's a happy coincidence?

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