On Monday 30 June at 7.30 p.m., at the Teatro Amaya (Paseo del General Martínez Campos, 9) and on the occasion of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Instituto Polaco de Cultura presents the work Romantic Libido, an innovative stage proposal created by Teatr 21 – Centre for Inclusive Art in Warsaw, involving actors with functional diversity.
It is a courageous, sensitive and deeply human work that invites us to reflect on desire, intimacy and identity from an inclusive and contemporary perspective. The performance is directed by renowned creator Justyna Wielgus, on the occasion of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in collaboration with the Instituto Polaco de Cultura and the Instituto Mickiewicz.
Two hundred years ago, the premiere of a revolutionary work Ballads and Romances by the Polish bard Adam Mickiewicz (who can be compared to Espronceda, Bécquer or Larra) caused a scandal: the author was accused of immorality and perversion. He spoke in the voice of the lowest social classes, granting them the right to express desires and fantasies. Full of eroticism and sensuality, the ballads challenged class hierarchies and demanded a democracy of emotions. These texts struck the bourgeois mocking and became a manifesto of a new sensibility. Are they still causing the same discomfort today? Romantic libido is a contemporary response of actors and creators who find their own voice in the sacred texts of the national bard (based on Ballads and Romances by Adam Mickiewicz and improvisations of the actors).
Teatr 21 consists mainly of actors with Down syndrome and autism. It is a professional theatre company from Warsaw, founded in 2005 by Justyna Sobczyk at the Special Education School «Dać Szansę». Over the past 16 years, the company has created numerous original shows, performed in prestigious institutions throughout Poland and participated in important national festivals.
The performances of Teatr 21 have been internationally acclaimed, with shows presented in Prague, Berlin, Helsinki, Freiburg and Neratov. In 2020, the company joined the European project «Crossing The Line» collaborating with partner theatres in Rotterdam, Galway, Roubaix, and Malmö, and started a partnership with Münchner Kammerspiele in Munich. In 2022, her video-performance “Body to Body” with Marilyn was presented at the Segal Center Film Festival in New York.
Since 2020, Teatr 21 is developing the Centre for Inclusive Arts, the first cultural institution in Warsaw entirely dedicated to the work of artists with functional diversity. Funded by the city of Warsaw, the Centre offers performances, workshops, conferences and a space fully adapted to the needs of diverse audiences and creators.
After the show, there will be a discussion with the director and some of the actors. It is essential to confirm your attendance through this form.
