In the 2016/17 season Theatre Glej has rethought its mission, vision and work through the prism of the fast and radical cultural and social changes that occurred during the past decade. 

1: our support programmes have refocused to new fields that are not supported by major institutions. Empowering various less privileged youth (especially teenage) groups, whom we help give a voice and develop their skills through the international Generation to Generation programme. Raising awareness and encouraging cultural production amongst students who are not studying at the Academy – this is performed within the StudenTheatre programme carried out in cooperation with JSKD. We also focus on enabling wholesome and stable development of artists through our Resident programme.

2: our artistic programme is refocusing from diversity to quality. This is our response to the ever poorer work conditions on the independent scene, the criticism of hyper-production and the realisation of the importance of overcoming state and regional boarders. We decided to produce less, but more permanent, binding and comprehensive works.

We decided not to focus on producing works, but on producing and developing artists. This means that the artistic council is more actively involved in the creative processes. We are the curator as well as producer. By opening up the processes and sharing responsibility we cooperate with the artists from conception to post-production. We seek opportunities for them outside the production itself. We link the education and visiting projects to the contents and needs of the artists; together with them we seek contacts and ties in the international space as well as in other Slovene regions.

We are also constantly making sure that the creative space of the Glej Theatre remains unique. In our understanding of the contemporary situation this means that we focus on original works, the theatre here and now, focused on the creator and the user. We are interested in new, current contents and artistic expressions that can be clearly mediated. Our response to the living core of the creative community is a response to the key issues of the space and time. We support what is not supported elsewhere: young, fresh, authors, performers.

At the same time the curated programme allows us to respond to the needs of the community in a more active and involved way: we can offer the public – who are also a part of our basic mandate and for whom we produce our contents - more current and focused contents. We have started analysing our public and reaching decisions based on the results and the response so far has been excellent.

 

Thus Glej has set the following new focal points:

• Culturally empowering those groups who are in the most dire need of a space for artistic expression and contents adjusted to fit these groups;

• Developing and supporting artists, as this will ensure continuous cultural production and the development of tools and opportunities for future work;

• focusing on the needs, demands and wishes of the local community and providing contents and approaches that this space and public need.

 

In recent years, Glej Theater has developed several projects aimed exclusively at young people. It is a place where young people can explore their artistic expression and express their views on the world through various artistic genres. It is a space that ensures that their voices are heard.

Through various projects, we enable active participation of young people. We encourage critical thinking and constant dialogue. We teach young people in theatrical skills in the arts of other performing arts, which help them find their own expression. The goal here is not only to get to know the different performance methods, but also to research the given material.